TRUE HEIRS

Chains rattling, torch flames crackling, barging footsteps banging and dragging. The hounds as they howled and barked. The chilly night, the screams for life and death, the whips as they lash through tough tired flesh... Carta Hill, the one place everyone dreaded, where traitors were secretly sent to face judgement, where no man dared to escape, where for the rest of their lives, convicted men worked. Mining precious gold for the high king. The wardens of this treacherous mine; knights of the capital, Eradea, changed their shifts one final time. A new carriage came in.

Fifteen more to work till they have earned their freedom, or fifteen more men to face execution. They were dragged out and lined up, and one knight; the vice warden came to take account, marching slowly around them and observing each man with a torch clutched in his left hand. Fifteen it was as they had expected, twelve to be confined and made to work, and three to be questioned, tortured and executed.

They were thus separated and led away, each of them chained by hands and feet, and guarded by knights both fore and behind. This was one night that was remembered by all who had lost hope in Carta, the night when as thought impossible, not one but two people escaped alive. The three were led away towards the deepest end of the camp and locked in the same pen with numerous other men on death row. Each of them was chained to the ground which was dirty and muddy all the way around and covered with sprinkles of hay. Their escort shut the bars and locked it, then ordered them all to shut up. There were two guards before the cage, and they were to keep watch throughout the night. The three new convicts secluded themselves in the corner and one of them, old and unable to carry the weight of his own eyelids, fell asleep instantly. The second one, a man possibly in his twenties, looked sheepishly at the last for a moment, spat out some dust that had managed to get into his mouth and laughed, or rather giggled, as it was so silent that only the third heard it. The third convict did not mind, and yet it seemed paying no heed to the man made him laugh even more. He stood up after a long laugh and walked in closer, and the other who had kept his face down all the while pretended to not notice. His chain clanked, it had reached its limit and he couldn't step any closer to the other and yet it didn't bother him. It didn't matter, he was just about a meter away and nobody seemed to be paying any attention to him. Everyone was either moping about their certain death by the next noon or carelessly asleep in the mud as though they were swine in a farm. He looked around to make sure. No other people in the cage were watching, and the guards weren't either. He sat down where he had reached and leaned against the wall.

'Too bad, you're going to die first tomorrow. I hope you're ready,' he said and still the other kept quiet and looked to the ground nonchalantly.

'You can keep quiet all you want, but I already know you shouldn't be here. Carta is a place where men and only men are convicted. You do not fit that description,' he said again and this time the other raised his head, slowly as though broken-hearted or sick. Just as the man had suspected, he... was a she, and she was in Carta, which was meant to be a place for men to reform or disappear. The guards, the knights, they all had probably already noticed her gender and to keep it a secret from everyone else they have her dressed in a peasant male's clothes which looks pretty hideous on her. She was a problem and her being female was his basis for saying they'd execute her first thing in the morning.

'What are you doing here?' He asked her and she shrugged, quickly and graciously.

'Waiting to die. What else is there?' She replied in a very feminine voice, it was a good thing she had stayed mute the whole time.

'So she talks, and she's humorous too,' he said and she turned to face another way, then sat quietly for a moment.

'What I wanted to know was why you came here in the first place,' he said and she remained mute for a moment before answering.

'It doesn't matter, does it? We are both going to die anyway,' she said and he leaned back again, noticing finally that he had raised his back off the wall.

'Maybe you are, but not me. I'm getting out of here,' he said and she scoffed.

'That's impossible, no one can escape from Carta Hill,' she said and this time he scoffed instead.

'They sure do keep their chains tight, but that doesn't mean I'm going to die here, it stinks of piss and shit,' he said as he picked the locks around his feet with a small piece of wood. It clanked and the chains opened and dropped to the ground. He stretched his feet to bask in his new found freedom then started to pick the locks around his hands as well. She looked on, surprised as he freed his arms as well. The cages were dark inside and the guards with the lazily burning flames of their torches didn't notice as he performed this feat.

'Now all I've got to do is wait until everyone is asleep,' he said as he began to shift away. 'I just wanted to confirm if you were a girl.'

'Wait,' she retorted. 'Take me with you, I can help you.'

'No you can't, you're going to give me away, and you're going to slow me down,' he said rather arrogantly.

'You don't know that! Okay I'll pay you when we get out of here,' she said and he still rejected her offer.

