The hurling dagger spun like shimmering starlight in the night towards its target. The dagger pierced the eye socket of one of the assailants that were after Reanna and her brother. Piercing straight through the brain. The assailant stood there, shock at the indignation of his death. He then collapsed onto the grassy dirt, with his fellow gawking at the downfall. Regulus yelp in joyous hope at one of the assailants' demises, whilst Reanna cringed at the impact. She then smirked at the thought of one of those murderers dead before her. Clutching her brother's shoulders, Reanna continued looking on the scene before her, at the last assailant and the hunched man. The hunched man cloaked in patchwork rags stood slightly taller at the man’s demise. The man seemed patience, waiting for the tension to past. The last assailant ending his gawking resolved to murder the stranger before him. Courtesy was not lost on the assailant as he asks for the cloaked man’s name. “Say, what is your name?” The worried man asked. The cloaked man dusted the grime of dust that was on his cloak from his weary travel to the estate. He then waited with no response at hand for the assailant to act. “Bloody vagrant.” The assailant cursed. With his drawn sword, the assailant charged the cloaked form. five paces away, the cloaked form pivoted with his great cloak to the side and punched the man’s throat with a dagger hidden in his rough palm. The last assailant gurgled out a fountain of blood before he collapses dead on the grassy dirt. The cloaked man knelt down to use the man’s dark coat to wipe clean the blood from his bloodied dagger. Reanna watched in quiet fascination at the cloaked individual. He was quiet and precise, his movements were economic. She knew this cloaked individual was a master of his arts. “Amazing!” Regulus joyously yelped out. “Sshh, little man. Acts of killing should not be awed up when killing for the sake of it.” A somber and old voice intoned. The eerie words quieted Regulus joyous mood. The pupils of the assailant's eyes dilated out, fading into the hazy empty gaze of the dead. The cloaked figure stood up from the corpse before him. Turning about, he then approached the other corpse that stop had spasming in the few moments it died. He pulled out the throwing dagger that was lodged in the man’s eye socket. White mush and blood spurted out when it exited out from the socket. Heavy footsteps announced Balic’s introduction to the scene before him. He was followed by two men garbed in black leathers, one of them held a leather-wrapped bundle that was dripping blood. Balic curious and bruised face, turn rabid with hidden fury at the sight of the cloaked man standing next one of his man’s dead corpse. Reanna stepped aback aghast at Balic’s entrance. Rushing thoughts of Jayce crossed through her mind. ‘If Balic is alive?’ Reanna horrifyingly thought. “No.” She blurted out in denial. Jayce, her best friend, someone she had looked up to since they first met that winters day when her father took her to meet his vassal’s family members. He was a snot covered boy who always had argues back with his parents. She admired his audacity to bicker against the much taller and older people, at that age. And when the years went on, when he grew older to train to become one of her household knights, Reanna's infatuation grew. The thought of him dead because of this man, sent an unspoken fury thumping out from her heart. But her fury could not abate the deep sadness that was about to overcome her. Reanna’s eyes were puffy from tearing at the death of her mother. “Please, not Jayce, Regis, not Jayce.” She whispered. Balic left side was trickling blood down past the steal and down his leather pants. Reanna could see that Balic did not come out of it unscathed. The thought of it sent a small measure of comfort to her distraught mind. Balic cursed in frustration at his blood loss, then he sneered at the cloaked man before him. “I do not know who you are, but stand aside.” He grunted. “Stand aside?” The cloaked man repeated, in his elderly voice. “Stand aside, old man,” Balic growled. “Stand aside to watch the murder of children…?” The cloaked man remarked. “However meager my chivalry is, That I cannot do.” He said resolutely. Balic gripped tightly the haft of his Warhammer, his steel gauntlets creaking at the action. “So you think yourself a knight... Aye old man?” He sneered. “I am no knight, but a weary traveler.” “Pft, whoever you are, you are a dead man.” The cloaked man removed the hood of his