• Chapter 1: Meeting Sir Andrews

    Five Months Later

    I was floating through a sinfully blissful abyss of unconscious blackness. It had to illegal, being so peaceful for once.

    "Seri." I heard a soft voice whisper near my ear, pulling me out of my reverie. "Seri, wake up. It's time to go."

    Groaning in slight disappoint, I watched as the darkness faded away and I opened my eyes to Alec's amused face. I stuck my tongue out at him, sitting up as he pulled away, chuckling.

    "Is it already 1?" I asked, groaning despite my usually prepared facade of alertness.

    "Unfortunately, sweetheart. Get up." Alec laughed, shoving me off the mattress. Giggling uncharacteristically, I tumbled off, landing on the floor in a heap.

    "Hey, Alec, is Seri up?" I heard Ally ask, and I smirked to myself.

    "BOO!" I yelled, jumping off the floor and throwing my arms up. She shrieked loudly, before giving me a death glare. "Seri you scared the crap out of me."

    I shrugged, playing the innocent card. "That was the point, Al."

    "Enough horseplay." I heard Alec tell us, somewhat sternly. "C'mon guys, we're running late."

    Nodded sheepishly, I walked into the bathroom, washing my face off with the cold water in the basin. The cold shock of the water sobered me, bringing me out of the half-asleep reverie I'd fallen into.

    "Alright." I told the duo as I dried off using the small hand towel hanging off the hinge on the wall to my right. "I'm ready to go."

    Alec nodded, throwing me my black cloak. "Let's roll."

    Slipping it around my shoulders, I tied the strings in a tight knot to keep the silky material from slipping off my shoulders. We'd saved enough royals to at least get some decent clothes; their tips, or 'gifts of appreciation', were ridiculous.

    Walking past Alec, who was holding the front door open for me, I stumbled headfirst into the harsh coldness of a mid-December night. It was snowing again, the fresher snow crunching loudly under my heeled boots as I slouched over to where Ally already stood, eyeing the paths.

    "I cleaned Artemis and Apollo while you were asleep, Seri." Ally explained, handing me my twin swords before turning back around. I nodded in appreciation, smiling at her, before slipping them into their sheaths; made of leather and bounded by silver, hanging against the outsides of my thighs.

    As Alec finished locking the door, he slid the key back onto its chain, letting it fall back under his own cloak. Together, the three of us began our trek through the snow, in the general direction of the town. "We're going to have to run." I told them, glancing at the foreboding darkness of the night.

    We walked for a few minutes in concentrate silence, before Alec spoke up. "What do you think normal citizens think when they see us?"

    I thought about that, taking in each of our appearances. Ally, with her bleach-blond (it was natural), wavy hair that dusted her shoulders. Her own body was covered up by her cloak, her hood down so that her locks spread across the black material messily. Underneath the cloak, through the occasional openings that appeared when she shifted, I could tell she was wearing her blood-red corset, matched with her black skirt and ankle boots that held her poisoned needles.

    Then there was Alec. His mop of inky black hair was unkempt, now reaching his collarbone-area. Also wearing a black cloak, his dark, black irises added to the whole 'I'm dangerous don't come near me' effect. I knew he was wearing a dark-blue V-neck under his cloak, and it was matched with ripped, black jeans and his hunting boots, no doubt concealing his knives.

    Then there was me; dark-brown hair mixed with several, different hues of gold and lighter browns, the naturally curly locks reaching the middle of my back with ease. Usually, my hood hid them from sight, but today, for now, my hood was down, exposing the curls to the snow. Under my cloak, I wore a corset similar to Ally's, but it was dark purple. However, instead of a skirt, I wore a pair of midnight-black short shorts (they were easy to move in and comfortable) that was held up by my belt, where several smaller knives hung from. My upper-thighs were bare, my thin scars prominent, but my knee-high, violet boots covered the rest.

    "We're a weird bunch." I commented bemusedly. "Especially because of the cloaks. Plus, Ally and I don't wear those stupid dresses like everyone normal."

    It's true; whilst every, other female in town worse a dress, we were content with our corsets. You can't kill demons and such in dresses; besides, all those layers were tedious, and I hated sweat.

    "By the looks of it..." Ally started, and I looked over to see her on her handheld GPS device. "The ceremony's started."