'I guess I'll report you to the guards then,' she warned and he laughed at her feistiness.

'If you do that everyone will find out you're a woman, and with how dainty you look, half the men in here will try to rape you before daybreak. They've got nothing else left.'

'I have a lot of money. If you get me out of here I'll pay you. How does five hundred zenins sound?'

'I already said no, but for a thousand zenins I might reconsider,' he said.

'Deal, but that's only if you get me out of here safely,'

'That is not going to be a problem. I've been studying this place for years, I never thought I'd actually end up here,' he said and looked through the bars at the sky.

Hours later when everyone in their cage was asleep and the time he waited for had finally arrived. He freed her from her chains as well and with the same piece of wood he unlocked the cage. The guards were attentive, but they faced away from the cage. He grabbed the first one by the mouth and stealthily stabbed his throat with the piece of wood, then pulling out the guard's sword he stabbed the second who noticed him a bit too late. This little scuffle woke some of the men in the cage and when she joined him she robbed the corpses of their keys and threw them into the cage.

'What are you doing?' He asked her and she told him she wanted the men free, so they may act as some kind of a distraction to the guards.

He left and she followed close behind him, silently. Both of them hiding and sneaking, she seemed to be at least obedient as he led her through numerous guard stations, all the way uphill. Suddenly the bells began ringing and there came an uproar from within the camp. It seemed the guards had noticed the escape attempt and had started to lock the place down. They were almost there, north of Carta Hill, the place with the least number of guards. The only place through which one could escape from Carta Hill.

'Wait... aren't we going the wrong way?' She asked and he assured her they were headed where they should. The gates were to the south and they headed north which greatly confused her. They reached the peak of the hill where a small unit of guards were stationed. All the guards however were asleep, having been awake the whole day. They were tired, and behind their unit was a deep, seemingly dry gorge without a bridge. There was no way to cross from there and this was the reason why nobody had been able to escape from the north of Carta Hill. They were upwind and the bell tolls couldn't reach this unit of knights. This was the only night they could escape from this dreadful place not because the knights were asleep but because by this time in that season, the gorge was filled with just enough water to prevent one from smashing into the rocky bottom. The gorge was so steep that even with that much water it was still a life gamble. Fear gripped her as she looked down and couldn't see any water.

'Come on, we need to jump,' he said and she shook her head and began to retreat.

'No, it's going to be the death of us, there's nothing down there but rocks and hard ground,' she said.

'No. I've been studying this place for years, I told you. For one week every year this gorge is filled halfway with water, and if I'm correct we are still in the week. You need to come with me before they find out about us.'

'No, you go then,' she said.

'Come with me! You're going to die anyway, what's dying a few hours earlier going to do?' He told her.

'So I am going to die!?' She panicked.

'No you're not. Trust me you will not die!'

'Hey where do you think you're... where do you think you're going?' A guard asked from a few meters behind them, he had woken up to ease himself and had found them by the edge of the gorge.

He unsheathed his sword and asked them not to move.

'I don't want to have to kill you. Step away from that gorge, you won't make it if you jump,'

'Well it's your funeral girl. I can not force you to come but God knows I tried,' the man told her and leapt off the edge.

'No! stop!' the guard shouted, managing to grab her before she tried to follow him. She flailed her arms as he pulled her back, tore a piece of her shirt and toppled her from the top of the gorge. He had hesitated to stab her, he was forced not to when he saw her face in the light of his torch and noticed she wasn't a man. He looked down into the gorge and saw nothing but darkness. The lights of the torch couldn't reach far enough and yet he was sure he heard a splash.

He returned to the camp and woke the others just as the guards from the main camp arrived there.

'You let them escape?! Both of them?!' Commander Jaime yelled in exasperation when he was told about it. He was the warden of Carta Hill and this was the first time in history that someone had actually managed to escape from that place.

'People wouldn't be convicted here if there was a way for them to escape whenever they wanted!' He said angrily, bashing his hands on his table.

'I'm sorry sir,' the guard who had actually seen them pleaded so he would not face punishment, he also added that one of them that escaped was a woman in male clothes.

'Nonsense, there are no women in Carta Hill, do you think they would be able to stand this harsh environment? Why do you think only men were convicted here? This is an execution ground and no woman can survive to work here!' Commander Jaime said.

'I'm sorry sir, please forgive me for my stupidness, I should've known better,' the guard said again and handed the warden the piece of cloth he had torn off her shirt.

