Elizabeth woke by the exertion of a hand on her face. Katherine stood in front of her with drips of blood running down her face. Elizabeth grabbed her arm and pulled her in close.

“What has happened?” She questioned.

“Men have come, ones I’ve never seen… come please. I- I’m scared,” she mumbled.

Elizabeth got up and grabbed Katherine. The long, grass textured carpet susurrated under their feet. She had a sword in her hand, a knight’s sword, and thin gashes on her arms. The sword dragged across the floor by the severe weight of the iron blade. Elizabeth snatched the sword from Katherine’s hands and pushed her behind her.

“You will stay behind me at all times,” she whispered to her.

Elizabeth crept towards her door and opened it a slit. Knights were scattered across the hall dead and bloody. She quietly stepped out and rounded the corner and out into the North Region. All the knights in Lorton Stronghold were murdered and all the noblemen were piled and in flames. Eerie silence lingered in the chambers and faint screams echoed down the halls. They had to make it to the barn.

Elizabeth stepped over the dead bodies and through the North Region. Under the shadows and slithering past the columns on either side of the room. To the right and down a flight of stairs. Elizabeth pushed open a small circular door smeared with bloody hand prints and into the giant wooden barn.

The giant Snake Dragon, Shadow had his back to them, feasting on a knight’s innards and tough flesh. He turned around to reveal his scaly long face and razor sharp teeth covered in blood. His teeth too long to fit in his mouth, they hung in front of his bottom jaw, his teeth dripping with innards of the soldiers. He wore black curling horn cores on the temples of his head and a large nose able to smell anything miles away. A blade made of bone sticking up from his elbow joint and ankle joint. His wings were tucked but still reaching out towards each side of the barn. Scraping the sides with the edges of his leathery wings, which were as sharp as a honed two edged blade, and the wing thumb even keener.

Shadow let out a long loud piercing screech. He came at them like the wind.

“Stop,” Elizabeth yelled and put her hand out. “Stop. It’s me.”

Shadow stopped and lowered his head. He touched her hand with his nose and left a sticky layer of blood on her hand.

“You need to help us,” Elizabeth said. “We need to get out of here.”

“Yes, set ahead to the Capital,” Katherine chimed in with a hint of assertiveness. “Your father may aid us.” Somehow Shadow could understand them.

Shadow straightened into his regular pose, towering over them, and shook the dirt off his wings. He wore his saddle behind his scapula and the long steel sword was still strapped onto his caudal spade. The sword could slice clean through a full grown Redwood and sweep through a whole line of troops. Shadow lowered his back low to the ground. Elizabeth grabbed Katherine and tossed her up onto the saddle.

“Grab onto the horn of the saddle,” Elizabeth advised. “I care for you to be well, you know that.” Katherine nodded in assurance.

Elizabeth crawled up to her and mounted onto the saddle. She wrapped her arms around Katherine and slid her feet into the stirrups. Suddenly a number of knights in shinning bright armor and shimmering steel swords raised high came in through the door. Most of the them, the wise ones, backed up as far as the wall would let them and held their swords near their chests. Only a few stood standing in front and brave. Shadow showed them his teeth and launched his tale towards their necks. Only a couple were fast enough to duck, but the rest collapsed, necks in hand, heads on the ground. The two left dashed towards Shadow and sliced at his legs. Their brilliant swords shattered into a billion of pieces.

Shadow backed up and grabbed one by the head and shook him until his body went airborne across the barn. The other one backed up and stumbled out the entrance. He dropped his sword and ran on his hands and knees out into the hall.

“Go,” Elizabeth ordered.

Shadow lifted his wings and raised them, creating an arch and cutting a doorway out of the left wall. He ducked his head out then the rest of him followed. The sky was red and the moon full even though it was still morning. He hoisted his wings up and then down. Sending them up into the clouds and far from the Stronghold. Lorton Stronghold was now partially in flames and troops of knights stood outside the entrance. Not her brothers nor her companions left to the fate of the knights in the Stronghold came into her mind as they flew away towards the mountains.