    She was, of course, talking about the 100 Moons Ceremony. Once every 1000 years, the sacred 99 moons shone through the barriers our ancestors had hidden them away with. For what reason, nobody knew. However, it was rumored that the reasons and beliefs had been archived and hidden away. When young, every child had dreamed of being the one to unravel the secrets of the moons. Then they grew up, and looked back at the memories and chuckled. The same went for us; Ally's grandfather (my throat hitched) told us the stories and the legendary ancestors every night before we went to bed. This story, though, always stuck with me, from the day he'd told it to us...

    "Who's ready for tonight's story?" Grandfather asked, his smile warm and inviting. Instantly, the three children, 2 girls and 1 boy, threw their hands up in the air, calling out in delight and excitement. Their grandfather's stories were the best.

    Laughing, the old man nodded, before slipping down into his seat and beginning his tale. "Once upon a time, there was a council. Now, this wasn't an ordinary council. No, it was not made public that such a council existed. This was because the royal family, at the time, were bad people. They abused their power and wasted the kingdom's money. The council sought to put an end to their reign. This council, and its members, are the people who we call 'our ancestors'."

    The children were already captivated, despite the fact the old man only spoke a couple sentences. Though, little Seri was overly enchanted; even more so than usual. She leaned closer to her grandfather, her eyes wide open. She loved hearing about the famous ancestors. She hoped to grow up to be just as noble; to leave an imprint on everyone then and everyone to come.

    "Now, the head of the council was female." Grandfather continued. "Her name was Annalise. She, along with her co-leader, Sesario, led the council. The duo also worked for the court, so they got all the information and evidence they needed without having to sneak in. Things with the council, made up of 10 people, were going well. They were gathering more than enough information, and were planning on heading over to a nearby kingdom to reveal it all. Then, tragedy struck."

    Grandfather paused for dramatic effect, watching bemusedly as the trio of children in front of him shifted restlessly, no doubt waiting for him to continue; and so he did. "A neighboring kingdom had declared war on Calvier, offended by the king and queen's recent actions. They attacked, and they attacked hard. In less than a week, half of the king's army was murdered, and the king didn't know what to do. So, being the coward he was, he turned over his kingship to the lead of the army; Sesario."

    Three, separate gasps were heard and Grandfather couldn't help but chuckle, before carrying on. "Ecstatic, the council realized they could fix the kingdom without revealing its horrors to the other kingdoms. They realized that Sesario could appoint them, and that they could happily control their homeland with just. So, in the same month that Sesario ended the war in their favour, he married his long-time lover, Annalise and he set up the council as his advisers. The two, and the council, ruled the kingdom together, fixing the ex-king's mistake with ease. Yet things didn't stay well for long."

    Another pause. Seri whined, pounding her small fists into the mattress and gazing at her Grandfather with pleading eyes. "Continue, grandpa, please!"

    He nodded, but instead of the usual twinkle in his eyes, the old man's irises held a lifetime's worth of sadness and pain. "Sesario was beginning to leave at sundown, coming back at sunrise. Annalise, of course, didn't question him; their relationship was based on trust. It was then, though, her best friend, Marionette, also a member of the council, told her Sesario was seeing another woman out of wedlock. It broke poor Annalise's heart..."

    "What happened next, Grandpa?" Little Alec asked, after the man's silence had spanned across a few minutes. Seemingly shaking out of his reverie, the old man smiled sadly at the three children who awaited his continuation; the story was sad, but they needed to know. "She didn't say anything. After about another month of silent cheating, Sesario finally broke off his relationship with Annalise, bringing his other woman to the throne and marrying her. Disheartened and broken-hearted, Annalise fled, hiding away with Marionette. Slowly, with a broken council, Calvier began to fall again. Its sudden dip in failure brought unwanted attention, and soon enough, war was upon them again. Sesario's second wife, Alana, was pregnant at the time. Despite the raging war around them, she gave birth, safely, to a healthy, baby boy. They named him Aritos, in honour of Sesario's late father. Only after his birth, and the kingdom's slow downfall, did Sesario realize he missed Annalise, and his love for her was still there. Though, he knew he couldn't do anything about it. Then, about a year after the war started, the final confrontation was upon them all."

    "Oh no."

    "Uh oh..."

    "What's going to happen?!"