'What is this?' Jaime asked.

'I was able to get this off her... his clothes. I'm sorry I couldn't stop them sir, this shall never happen again.'

'Leave!' The warden said as he took the piece of cloth from him. The guard went out of the warden's tent just as another entered. He was a thick tall man with a thick straight beard. His clothes were dark and covered with the fur of the bear with whose skin they were made.

'Ah Demascas, I was just about to send for you,' the warden said, giving him the piece of cloth.

'This belongs to her... find her and kill her, we cannot allow her to cause any more trouble. This is as important as your own life and you know it. That girl should not be allowed to escape no matter what,' the warden said and Demascas left immediately. He and his squad of seven were the best trackers and the only people who could complete this task successfully.

He reached the bank and so did she, only about a minute after. He had been right all along and the gorge had water in it. They were lucky to have been sent there that particular week, and as he squeezed his clothes dry the dawn sun came over the top of the trees and the darkness was vanquished.

'You knew there was water in it. How?' She asked and he pretended not to hear.

'We need to get you some suitable clothes, you scare me in those ones.' He told her and she laughed. He then stretched his hand towards her and she blinked in confusion.

'I've fulfilled my end of the bargain. I got you out of Carta Hill, and safely too. Now I want my money.'

'Wait you're not serious. I said I'll pay you but I didn't mean immediately. We're in a forest, where do you think I'm going to get that much money?'

'Do you, or do you not have my money?'

'I do, but you need to take me south first. I'll get you your money when we get to Redwell.'

He looked at her for a moment and turned to leave, tying the sword he had stolen from the guard around his waist.

'You can go there by yourself, I have no interest in going that far south,' he said.

'Please,' she begged. 'I won't make it a day out here,' she said.

'Of course you won't, the guards are already on our trail,' he said and pointed in the direction of Carta Hill where a thin cloud of smoke had risen off the top of the trees.

'Wait, where are you headed?' She asked and he pointed towards the south.

'Why don't you take me with you?' She suggested and he shook his head, walking away with even quicker steps than that with which he started.

'Just keep your head down, stay quiet, move quickly and you might just make it to the river,' he said and went away through the tall trees.

She stood for a moment and began walking as well, tripping on a root and falling after taking just three steps.

'I'll make it, it's going to be fine. All I've got to do is keep my head down, and move quickly. That's easy,' she encouraged herself as she stood on her feet and began walking again.

Demascas and his team of black clad knights traveled the forest at full speed. Their hounds had picked up her scent and they were sure to gain on them. They had an obligation not to allow any of the two who made it out of Carta Hill escape otherwise the reputation of that hell will be destroyed. The forest was thick but that didn't hinder their progress. The water might've carried them far south but not as far as the river, and they were sure they'd catch the fugitives by noon that day.

'Sir, it seems the hounds have picked up her scent, we need to start a pursuit,' one of Demascas' men requested and he nodded.

'Make sure she doesn't come back to Carta alive, and make sure she doesn't escape. Our profession and our lives depend on it,' Demascas said and the three hounds were released to chase after the scent they tracked, the men followed as well, their weapons ready for anything.

He reached the stream which was closer than he thought it'd be. Traveling south without a horse would prove difficult, especially when he had no food and money. He looked upstream and from the distance a small fishing boat approached. He thought he could board it to the nearest town at least and the boatman pulled down his sails when he saw him waving from the bank. These strokes of good luck were strange to him, and he thought they could possibly be because of that girl he met. Too bad for her he was going aboard to leave if it meant him exhausting her good luck to do so . He looked back to the forest and scratched his head.

She was tired already and if she was sure of herself then she had been going in circles and that was certainly possible with her poor sense of direction. When was she going to meet the river, and from there was she going to find a boat or was she going to have to keep heading south to get to the next town? All these questions only served to frustrate her as she had never gone far on her own. She could hear the dogs barking from way behind her. They were approaching fast and there was no way she'd be able to outrun them. Was she lost already? Has she lost already? When was she going to get to the river?

Where was the river?

The hounds got closer and she made a run for it, or at least she tried. She was frightened, tired, her chest was heavy and she breathed with extreme difficulty. She couldn't make it far. All her agitation, frustration and hopelessness only served to slow her down and she burnt her will excessively to keep herself moving nonetheless.

