PROLOGUE { ERIX }

"Find her and capture her! King Irin wants her alive and unharmed!" Captain Cyris of the Pearl Kingdom Knights calls upon his soldiers, seemingly chasing a young girl.

"Alive AND unharmed?! Captain, that isn't possible! She's too elusive!" The ‘second-in-command’ soldier, Melodias, yells back to Captain Cyris.

"That's an order, soldier! Directly from King Irin!" Captain Cyris continues to charge forward after the girl

"But…" Melodias is quickly cut off by Captain Cyris once again

"Our duty is to follow the King's orders. Not question them, soldier. Are we clear?" Cyris locks eyes with Melodias.

"Well? Did you misunderstand me? Are. We. Clear. Soldier?"

Melodias looks down and gently nods his head.

"Yes, Captain. We are clear."

"Good. I'm glad that we understand one another. It should be abundantly clear to you that this girl is important if she's garnered the attention of King Irin himself. Now, if you're done wasting our time, we need to find her!"

They begin charging after the girl once again. Their horses hooves ferociously colliding with the ground and their armor clanging violently.

"She may be elusive, but this time we have a strategy… we should have her surrounded if everything goes according to plan. Hopefully, your insubordination hasn't set us back too far…"

"Yes, Captain. My apologies, Captain." Melodias says back to Captain Cyris

"You heard him, men! Find her and capture her! Ensure she is unharmed and alive!"

"YES, MELODIAS!" The soldiers’ battle cry rings aloud as they all charge together as a unit to locate the girl…

A young girl charges as fast as she can down a secluded path, sticking as much as she can to the shadows, doing her best to remain unseen. In her hands is a small item, but it's identity is indecipherable. She avoids any light and surpasses any obstacle in her way, for the fear of being captured by the Pearl Knights was overwhelming.

"I can't let them find me… I need to escape. I can hear them yelling in the distance behind me… maybe half a kilometer away? Maybe 1?" The girl thinks to herself… calculating the potential distance the soldiers are from her.

"At this rate.. they'll catch me if I don't find somewhere to hide."

She continues running, hearing soldiers' cries from afar… inching ever-so closer to her back. Her heart rate and breathing increase drastically as she fears being caught. She pants violently as her running speed decreases…

"Pff…" she smirks calmly

"...I've found my way out of situations worse than this. Comparatively this is nothing. Calm down. Think. Where can I go?"

She continues to analyze a possible escape from her situation until in the distance, she sees what looks to be a potential hiding place, a cave. She smiles, as she believes she's pinned her escape. Running into the cave to seek asylum… her jaw drops and stops suddenly as she hears it… the thing she feared most at the time.

"THERE SHE IS! NOW!!" a large group of soldiers emerge from the cave and from the surrounding area.

"We have you now… there's nowhere left for you to go!" A grunt soldier begins to walk towards the girl, who is frozen in fear.

"Just take it easy, we aren't going to harm you."

The girl turns around and runs the opposite direction as Captain Cyris, Melodias, and the rest of their group come up from behind. The girl stops dead in her tracks and drops to her knees. She sets the item in her hands gently on the grass and pulls out a dagger. Holding it up to defend herself. Captain Cyris draws his sword and holds it up. The two exchange some slashes and the girl easily holds her own, blocking each attack effortlessly. Captain Cyris’ impatience grows to new heights as he delivers a devastating swing, resulting in the girl's dagger to be thrown from her hand. The girl runs over to the item on the ground and picks it up, holding it close… almost cradling it. Borderline crying in fear, she clutches the item close to her chest and yells at the soldiers.

"STAY BACK!!"

The girl looks very fearful, surrounded by soldiers on all sides, Captain Cyris walks towards her, sword still drawn.

"By the orders of King Irin, you are to come with me, immediately!" Still holding his sword.

Just as Captain Cyris is about to deal another punishing blow to the young girl, a booming, thunderous voice appears on the scene.

"THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH, SHEATHE YOUR WEAPON, CAPTAIN!!" The Knights behind Captain Cyris open up to reveal King Irin, ruler over the Pearl Kingdom, on horseback.

"How are you to deliver me this girl alive and unharmed with your weapon drawn…?" King Irin dismounts his horse and looks at the girl.

"It's okay, little one. No harm will befall you. Just remain calm." King Irin holds out his hand to the girl, who recoils from him, still clutching the item to her chest. King Irin stops.

