HOLY. . . GODS. . .

        This gorgeous man had an excellent face. The appearance of his skin worked out beautifully for his sea-like eyes. His rich chocolate hair was tousled with dirt which guaranteed artfulness. He had solid, curved eyebrows and eyelashes so thick it could be unlawful. And his eyes — they were profound and cataclysmic, a clear, infant blue like an incredible waterway that delicately dissolved into a smooth green. Audrey continued looking him over and could see the specks of silver in his eyes. He had profound cheekbones and a rakish jaw, and his fair skin made him look fiendishly attractive. Audrey saw his ears—his pointed ears. He must be a fae.

        "I'm so sorry," the young man said.

        "It's fine..." Audrey replied, propelling herself up without taking the young man's hand. "I wasn't looking, it's my bad."

        "No... it was my bad... my back was facing you, and I was walking backward," the man said.

        Audrey was confused for a moment as to why he was walking backwards but then focused instead on brushing off from her shirt the dust from the cement. Then she looked down again at the broken necklace. Her heart dropped and she sighed. The young man followed her gaze.

        "I'm sorry about your necklace. It looked gorgeous." The young man said.

        "It's fine..." Audrey looked up at the young man's lovely face.

        "Are you sure?"

        Audrey nodded, though she didn't mean it in the slightest.

        As if the man could see the nod was fake, he said, "I know somebody who can fix the necklace."

        "You don't have to do that... how nice of you," Audrey grins.

        The man smiled back.

        Oh, gods... That smile of his... it's just...

        The manner in which his lips lifted upward. The way his one dimple creased. The manner in which his teeth were completely adjusted. The joyous sparkle of his grin ignited a warmth in Audrey's heart that made her forget about the broken necklace, at least for a little bit.

        "My name is Evan. Evan Lordhoolf," The young man stated.

        "My name is Audrey Rose."

        Evan's azure eyes became wide. "The Audrey Rose?"

        The princess sighed and smiled faintly, "Yes, the Audrey Rose."

        Evan slowly began to bow.

         Audrey waved his bow away. "You don't have to bow to me... I'm not that special."

        Evan chuckled and went vertical.

        "I can still get that necklace fixed for you," Evan suggested.

        "No... it's fine," Audrey shook her head. "I'm okay witho-"

        Audrey was interrupted when the ground beneath them began to shake. The quiver started small, but as seconds passed, it began to tremble violently.

         Audrey heard Evan mutter, "What the..."

         The shaking continued and was followed by sets of shouting from Audrey and Evan. Audrey looked to where she thought the shakings were coming from. She saw citizens of Harmstead screaming and pondering about where the quaking was coming from, why it was happening.

        What the heck is happening? Audrey could not believe that her first lone visit to this beautiful city would end up like this.

        Audrey decided to see where the majority of the screaming was coming from, since she could tell it was not from the people in close proximity to her. So she began to run towards the source of the screaming, with Evan following close behind.

       The princess was nearly knocked over several times as she elbowed her way through the crowd of fleeing people. Evan's sturdy hand on her back was the only thing keeping her upright.

        Waves crashed against the shoreline covering the cobblestone road in water. There, just off the coast, a creature — larger than the buildings were tall — had emerged from the water.

        Crap. Audrey stumbled back a step as the monster came into full view. Gills lined its long, pale, blue-grey neck. It had wings like those of a manta ray, spread out on its sides. The creature's webbed toes were tipped with massive claws, sharp as knives. Fours eyes looked out from its short, wide head, where the rest of the head was the creature's mouth, filled with rows and rows of sharp, pointed teeth. It was like no sea monster Audrey had ever seen before.

        It was the Ketran.

~

HERE ARE THE bodies that I found this morning. Maverick's voice was grave in Queen Marioth's mind.

        Marioth looked down and saw the four bodies. Four scratch marks were on their chests, the blood dry on their garments. Marioth analyzed each carcass and saw an old language inked on all of their brows.

        "Sacu tôcyme. Cwealm ûteweard êaggemearc." War is coming. Death is on the horizon.

        "This is an old language from an old war," Marioth muttered to herself. Why would they appear so suddenly?

        It could be a threat... or a warning... Maverick suggested.

        "Maybe..." Marioth nodded. Or maybe the war is already here.