'I think we got her!' Someone bawled from behind her and the tiny flicker of hope she had left was extinguished in an instant. They had gained up in such a short time, obviously they must've been traveling through the night in search of her. She had to hide, that was the first thought she had and as she ran, exhausted, she knew nowhere in the forest was safe enough to save her. The barks and growls were louder now, as though the hounds were right behind her, she stopped, panting and looked to her left where a huge tree stump stood in a gully. She hid herself in it and tried desperately to silence her breaths until she was quiet, so much that she could hear her own heart thumping in her chest. She wouldn't go back to Carta Hill, they were likely going to execute her the moment they caught her. The hounds stopped barking and began to growl louder. They had arrived, and she prayed they'd not find her where she hid. She had never prayed that much her entire life. The feline noises got closer, and she could tell they were all around her.

She felt something, it crawled slowly all the way up her hand, her back and around her neck. It slithered and hissed into her ear. That tree stump was no safe place, it was a snake nest. She had no time to think. She only flailed to get it off and jumped out of the stump just as the snake sprung at her face. She fell out and crawled away from the stump and into the reach of a big fat hound with thick black fur and scary dark red eyes. A knight came there instantly and first decapitated the snake with his sword. She was done for, she tried to run again but the hound grabbed her clothes and pulled her back. They had been ordered to kill her on sight so the knight before her pulled out his sword and attacked, brandishing it with such force he could cut her in half, but she fell backwards, saved as the sword clashed with another.

She opened her eyes, not knowing when she closed them, and there he was, the man who had left her before.

He stood gallantly before her, wielding his sword with perfect form. He valiantly fought the knight and in no time overpowered and slayed him. The hound sprang at him and he cut the animal in the face. The others were coming and quickly he fished a dagger from the dead knight and gave it to her.

'You can't keep your head down, you can't move quickly, but I sure hope you can stab a man,' he said and raised her off the ground. Noticing immediately that the hound had bitten her in the leg.

'Go that way,' he said, pointing in one direction. 'The river is not far. There's a boat waiting for you there, hurry, I'll catch up with you.'

She began to limp away, as fast as she could without looking back. He was right, it wasn't far. As she went she could hear the water and all she could think about was getting there in time.

When Demascas reached the spot, four out of his six men were dead already and so were all the hounds. Hound hunters were among the most well trained knights and no mere citizen could fall more than one of them at a spot, but this stranger was no mere citizen. The two that remained of the six attacked at once, and from a safe distance Demascas looked on, observing each one of the man's moves. He fought like a wild beast with a sword, tackling attacks from two fronts like it was nothing. He slid through them and cut one knight in the throat. The other struck with perfect timing but it was no use. He had already anticipated that attack so he swung first and severed his enemy's arm. Before he could finish the man off however, Demascas stepped in and demanded he let the underling go.

'You're strong for a commoner, where are you from?' Demascas asked him, observing his clothes over and over again. The fugitive smirked, then he looked down at his blood stained sword and back at Demascas who approached his subordinate and helped him tie up his severed arm and stop the bleeding.

Demascas pulled out his own sword, getting ready for a fight with the enemy. He pointed his sword at the fugitive who did the same, but held his sword in such a strange manner. This action alone was enough to kickstart the knight's memory. He had been observing the man for some time, and his style of fighting and stance was very familiar.

'I asked you where you were from?' Demascas said again and the man smirked again, an action that infuriated the hound hunter.

'It doesn't matter does it?' The strange man started to answer at last, 'the black bearskin, the hounds..., you must be Demascas the hound hunter, what are you doing working at Carta?'

'You won't tell me where you're from? Typical of you white wings,' Demascas said and as he did the man looked surprised for a bit.

'How observant of you, your infamy isn't for nothing it seems,' he said.

'Your stance, it's exactly like his. I could never forget the man who wounded me and cost me my reputation as a senior knight in the capital. You're him aren't you? The Dragon Of Yol!' Demascas said, and when he did, his companion began to shiver and crawl away from the place.

'I assume that's why you were able to defeat my men so easily. I have an idea what is going to happen here and if I gamble right I might just win,' Demascas said and grabbed his sword even tighter.