*

The mountains appeared in the horizon, purple and black they were, with fierce tips and ridged sides. The afternoon breeze whipped by them in a hurry as they soared through the very rare dreamy blue sky. Down below were tiny doves in the vast expanse of the forest, resting, and nesting in the redwoods.

Elizabeth gripped the reins in her fists and let the nervous sweat run down the bridge of her nose. Far beyond the mountains was the Capital and then a tundra. Which led to nowhere but endless ice. To their left was a jungle and to their right was a long stretch of desert. Behind them was a layer of ice and frost which the Stronghold sat upon. The seasons never changed. If you lived in the Capital it was always cold if you lived with the people of the desert it was always hot. If you lived in Lorton Stronghold there was always a little cold breeze and always a little bit of sun.

Suddenly Shadow dived down into the trees. Below them was a small sheep, a tiny fluffy blob, and it was running. Fast enough to escape into the vast trees. Shadow swooped up sending them leaning back. Elizabeth gasped as Shadow swooped up then down following the sheep through the woods. She grabbed onto Katherine. A Wild Sheep, a hybrid created hundreds of years ago, a faster smarter type of sheep. Katherine held tight onto the horn of the saddle and leaned up against Elizabeth for safety. Elizabeth held Katherine close to her with one hand and with the other pulled back on the reins.

The sheep rushed closer to the mountains then fled past a giant redwood and out of sight. Shadow let out a loud screech and flew back in the direction of the mountains. Elizabeth loosened her grip on Katherine and slumped over in relief. Katherine let out a heaving sigh and put her head down.

They flew over the mountains. There was three rows of mountains, hundreds of miles long. A large avalanche came racing down one of the mountain sides crushing everything in it’s way. Shadow flew over the mountains and past the ice covered plains. In the horizon was a huge wall and a tall building that reached the heavens sat in front of the red clouds.

Elizabeth pulled the reins lowering Shadow closer to the ground. The wall was eighty feet high and made of cement six feet thick. Beyond that were sheds made of wood and branches. Which the only thing most of the people can afford and known. The citizens of the North Capital are pore and probably never seen a silver coin. The Capital treated gold plates and platinum doors as if they were worthless items.

The wall came rushing towards them. Elizabeth peeled her nightgown from her her skin like it was plaster. Sweat seeped through her pores and soaked it. Underneath her gown was leather pants and a thin cloth top. She watched her gown float down to the ground and camouflage against the white frost on the ground.

Shadow lowered them down to the entrance of the wall’s giant wooden door. Two towers loomed overhead on either side of the door. On each corner of the wall was a tower. A barbican sat on top of the gate. The wall held a more circular wall inside, six feet thick cement, that held the castle and the rich. Outside the circular wall were the poor and sick. Only the royal family and other members of the house were let inside the castle.

The castle doors slowly opened up. A dozen men pushed the doors open and backed away as they saw Shadow. Elizabeth slid off and pulled Katherine down. Knights covered with magnesium and titanium armor from head to toe with steel swords and silver spears came out in two rows on either side of Shadow.

Elizabeth put her arm around Katherine and led her inside.

In the outer circle, dirty, mucky people, children and elders sat outside their shacks and mud puddles. One youngster was playing with a small mud ball and a couple of sticks. Elizabeth led Katherine quickly through the crowds and to the second door. The titanium door was polished to pristine condition, the only washed thing in this place, and probably will be the only.

It was said if anyone was to touch the door they would be slaughtered and if you looked at it, the shininess would blind you, and if you ever spoke of it, you’d find cuts in your tongue. That’s why none of them would approach it or even look. But Elizabeth knew the truth.

The doors opened presenting her father dressed in purple and gold robes.

“What are you doing?” He questioned concerned.

“I shall explain,” she said.

“Come, come in,” he signaled them to come in and took Elizabeth’s arm.

“Someone sent knights out to come assassinate everyone,” Elizabeth answered solemnly.

