Kevin (Night Stalker) POV

A brilliant stream of colors assaulted my vision, then darkness. At first I thought something was wrong, but then my eyes adjusted to the dim light I could make out the faint outlines of couples in intimate relations in the far reaches of the room, the smell of unwashed bodies assailed my nose. The patter of little feet weaving through the people as they played somehow ignoring their surroundings, the ragged breathing of the couples.

Looking around I found the source of the light in the room, weaving my why through everything I found that those who surrounded the small fire, that was the source of the light, where all elders, who whispered quietly leaning in to hear each other over the sounds around them. Moving over to them I sat close by and listened in.

Elder Elrox- this misfortune is a great set back, however we must not give up to despair, nor can we let the youngsters forget their heritage.

Elder Drovich- Elrox you speak as if we have a choice in the matter, we do not! The Wise Ones are lost all wiped out and with them our history!

Elder Elrox- it is truly regrettable that you think this way, without hope there is no chance for a future, but unlike you I believe in us I believe we can prove ourselves to be more to this woman, this Queen of Ice.

Elder Drovich- “cough!!” - something more, we already have; we are toys for her amusement. Do you even know how she came to be queen of this city ?

Elder Elrox- well no, but it doesn't matter how, she came to be, just that she is, and all we must do is gain favor in her eyes, we could be something here, or at the least we could be free, we must just please her.

Elder Drovich- Fool! “cough” - she killed everyone! All those who could be a threat to her rule in anyway gone, dead. In their place she put her own lords and thanes. The old kings own son was consumed by her power and served her like a dog. Is that what you wish upon our people!

Elder Tovrex- Enough! You two bicker like an old married couple, by the gods I am done with it. Neither one of you holds sway over the future. You control nothing, why look what our control brought us, we are slaves. We see the light only to bleed on the cold sands of the Colosseum with the jeering of our enemies rising over our last breaths.

Looking back the Elder Drovich noticed me..

Elder Drovich- you boy what do you have to say on this sense you seem to like sneaking about so...

Night Stalker - um I think that you should never stop trying no matter what...

Elder Tovrex- so then you will fight for your future no matter what ?

Night Stalker- of course!

Elder Tovrex- ha good then we have our last volunteer for the games tomorrow!

Eric POV

Life of a shape shifter is rather easy as long as you can blend in with those around you. Act normal so to speak. A few months ago after the subjugation of the tribe I was with and my incident with the fire. I had managed to make my way to the small but booming town of Guggenheim. It has come a long way in the past few months and life was good for a bit, but all good things come to an end. The end I speak of is goblins the little bastards steal and kill everything they can get their hands on. children, livestock, tools even animal fed. The kind couple who took me in are simple tundra chicken merchants, they sold paltry and eggs in abundance for almost too cheap prices, why because if you are selling lower than everyone else you are going to get the most business. Its simple the greatest guide for any economy is competition. I managed to get a job as a guard for them and they payed well. So life was good, right in till the raiding started and the roads where swamped with goblins, they cut off trade for almost two weeks before the imperial army cut their way through. The once cheap and tasty luxury good became the soul source of food in a town that far exceeded its supportable population, for the first few days people went about business with a slight boast in their step, a few more days and they grew restless, then the riots started everyone scrambling to stockpile food for the unforeseeable future, their goods were stolen and they lost everything, and I lost my job. I might have fought the imperials before, but now my hatred was pointed at something I could fight. So I joined up.

I was there on the day when the Queen dispensed her justice on those who killed one of her own. I saw the horrific beauty of the knights brutal charge. My goal changed in that moment, I knew in that instant that I had to ride with them. We surged after them slaughtering all who resisted regardless of age and gender.

Now I patrol the one of the most active stretches of the imperial road under my command is thirteen Pls and one regular who serves as the sergeant of my platoon. Today I trudge through the snow and ice its almost up-to my knees and the wind blows violently across the waste with no terrain to slow it down. Seeing in this shit is almost impossible, hearing each other is also almost impossible at more than fifteen meters away.

I struggled up the line, our duty out here is simple everyday we march across twenty miles of waste and light lanterns that mark the edges of the road, we kill any goblins we run into and report to two different camps. The camps don’t really have a higher officer they are manly relay posts with horses to take messages up and down to the towns about situations and also where we receive our new orders once a week as well as pay.

We are about nine miles out from out post nine between Dovika and Dokiva heading towards outpost ten. When I saw the light, I passed the word down the line. We stand ten feet apart from each other. Safer that way. Less likely for multiple casualties in an ambush and still close enough to form up. I scrunched lower to the snow and waded towards the light, I had no doubt in my mind that is wasn't friendly.

Khione POV

pacing back and forth I look at the report in my hands again, I am back in the keep, and after I slaughtered the goblins, the other tribes seemed to back off a bit, its only been a few weeks... however besides light skirmishes nothing major seems to be happening, no sightings of the tribes, no large scale raids. Laughing a bit to bit back the tears, I realize the thing I have wanted for so long is finally here, and yet now I don’t want it, I want them to come, to show themselves... Terror died because of that filth and I would make every single one pay.

The report was simple just a few lines...

-light skirmishes along north east and north western villages

-no casualties

-roads progressing at unexpected rates

-fourteen runaway laborers sent to mines

-goblin laborers working hard

crumpling the report in my hand I toss it to the scribe standing at the door.

Khione- I am going out for a bout with Master Rhazin

Scribe- yes my lady would like for me to put any messages on your table in the library ?

Khione- that would be fine thank you, if you find anything that seems urgent bring it directly too me.

Scribe- yes my lady

bowing out he departed, and I walked outside I seemed to spend most of my time with Master Rhazin now, he still seems to find my swordsmanship to be appalling, although he doesn't quite say it like that.

I find him with more recruits.

Khione- Master Rhazin might I have a moment ?

Master Rhazin- of course my lady how might I be of service, he said with a mock bow. He knew exactly what I wanted, we trained four or five times a day now, and every time I thought I was progressing he would throw in some new form.

Taking to blunt weapons from a rack he handed me a smaller one, made specially for me, I was not about to try and use a troll veirhander. Taking the stance he had last shown me for my two handed grip

I looked up the stances and it was very similar to the french Garde du faucon or Gaurd of the falcon its a high guard where you hold the sword handle a bit above your forhead and out an inche or so, you use your full body to power your attacks and use sweaps to deflect your opponets attacks instead of using force to stop the blow you mearly redirect the force to the outside of your body thuss tiring out your opponet with minimal effort on your part, its a stance that takes the phrase the best offence is a better defense into account, deflect and use momentum to counter attack. While your opponet is open.

We sparred for a bit going back and forth for about and hour before i let him get back to the recruits. I walked to my room and put on my riding clothes.briskly walked down to the stables, and to the horrer of the stable hands sadled my own horse.

As i was preparing to leave i found an escort of twenty knights waiting for me at the gates,

sighing i rode out into my city ringed by my guards.