'Dragon of Yol, leader of the white wing, the most heinous and villainous group of criminals. Today, for the first time since your name reached the ears of every man, woman and child, you have shown your face, an identity that was lost long ago. I could imagine you deliberately entered Carta to save the Armenian princess who was born with the mark of destiny. Now to keep your identity hidden you plan to kill us all, those of us who have seen your face unmasked; that is why you asked the princess to go ahead isn't it? I won't allow that to happen,' Demascas put forward his observation, and his opponent, the Dragon of Yol laughed as though he expected no less.

'I must say I am impressed, Demascas, you have really grown since the time we fought. True I came here to save the girl, but she cannot know that yet, it is bad for business. Now do you remember what happened the last time we met?' He asked Demascas who nodded angrily and with his free arm, he pulled and removed part of his bearskin clothes. There was a long outstanding scar on his chest which he touched slowly and emotionally.

'You almost killed me, and even though the wound is completely healed, my spirit is still broken and so are some organs. I cannot fight for long anymore and I will lose if I engage you now, that is why I talked about a gamble...' he turned to face his underling who was still panic stricken after seeing the Dragon of Yol face to face for the first time.

'Get up Mervin, run to Carta now and relay everything to Commander Jaime!' Demascas said and immediately, his rookie jumped to his feet and began to run back towards Carta Hill. The Dragon of Yol tried to go after him but Demascas stopped him and stayed in between, giving the young man a chance to escape through the woods.

'You cannot stop me Demascas, I will kill you, and I will catch up with him and end him too.'

'Don't think it's going to be that easy, you need to catch me first,' Demascas said and hurled his sword at his opponent who after dodging it gracefully discovered it was a farce and the man had made a run towards the river. He was left to make a choice; to go after Demascas and save the princess, or go after the wounded knight and save his identity. He now understood Demascas' gamble and he dashed after him with no time to waste. He had to catch Demascas before the hound hunter made it to the river. The princess was waiting with the boatman over there and if she died he would've failed his whole mission. He'd not only lose the money, but he'd fail his word to the queen.

He ran as fast as he could, hoping to catch the man in time and Demascas, ashamed of himself for running from a fight as a previous knight of the priestess, felt this was all he could do. Running away was always an option against the Dragon of Yol, but this was his best chance of claiming a win; assassinating the princess. For that man... the dragon of Yol, was no ordinary man. He was the man who defeated a horde of sixty high knights single handedly, a member of the almost dissolved White Wing group, and a royal who was said to once have walked through fire and walked out without a scratch; where he got the name dragon of Yol. He was the leader of the White Wing. A group of survivors from the Carliff whose main aim was to seek justice through their own means. He was also the man suspected for the death of the previous king of Eradia.

Demascas had himself fought the dragon of Yol when the king of Eradia and his most trusted person; the priestess of Eradia, were attacked in the capital. He was one of the royal knights who protected the priestess, and the last remaining knight from that group. He had lost their battle after just two moves from the dragon of Yol. That and that alone was the time he faced a man and felt true fear. He knew then that the only way to win against him was to do what he did now; run!

He reached the stream and immediately located the boat which was floating not far from the bank. He rushed into the water and reached the boat before the fisherman could get his oars and he grabbed the princess by the neck. He pulled her off the boat and pushed her into the water but he got there, and stepped into the water as well. She flailed again (she seemed to be quite good at that) and managed to push him away and into the arms of his pursuer; the dragon of Yol, who grabbed him by the neck and pushed him into the water, keeping him submerged in it and attempting to drown him. Demascas raised his head above the surface as he struggled, took a very deep breath and laughed. Even if he died here he knew he had won, the dragon's face would be known throughout Westexa and he wouldn't be able to lay low any longer. He was pushed under again and this time no matter how hard he struggled he couldn't free himself. Soon he moved no longer and his body floated lifeless to the top of the water.

'We need to go now,' he said and climbed into the boat with the princess. They rowed out and headed towards the nearest town. The city of Dableen on the outskirts of Eradia. A commercial city which was perfect for them to stack up, get some horses and head south. They wouldn't stay long, if at all. They couldn't as he knew something bad was on the way.

He grabbed the young girl's arm and covered it properly with a slim piece of cloth identical to the one of the dress she wore.

'You should always keep the mark covered up your highness, you don't want to get in trouble do you?' Arbeit, a stout elderly man with a thick beard and a weak right leg said as he clutched his walking stick tightly between his arm and his body.

'But if I get in trouble you'll always be there to protect me won't you uncle?' The young girl asked him and he scratched his head.