cloak to show his weathered face. The first time Reanna saw the man, she stepped aback at his scruffy appearance. He looked unwashed and dirty. A man living off the streets. This was her savior, some hillbilly vagabond? And why was he talking about his chivalric duty when he looked like such a person, below such station. The man’s hair was brunette long with splints and knots haphazardly prevalent around his head. Reanna did not know where this man styled his hair upon, maybe from a bygone village away from the common standings of any civilization. The man’s beard was similarly styled with his head, with braids and splinted knots. A white braid, white as winter snowflake was most prevalent and unique feature she could remark with the man’s head. But then she saw his eyes, sapphire blue, not as shallow as the stone but deep like the Rensoco Lake. “I’ve been called many names throughout the years, but you Ser can call me Siger the Struggler.” The elderly man said. “It’s past your bedtime, Siger the Struggler.” Balic sneered, sarcastically. Annoyed, Reanna mood began to swing from roiling fury to depression, back to roiling fury. This man, no this beast, destroyed the foundation of her life. If this Siger the Struggler does not kill him than Reanna definitely would. “Pray tell, do you know the whereabouts of the lord of this Manor?” Siger inquired. ‘Why would this man be looking for my father?’ Reanna pondered. “So you are looking for the lord of this manor huh?” Balic said, cynically. “That is right.” “Well…Siger the Struggler.” He sneered. “--The Lord Baron is here with us.” Reanna and Regulus both had their hopes lifted up from Balic’s announcement. Her father is here? Reanna swiveled her head around for any sightings of her father. Balic nodded to one of his fellow who was holding the bundled bag, dripping with blood. The man opened up the leather bag and tossed it’s content to the ground. A circular form fell heavily onto the grass, painting the grass with dry crimson with a squelch. After the rolling had stopped, the dead gaze of Rembrandt hollowly stared back at shock expression of Reanna and Regulus. It was her father’s decapitated head, the warm and blustering cheeks of her father were now pale and lifeless. Regulus began to sob again in front of the image before him. Reanna just stood there frozen, staring at her father’s lifeless eyes. The shock of her father death kept her still from moving. It was just something she would have never comprehended. Her father, dead before her. It just did not make sense. Why? How could this have happened; It did not make any sense to her. Siger stared down at Rembrandt’s decapitated head, gloomily. “Such a waste,” he said. Siger than turn his head towards Reanna and her brother. Concern was on written all over Siger’s face. “For the final time, step aside old man,” Balic said, adamant resolve in his tambour. One of Balic’s fellow pulled out a flintlock. He pointed it towards Siger as a threat. “Once more into the fray... My ascension from death always leads me always into the fray.” Siger the Struggler murmured. Balic signals his fellow to fire his flintlock pistol at Siger. The fellow cocked the flint back than pulled the trigger. A small sounding explosion hollered into the night. Siger just stood there, no signs of any metal projectile hitting his hunched form. “Blasting useless!” Balic said, disgust apparent on his face. With the tension released, Siger reacted with a pivot. His hands miraculously drew three throwing daggers out of nowhere. Reanna could not see where he drew it from. She knew there were experts who mastered the sleight of hand but with something dangerous as a throwing knife. She was surprised he did not cut himself. Siger with his right hand spread there were three daggers lodged between his knuckles. He threw. All three of the daggers spun syncly towards their chosen targets. Reanna was amazed at the trajectory. Within an instant, the daggers homed towards their targets. The fellow in the middle of reloading his flintlock was struck, straight through the forehead with one of those said daggers. The other struck another of Balic’s fellow on the eye. Luckily for the fellow It was not deep enough to pierce through the brain. Still, the shock of the impact and the impairment, left the man screaming in excruciating pain. Cling, the center throwing dagger hit the center of Balic’s lifted Warhammer, blocking it from Balic’s chest. The dagger careened into the grassy dirt several paces away from Balic. Balic