    The three, separate voices of his grandchildren urged him to continue, the voices in his mind reminding him of his duty. "Sesario, Alana, and the rest of the council met the opposing royal family halfway on the battlefield, and the two kings stepped forward. For hours, the duo fought, neither side giving in. It was then Sesario was knocked off his feet, and the opposing king, Helios, was about to deliver the final blow. Nobody came to Sesario's aid...nobody but the kingdom's saving grace."

    A gasp from Ally, a whoop from Alec, and a serene smile from Seri. He smiled himself and continued with his story. "Annalise saved Sesario's life, despite everything he'd done to her. Forcing Helios' blade upwards, stepped stepped over her ex-lover's body and faced the king. 'Why are you fighting for someone who broke your heart?' Helios had asked her, honest curiosity shining through his desire to bring down Calvier. 'I don't fight for the throne or the royals, Your Highness. I fight for my kingdom and its people.' Annalise had responded. The king nodded, respecting the woman before him, but he knew he couldn't call of the war because of one, respectable woman; Calvier was full of deception and lies. So, the man fought the newcomer, and the two clashed like wind and fire. Annalise fought with cat-like grace, and everybody couldn't help but admire her strength and lithe form. She was, in every sense of the word, elegant. Soon enough, she had Helios on the ground and was towering over him. Everyone awaited the final blow, the kill, but it never came. Instead, Annalise offered the fallen man her hand, smiling. 'What are you doing? Aren't going to kill me?' Helios asked her. 'No, I'm not a murderer. I am a protector.' Annalise explained to the king. 'Are we clear that the war is over?' She then asked, giving Helios a stern look. The man had nodded, still fascinated with the woman before him. Annalise nodded, slipped her swords back into their sheaths, and walked back to where Marionette stood, waiting with what was left of the council. 'Let's go home' Annalise told her ally, smiling with content; her kingdom was safe. Marionette had nodded, and the duo walked off, despite Sesario and the council calling to them."

    Grandfather fell into a relaxed silence, and the children realized he was done. However, Seri was confused; she felt as if there was more...though, she didn't disturb Grandfather, who was clearly lost in thought.

    "Seri, we're here!" Ally's voice brought me back to reality, and I furiously blinked. Had the two hour walk come to an end already?

    "Wow, uh...okay." I said, glancing at the village gates. Tonight, Otis was apparently on duty. As we approached, a soft smile adorned his lips. "Hello, you three. Here to patrol?"

    "Of course, Otis." I grinned at him, giving him a quick hug in greeting before he led off to the side entrance; the one nobody but us used. It led to behind the marketplace stalls. More specifically, Aunt Ariel's stalls; the mother-figure in our lives. As always, when we made our way through the hanging vines, she stood there awaiting our arrival. As always, she held plates of steaming food. "Eat up," she said firmly, handing us our plates.

    "Alright, alright..." we sighed, chowing down as fast as we could. We seriously had to get patrolling, or who knows what'll happen. After a few minutes of gobbling silence, we were done, and handed the now empty plates to Aunt Ariel.

    "Thank you!" We chorused, smiling and giving her quick hugs and kisses. She nodded, smiled, and turned, heading back to her stall as there were tourists and citizens milling around. I turned to face the other two, locking eyes with them. "Shall we?" I asked, already knowing the answer. The duo nodded, before we split up, slipping in our earpieces and pulling out our preferred weapons.

    "Godspeed." I heard Otis whisper. I knew Alec was streaking the borders, making sure nothing went in. Ally was sprinting through the side streets, staying in the light but invisible to the people. Me? I was jumping the roofs and monitoring the actual ceremony. Climbing the piping of a nearby building, I scaled the wall, before hopping onto the roof and kneeling at the edge.

    Lit lanterns adorned the streets, lighting the cobblestone pathways up with hues of orange, red, and yellow. Citizens of all ages walked around, alone or in small groups. I smiled despite myself; everyone was happy. That was good enough for me.

    Tightening my grasp on Artemis and Apollo, I jumped onto the roof on the building beside the previous. Again and again, I leaped, keeping my eyes on the streets below.

    "See anything?" Alec's voice interrupted the silence, causing my brows to furrow.

    "Nope." I responded. "Everything's clear on my end. Is that weird...?"

    "Well, I'd think so," he answered. "I wonder where everything's gone?"

    "Guys." Ally's voice interrupted our small conversation. "The ceremony's begun. C'mon over for a bit, I may need backup."