They walked past the third door and into the Capital’s castle.

“What happened to you two?” Her father asked. “Where is your brothers? What happened? Answer me.”

They walked through the entrance hall and into the inner court where a throne sat. She let go of Katherine and cleared her throat.

“In the mornin’ knights came in and slaughtered everyone,” she said. “I don’t know bout’ my brothers, they… I don’t think they’re dead.”

“Speak like a young lady,” he quickly rebuked. “Shan't speak like that in my realm.”

Her father’s face boiled with anger and his eyes flared. He let go of her arm violently and stormed off to his throne. His temper was at the gate and about to surge out. Dixon and Gage were gone and could no longer protect her from their father's sudden rages.

“You came back,” he said. “You didn’t think to find your brothers.”

He slouched on his throne with his golden crown mounted on his head by his personal slave. Her father stripped off his robe to reveal leather armor and a long steel sword.

“My brothers were gone,” Elizabeth said.

“I will talk to my council about this,” her father said. “Right now. Send for the council, slave.”

In a few moments four old men in brown robes came out and bowed in front of the throne.

“What have you summoned us to hear?” One asked.

“A certain group of individuals intruded Lorton Stronghold and slaughtered all,” the king eyed Elizabeth. “Even maybe my sons.”

His face was red as the welkin and his knuckles white from squeezing the chair arms. Elizabeth looked down at the golden painted ground. Katherine took her hand and smiled.

“What?” Elizabeth asked.

“We made it,” she said. “That’s good. Ain’t tis’?”

Elizabeth nodded. You have to go back, she told herself. Now, it's safer going back than staying here.

“I’ll go back,” Elizabeth interrupted without thinking of the ramifications, the words flying out of her mouth and too far gone to take back.

They all turned around to face her. Her father stood up and stomped down the stone stairs covered in purple silk. “No,” he commanded. “I’m not losing you too.” He pointed his finger into her face.

“You’re going to lose me someday anyways,” she continued. “I know this is what you want.” She stopped. “You want your sons back.” Elizabeth pushed his hand away. “Not me, I’ll find them for you.” Her father sighed.

“I care about you,” he said and put his hands on her shoulders. “Now listen. You are not going.” Elizabeth clenched her jaw and took a deep breath.

“You can’t stop me,” she said, shaking his hands off her shoulder.

Her father said nothing but move his eyebrows down into a glare and scrunched up his nose. “If I can’t stop you, I can’t,” he finally exhaled, “then at least let me help you. I shall give you a provision.”

He turned around to the council then made a signal and nodded. A few rushed off and soon came back with a long thin object wrapped in cloth. Her father took it from one of the elders and slowly unwrapped it. He revealed a two bladed sword with a silver cylinder grip in the middle; wrapped in a thick leather cloth. A sharpened blade stuck out of each side of the cylinder grip. The blades were as thin as paper but as strong as titanium and as dangerous as a troop of a thousand men. A very strenuous skill to learn and very facile to slice yourself in the action of battle.

He handed it to her and with steady hands Elizabeth took it.

“Press this button on the handle and the blades will shrink into tiny knives,” he told her. “Now go before it’s too late.” He paused. “Come back to me.”

Elizabeth nodded and turned to Katherine. Her father walked to his throne and the council left to their quarters.

“Stay here,” Elizabeth said. “You’ll be safe.”

“You will be back,” Katherine directed rather than asked. “I’ll be wait for you here.”

Elizabeth nodded and brought her close to her. Katherine was still youthful but valiant and audacious. Shadow let out a loud screech from outside the gates. She pulled back and kneeled down to Katherine’s height.

“I’m taking Shadow back to Lorton Stronghold,” Elizabeth told her. “It’ll probably take half a day to get there.”

Katherine pulled her in and embraced her. Elizabeth returned the embrace. They shared the moment for as long as they could. But Elizabeth pulled away and looked at Katherine with solemn eyes. Her journey would begin. She grinned and Katherine smiled back. A sad, but good smile.