grunted then frustratingly cursed as he turns his head both to the side at both his two men. One plainly dead, the other screaming in horrified shock. Reanna utter amazement watched how Siger dispatched those men from afar with the ease of a gardener against the weeds. Balic cautiously stepped back away from Siger. He judged that he was outmatched. If any of those daggers hit any of his vital areas, he would be handicapped to continue. Besides the previously injured from his last fight with Jayce. Reanna groaned at the thought of Jayce, dead. Siger noticing Balic’s hesitation took a few steps back. “Open the gates, and let’s go.” He said to Reanna and her brother, with his eyes still focused on Balic. Reanna had the urge to argue to him to kill Balic now. But looking between her brother and Siger, than glaring back at Balic; made her make up her mind. Clutching her brother’s shoulder to follow by, she opened the Iron gate with her other hand. Reanna had to budge than push it aside with what little Strength she had. The gates squeaked open at her actions. All three passed through the iron gate into the misty dark of the forest that was behind the manor. Still in the sight of Balic, who was on the other side of the iron gate; Reanna asked. “Who are you?” To Siger. “A friend of your fathers’” Siger replied. Reanna let go of her brother's shoulder. She then grabbed his hand to pull him onwards, to follow the strange vagabond. *** “Why didn’t that man fight you? Ser?” Regulus curiously asked Siger. “Because he knew he was outmatched and he was waiting on support.” “You should have killed him there and now.” Reanna sharply said. “Oh Lass, that red frizzy hair of yours, really fits you well,” Siger smirked. Unamused, Reanna grunted. “What are both your Constitution, if it’s not rude to ask?” Siger inquired. It was rude of him to asked, but Reanna grunted than said with pride. “Mine is Fourteen.” She proudly stated, proud of her pedigree to be part of a family with one of the highest Constitution in the land. “Eleven…” Her brother shamefully murmured. Reanna’s brother was not as fit as she is currently, but she did recall when she was at his age she had a similar stat with her brother. But nothing compared to their father who has Eighteen on Constitution. ‘Had…’ Sadness drew down Reanna’s pride, down onto the dirt and mud of reality. “Good enough,” Siger said. “--We will not stop hiking through the forest, until midday.” “We are gonna walk all night?” Regulus groaned. “I’m afraid so, Lad.” Siger adamant. “But look on bright side, it’ll be harder for me than you young folks. I’m too old to be galavanting around.” He said in feign amusement. “Where are we headed?” Reanna asked, curious where this Vagabond is leading them. “After this forest is the Revon Mountains, I recall. Then after that, who knows.” “Revon Mountains?” Regulus nervously asked. “Isn’t that where monsters nest in?” “That's hogwash.” Reanna remark. “Storyful of hogwash.” “It’s not hogwash,” Regulus said. “Nana said that there are monster snatch people there. That's why no one lives near the mountains.” “They are commonfolk imaginings, little brother. Don’t believe whatever the common sort tells you.” Reanna smirked. “Don’t worry Lad. When you have Siger the Struggler by your side, nothing will threaten you.” Siger comfortingly said to Regulus. Reanna frowned up at the man, then shrugged. ‘What a strange vagabond.’ She thought. “We will head to my eldest brother after the mountains.” She said. Siger turned to her. “Your eldest brother?” “Yeah, Revon.” “Same name as the mountains? Huh?” Siger chuckled. “Funny…” She said, unamused. Revon was a famous name amongst the peerage. It was the name of the man who destroyed the Triumvirate Empire, and the first King of Regalia. So Reanna was not surprised when a mountain was named after him. After tracking a mile away from the manor, they hiked up a cliff to continue onwards. Reanna saw red glimmer reflect on the patchwork coat on Siger’s back. She turned to find the source. Reanna stood there in shock when she spotted it. She had stiffened herself in disbelief. Across the forest trees, was her family’s manor, burning like torchlight. Her brother and Siger turned to see what got Reanna to halt. Regulus slump down, again crying. Their summer manor was burning. The countless childhood memories she experienced at its confines were now sour ashes. The alit manor to Reanna was the ending of her cherished and privileged life. Reanna finally gave in and slumped down onto grass crying.