    Immediately, I started pouncing the buildings faster, heading towards the center of the town. "Why, Al?"

    "I'm sensing stuff, and the demon detector's picking up something weird. I dunno," she reported. "I just think you two should come here. Everybody else is here, anyways."

    I nodded to myself, it made sense. "Alright, Al, I'm on my way."

    "I'm there." I heard Alec announce. My eyebrows rose; that was quick...

    "I was close by anyways," he explained, almost as if he read my thoughts. I nodded and continued jumping for a few more minutes, before I made my descent into the Town Square.

    "Wow." I said out-loud in awe. "This is a lot of people..."

    "And we've gotta watch them all." I heard Ally's voice behind me. Turning, I gave her a small grin. She and Alec had their weapons tucked away, not wanting to alarm anyone; so, I did the same.

    "Should we take off the cloaks?" Ally asked, glancing at the people around us as we got lost in the crowd.

    "Nah." Alec shook his head. "They all know who we are."

    It was true, I had to admit; nowadays, we were the heroes our citizens told their children about at night. It made what we did worthwhile.

    "Hey, look, the Elders are starting!" Ally pointed towards the podium, and we redirected our attention to the three, older men standing on it.

    "Welcome to all of you." The one in the middle began with a large smile. "It warms my heart, seeing all of you Calvian citizens celebrating this...this miracle. This privilege."

    We nodded, glancing around and watching people clap in respect. The man waited for the thundering to die down, before letting his associate continue. "We have gathered here, tonight, for the first of the 20 days of the sacred 100 Moons ceremony. In less than a month, the hidden 99 moons will shine through the barriers."

    Cheering erupted from the crowd, and we laughed and started clapping, amused; the citizens of Calvier were extremely enthusiastic when it came to these kind of things. The men on the stage smiled, before the third one spoke. "Alright, folks. Enough of us talking. In conclusion, enjoy the festivities, stay safe-"

    "We don't have to be careful the legendary fighters'll protect us!" A little girl's voice interrupted him, and a bunch of other young voices voiced their agreement. I couldn't help but blush a bit, smiling kindly at everyone turning and offering us a look of admiration or appreciation.

    The man who'd been speaking looked surprised, as if this was news to him. "Oh? Who're these 'legendary' warriors?"

    And suddenly, everybody around us were urging us to go up onto the stage. I protested, as did the other two, but somehow, we were shoved along through the crowd and up the small flight of stairs. Feebly, I smiled out to the crowd, waving slightly.

    "And who're you?" The man asked, but strangely enough, he was staring at me with a look of...shock?

    "I'm Ally Castiel." Ally introduced herself.

    "Alec." Alec gave him a nod.

    "Seri." I grinned.

    The crowd roared its approval, and I couldn't help but chuckle. The man, however, remained stony-faced and shocked. "Sir Andrews...it's nice to meet you."

    "Like-wise." I told him.

    Ally's eyebrows shot up, and a look of mild interest crossed her features. "You mean, you're the king's right-hand man? The same Sir Andrews?"

    Sir Andrews chuckled, nodding. For a second, a mere moment, his eyes strayed back to my face, before he turned and addressed the crowd again. "Thank you all for your attention, but alas! We shan't hold you from your activities any longer. Go, enjoy the 1st night of festivities! Your king-" His eyes strayed back to my face. "-will join you shortly."

    The crowd cheered once more, before dispersing. Sir Andrews' companions stepped forward, and we exchanged pleasantries.

    "Fargo, Derick, go enjoy yourselves. I want to talk to these three." Sir Andrews told them, waving his hand around in the air. The two nodded, gave us one last smile, and walked down the stairs on the other side of the stage. Sir Andrews waited until they were lost in the crowd, before turning to us and motioning for us to follow him. Confused, suspicious and startled, the three of us glanced at each other and followed him through the curtains that were hung up against the wooden frame that stood at the back of the stage and down a hidden flight of stairs.

    "Who're your parents, Alec and Seri?" He asked, placing his hands on each of our shoulders. Uncomfortable with the sudden touch, I shrugged it off and backed up a few steps. Alec did the same.

    "We're orphans." I told him curtly. "Never knew our parents."

    Sir Andrews nodded, obviously having expected that answer. "Do you...do you want to know who your parents are, young ones?"