'Well if I had both feet to stand on, I would be able to hold a sword. But I'm a weak old man with only words of caution to provide, Lexa, you should at least listen to me and keep that mark hidden for now.'

'I don't get what's so important about some birthmark,' the little princess said. 'It's not like I asked for it anyway,' the nine year old Lexa proclaimed, showing her absolute disgust for it.

'It chose you, just like it had chosen many royals before,' Arbeit said and began to walk away.

'Now keep practicing, those arrows aren't going to shoot themselves,' he said and she finally looked back at her hay woven targets. She then pulled the arrow in her bowstring and fired.

'Lexa you are old enough to travel alone now and if anything happens we have taught you everything. News is spreading about your mark, I'm afraid we're all going to be in danger when he finds out. The Lunaris family have always been our allies and it will always be safe for you in Redwell. You must go there if ever you need help or you have nowhere left to go,' the queen of Armenia told her daughter some time after she turned sixteen. She had been born with a peculiar mark on her arm and had been keeping it covered since, however somehow the people had found out about it and word about the mark might've reached the high king in Eradia. She had to prepare her daughter for something that was imminent and though they had hoped it would not happen it did, and it came to pass sooner than they expected.

'Redwell? But that's all the way in the south. It's going to take forever to get there,' she had always said, as though the day wouldn't come when she'd need to go there for sanctuary. However that day couldn't be avoided as without warning, the high king of Eradia along with two hundred of his men arrived in Armenia. They had heard the rumors of one born with the mark of destiny and they had come to get her if it were true. It was cold in the north almost everyday and as they warmed themselves by the fire, the three princess siblings; Mara, Lexa and Hertha could hear the horses all the way from the walls around the country. The queen, their mother, came to them quickly and pulled them away.

'Listen to me girls, the moment we all feared is here, the king has heard about Lexa's mark and he's come to fetch her. We cannot be absent from him, but we can help your sister get away. Mara, Hertha, once you stand before the king, no matter what he asks of you, and no matter what he presents to you, you must never mention your sister Lexa or her mark, it is for the good of us all that you prove you are ignorant. If anyone asks you... you do not know her, you have not heard anything about a mark. Is that clear, children?' She asked and they both nodded obediently.

'Come on Lexa,' Arbeit said as he took the girl by the hand. They headed behind the castle where a carriage was waiting to take her away. She was put in with haste and the horses galloped away into the snow covered woods northwest of the country. Arbeit and the king's most trusted knight were the princess' escorts apart from the coachman and his two strong horses.

The high king and his small army reached the castle courtyard where the Armenian royals came to meet and welcome him warmly.

'You're welcome, your grace, what brings you this far north?' King Adrian, the king of Armenia, father to the three girls and the high king's old comrade said as the high king stepped out of his carriage.

'Adrian, it's been long since I came this far north, how have things been in Armenia? I hear the snow has been relentless all year round,' His Greatness, High King Dareg of Eradia said as he walked forward to shake and hug the king of Armenia. On his head was the gilded crown that held the highest power, which bore the marks of all six families. He was an elderly ambitious man who, like his predecessors, was especially sensitive to threats to his throne.

'It's an honor to have you here, Your Majesty, please may we take you inside and get you warmed up? I'm sure you must be tired after such a long trip,' King Adrian suggested but the high king refused spitefully.

'I did not come here to stay, Adrian. You and I have known each other for a long time, and I know you understand that as a king it is treason for you to have something that could destroy my whole reign. And it is a treacherous crime to lie to me or keep such secrets from me. The people are blind, and they would follow anyone so long as they get their daily bread. I need to make sure my throne is secure and my crown is safe,' The High King said.

'Of course your majesty, I understand fully well, and I intend to honor the trust between us,' King Adrian said.

'This must be your lovely wife Hanna,' the high king said as he approached her where she stood with Mara and Hertha.

'She is a spectacle to behold but, I thought you had three daughters instead of two? Where's the other? The one who supposedly bears a peculiar mark on her skin...' the high king asked Adrian who tried to remain as calm as possible.

'I'm sorry Your Majesty, but the existence of my third daughter is only in false rumors meant to unsettle you and put your royal limbs to work. I assure you I have just two daughters, Mara and Hertha here,' he said and introduced them to him.