~

"WELL, WELL, WELL. Look who we have here," The Ketran smirked, eyeing Audrey. "Princess Audrey Rose of Orland."

        The people around Audrey and Evan gasped and some even began to bow accordingly.

        "You would be an extraordinary assortment in my... stomach," the Ketran laughed wickedly. Audrey's heart started to pulsate quicker. "Who is this child?" The Ketran coordinated its threatening eyes towards Evan's hardening body. At this point the Ketran beat its wings and flew over the stream, arriving on the other side. It started to stroll towards Evan. The group around Evan all heaved and made space before the Ketran as it advanced towards Evan.

        "Get. The. Hell. Away. From. Him." Audrey commanded. Each and every word unforgiving — like her mother's.

        The sea creature took a sniff of Evan's scent and chuckled. "This scent I recognize..." Then the Ketran slithered back a few yards away from Evan.

        "Get away from us and this whole town," Audrey grunted.

        The Ketran chuckled, "You make me laugh, Princess. But no."

        "You also make me laugh, Ketran," Audrey snickered. "Remember the last time when a member of your species got killed by my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Richard the Ninth?"

        The corner of the Ketran's mouth twitched. "Yes... I do remember. That was a miracle. And it will never happen ever again."

        Ancient text had it that Richard the Ninth executed twelve Ketrans with his exposed hands alongside the assistance of his power. Historians claimed that firepower was the only thing that could kill a Ketran.

        "Really? Never again?" Audrey raised one of her temples and lifted her hand so the palm was facing up to uncover a fireball floating over her hand. The fire gleamed bright, signifying a warning, her fingers steady as the fire moved with the breeze.

        "No," the Ketran gasped and then hissed as he dived deep down into the River of Herbert.

        "Get everyone to safety. I will deal with the Ketran." Audrey ordered Evan as she put away the fireball.

        "I can't leave you alone with him. You must come with me." Evan rejected.

        "No," Audrey replied. She had made a decision and was sticking to it.

        "But-"

        "I can deal with it. I've been training my entire life to protect my people. And now it's my time to prove to the town of Harmstead that I can protect them." Audrey stated with a firm intensity.

        Evan hesitated before replying. "Okay..." Then, he quickly added, "Be safe." He gave Audrey a quick smile and then darted to the crowd, shouting for them to move away.

        Audrey couldn't resist the flush of warmth that invaded her cheeks. She immediately shook away the warm vibe that had been brewing within her ever since she first saw Evan's attractive face. She took a full breath and started to stroll towards the waterway.

        Once Audrey was by the edge of the river, she looked down and saw the Ketran swimming around circles as if it were waiting for something — or someone. The princess formed another fireball which hovered above her left palm. She then closed one of her eyes to get the right accuracy to aim. Finally, she threw the fireball into the river. Once the fireball hit the surface, the river sizzled and smoked. The fireball entered the river right over the creature's tail.

        As though the Ketran already knew Audrey's first move, it smoothly evaded the fireball and swam directly for the heir of Orland. Audrey shaped another fireball and prepared to throw when the Ketran started to rise out of the waterway.

        The Ketran hissed underneath the water and left the river. Audrey forced the fireball out of her palm and it hit the Ketran directly on the stomach. The creature groaned and hissed even more. His eyes squinted and he pounced on Audrey.

~

MARIOTH ADVANCED BACK to the castle with the images of the carcasses embedded in her brain. She pondered over the old language that was inked on the four cadavers' brows. War is coming. Death is on the horizon.

        Guests are waiting for you at the entrance, Maverick interrupted Marioth's train of thought.

        Marioth lifted her head and saw people circling the entrance of the castle. Oh crap. She rushed over to the guests and apologized.

        "I am so sorry," Marioth moaned. "I had other things to attend to and-"

        There was a roaring sound from afar that stopped Queen Marioth from finishing. She looked up and saw four dragons flying above the town, advancing towards them. What the...? One of the dragons opened its mouth and delivered a fireball.

        The missile of fire was coming near them faster than Marioth had anticipated. "Everyone get out of the way!" She commanded.

        Marioth stretched her arm and started to aim. She could feel lightning snapping inside her. She felt it coming up her stomach and-

        A blast of lightning shot from her extended arm and it blasted into the sky. The lightning hit the fireball making both disappear upon contact.

        "We need to get inside!" Marioth shouted again.

        Someone's trying to start a war again.