'Rumors you say. I sure hope they are. Well about any time now we shall see Adrian,' he said and beckoned one of his knights to which he whispered something. Moments later the carriage which had left the castle with Lexa, came returning back to them, and as it appeared from the gate none of them were able to keep their composure any longer. Their panic stricken faces caused the high king to laugh so heartily he almost snorted and the carriage drew to a stop beside him. Queen Hanna started sobbing silently and King Adrian could no longer hide his raging emotions and expressions. Lexa was escorted out of the carriage and so was Arbeit who was shoved to the ground and stunned with a hard kick under the chin by one of the high king's knights, the same one the family had trusted to get Lexa to safety away from Armenia. He had been a spy working for the high king and with Arbeit in no fighting shape he had managed to overpower them easily and hindered their plan to escape with the princess.

The high king showed the girl to her family and pulled back her left sleeve to reveal the mark on her forearm. An eye, which was the crest of her family, seemingly etched into her skin like a scar from birth.

'Now doesn't this girl look a little like someone of royal birth to you Adrian? She even has your eyes!' The high king tauntingly asked, and Adrian dropped pleadingly to his knees.

'Please Your Majesty, I beg of you, please spare this child, she was just unlucky to be born with that cursed mark. I can assure you she has no interest whatsoever in wearing your crown or placing her backside on the throne of Eradia!' King Adrian said and the high king laughed again.

'But then again, you did assure me that there was no such person with such a mark in Armenia. It turned out that you lied to me Adrian! You had three daughters, not two! One of them did bear the mark of destiny. It pains me as well to end this girl's life. She would have been a good wife to my son Wolforn, but the mark can never be removed. If we cut it off it will only appear somewhere else on her body. The only real remedy here is... death and you should know by now that our mutual trust is gone and your assurance means nothing anymore.'

'I'm sorry Your Majesty, I have disobeyed and betrayed...'

'You certainly have King Adrian, and for that by the power that is highest, I High King Dareg Of Eradia, sentence you to death by sundown. You as well as your family will be beheaded by your own executioner today.' The high king proclaimed and Queen Hanna fell to the ground in extreme grief.

'Please Your Majesty, at least spare my wife and children, she had not meant to betray,' Adrian said with tearful eyes as he groveled before the High King.The high king was not done, but upon his honor as an old friend he allowed some mercy.

'Fine then, for the years you have faithfully served me and the fruits of that labor will be reaped by your wife.You and your two good daughters will be executed and your wife will be spared. Your other daughter, the one who carries the mark will come with me to Eradia, where for her crime of bearing such a mark she will be sentenced to death after trial in the capital.'

Hanna cried as Lexa was taken away and put into one of King Dareg's carriages and she hugged her two other girls who were grieving as well.

...And so it was that by sundown three Armenian royals, King Adrian and his daughters Mara and Hertha were executed. One head rolled after the other. This was the single worst day for each Armenian. A day they never forgot for Adrian and his family were very good people. This also happened to be the day when a wandering stranger entered the castle, rumor says, to steal the queen's money. Before that however, he along with many others had witnessed as the young princess was forced into one of the high king's carriages and taken away. He also witnessed the execution which nobody wanted to happen and yet nobody was able to interfere with. The beheading of a father, a twenty year old daughter, and another as young as fourteen. That was a taste of the kind of power commanded by the high king.

That day every Armenian heard about the mark of destiny. The one which genuinely marks those who would become "The King Of Kings" which the princess had on her skin from birth, and from then a new light was shown to them.

The boat reached Dableen, and the old fisherman dropped his two passengers off at the port, where other fishermen, seeing he had managed to bring back not one fish, began to mock him. The Dragon of Yol paid some coins and he accepted them gratefully. They walked up into town where a bustling crowd went about their businesses and headed for a tailor's so she could get a new set of clothes that were more feminine. He also needed to get some food and water for the road, as well as some horses and some weapons too. Their trip south wasn't going to be easy and they knew that better than anyone else.

'Now that we're both traveling together, why don't I introduce myself,' she said. 'I'm...'

'Lexa Menara, second princess of Armenia, daughter of Queen Hanna and the late King Adrian Menara,' he told her and she looked sheepishly at him. Then she sadly lowered her gaze.

'So he really died didn't he?' She asked and remained silent for a moment after.

'It's not fair. You knew who I was the whole time?'

'I did. Your mother paid me to get you out of Carta alive. She didn't mention that I should take you south to Redwell and for that I have to get some extra money from you too,' he said.

'Who are you anyway?' She asked, ignoring everything he said.

'It doesn't matter. You can call me whatever you want,' he said as they reached the place and she went in. A few minutes later she came out, dressed rightly this time. She was a beautiful spectacle, young, naive, with pretty white features, long smooth dark hair and vibrant brown eyes, and though she wasn't clad in her royal garments she looked far better than most young women of her age.

As she came closer to him he noticed she was hungry and he decided to take her to the nearest alehouse. Fancy places would attract too much attention to them and he couldn't have that. They got the horses, then went to eat something when they reached a low class inn. It was already dark when they got their food, and after the first bite which she took carefully and reluctantly, she started to eat non stop. She had been starving the whole time and he wondered why she said nothing about it.

'I didn't know you were that hungry. And you can be so talkative about trivial matters like names,' he said as he gulped down his third mug of ale and ordered a mug more.

'I just felt it was too much to ask you for food too, since I'd be dead if it wasn't for your help,' she said.

'You're different from other royals I know. Even though the bread was hard and the wine was not as sweet as the ones served at your luxurious tables, you devoured it with no complaints at all.'

'Why don't you want to tell me your name?' She asked him and after looking menacingly at her he finally opened up.

'You can call me Raeco. You can never use my name aloud in public. I like my identity to remain a secret,' he said, then quickly reached for his new mug of ale before the lady dropped it on the table. As he gulped it down a stranger came to their table and looked strangely at him.

'Who would've thought I'd be so lucky. I never thought I'd find you here,' he said and looked more closely at him as he dropped the mug.

'It is you! I can't believe it! Dragon of Yol!' As he mentioned the name the whole inn became quiet and when they noticed his face some if not most of them fled the place quickly. Lexa had heard of the legendary criminal who fought for justice but she had no idea that man was Raeco. There were just five people in the inn now. Lexa, Raeco and three other stiff looking men who carried weapons ready to attack. One of these three was the one who had recognized him. He unfolded a piece of paper and showed it to Raeco and his companion. It was a new wanted poster with an insanely high amount of money on it. They had almost every detail of his face intact, except for his nose which was a little crooked and short, but it still looked exactly like him. It had barely been a day and they had already made posters and distributed it across Eradia and some had even managed to get to Dableen before the day could come to an end. He looked at the three well built men observantly and noticed they each had a threatening look. Their clothes, their weapons... They were bounty hunters.

'I heard you can breathe fire, and that your skin is fireproof, also that you once battled an army of high knights alone and you killed them all!' One of the bounty hunters said and he scratched his head.

'The breathing fire part is false but I did fight sixty high knights at once, and they all died, eventually,' he said and told Lexa to leave the place.

'They must've been spineless then. Normally I like to take my bounties alone but since it's the Dragon of Yol I wouldn't mind sharing with two other bounty hunters,' another of the men said and Raeco laughed.

'Just admit you don't want to fight me alone, because you'd die before you try. You guys should also know, that just like whoever you plan to sell me to, I also have spies everywhere.'

'Yeah you sure do Dragon of Yol,' the first one said again.

'Can't you at least wait until I sober up first? I am really drunk now and I don't think I want to fight any of you,'

'You can sober up as I decapitate you, how do you think that sounds?' He asked Raeco who scoffed and reached for his ale. The third hunter pulled out his sword and stabbed the first through the heart, then turned quickly to dodge the other's sword. Then he cut off the second bounty hunter's head which fell to the ground and rolled once. There was blood everywhere and after Raeco finished his ale, he stood to his feet and picked up his own sword which he tied to a belt around his waist.

'Are you hurt in any way young sir?' The third bounty hunter asked and Raeco shook his head.

'Any news for me?' Raeco asked the bounty hunter who nodded and gave him an old map.

'The High King of Eradia wants you so bad he's already mobilized half his forces to block every known path that leads south to Carliff and Redwell. They passed not long ago and they have blocked every path As at now nobody goes to the south without authorization from King Dareg himself or without the Eradian knights' allowance.'

'Is there any way we can head south without being detected?' Raeco asked and he nodded again.

'There is one way, but you're not going to like it. It is... crazy and dangerous,' he said and pointed to a spot on the map. Raeco raised a suspicious brow and stood up to thank the bounty hunter who with his whole heart wished Raeco wouldn't take that deathly route.