"What is that you’re holding…?" The girl recoils further, attempting to hide the item from King Irin's line of sight.

King Irin continues to walk towards her, very slowly. He finally takes notice of what it is she is holding…

"A child… no, an infant?" King Irin thinks to himself and then calls out to Captain Cyris.

"Captain. Call your men off and head back to the Kingdom. We are already out of Geren territory. We don't need any undesirable attention right now. Monsters tend to roam these outskirts unsolicited at these hours of the night."

"But my Lord…" Captain Cyris starts but is quickly cut off.

"That was an order, Captain. Do not make me repeat myself." King Irin looks back at Captain Cyris fiercely.

"I will see you back at the castle. Head there, post haste…" Irin looks back towards the girl.

"I will tend to this matter alone."

"Yes, my King." Captain Cyris bows at King Irin

"You hear that? Back to the Pearl Kingdom, at once!" Captain Cyris and all the men leave the area, leaving King Irin and the girl alone.

"Are you alone, young one…?" King Irin asks the girl, calmly. The girl nods her head, crying gently.

"Not anymore, you aren't. I will take you with me back to my Kingdom. The Pearl Kingdom. In the mountains of Geren. You're familiar, correct?" The girl once again, nods her head at King Irin.

"The infant in your arms… is she of your blood?" The girl nods her head

"She's my little sister… she's sick. I don't think she's going to make it..." King Irin's eyes widen and he looks down at the girl.

"I've been looking after her. Looking for a way to help her. But there's nothing left that I can do… I was only taking medicine from the castle because I thought I could help her."

King Irin pauses for a second and asks the girl a question.

"What is your name, little one…?" He gently puts his hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"Erix…" the girl says to him

"Well, Erix… let us get you home then." He picks her and the infant up, brings her to his horse, and rides the two back to the Pearl Kingdom in Geren.

The large iron gate of the Pearl Kingdom slowly cranks open as dawn breaks. King Irin and Erix slowly trot into the kingdom. The townspeople gather to behold the majesty that is King Irin. Soon, however, questions start to arise among the citizens of the Pearl Kingdom:

"Who is that girl with the King?"

"She looks to be a child?"

"Where has he been all night?"

"Where did he find this child?"

"What is the girl carrying?"

The townspeople chatter and gossip with one another, out of King Irin and Erix's earshot. All confused why King Irin is without proper guard and with an unknown child…

"Young Erix…" King Irin says back to her very softly.

"When we get to the castle, we will find the best possible medical attention for your little sister. My castle has the finest apothecary in Geren. I trust he will put forth his best efforts to aid her." Upon hearing this, Erix looks up at him

"Thank you, sir." She looks down at her sister, who coughs up a bit of blood.

"Oh no, not again.." Erix says quietly and wipes the blood from the infant's face.

"What was that…? Did you say something?" King Irin asks Erix

"Oh, it was nothing sir… my apologies." She hides the child from the prying eyes of King Irin.

"Hm…" King Irin grunts as the two proceed further towards the castle

The castle… as majestic as can be, looking like a Kingdom in its own, stands in perfect alignment with the rising sun. It was massive. Erix had seen the castle before… but never this close up.

"It's…" Erix starts but King Irin stops her.

"Beautiful, huh?" Irin smiles.

"This is your home now too, young Erix…" she looks at him and smiles back.

"I hate to bring down the mood…" King Irin grabs Erix’s attention as she looks up at King Irin and then down at her sister

"...we will give her the best attention we can muster, I can assure you. You need not worry." Erix nods her head and clutches her sister close.

King Irin dismounts his horse and grabs Erix and the child in his arms. He gently sets Erix on her feet and squats down so he is at her level.

"May I…? King Irin holds his hands out to take the infant from Erix.

Erix hesitantly pulls her closer and King Irin puts his hand on the back of Erix's head

"We will do our best for her, young Erix…" she very gently and hesitantly hands the child over to King Irin.

"Captain Cyris… please escort Erix to her room… I will attend to this and be there shortly after."

King Irin walks away, carrying Erix's little sister with him.

"Come. Erix, was it?" Captain Cyris escorts Erix through the castle.

"Hey…" he says to Erix.

She looks up at him as the two walk together through the halls of the monumental castle

"...where did you learn to fight like that? You held your own against the Pearl Knights."

"I taught myself…" Erix hesitantly says to him

Captain Cyris stops dead in his tracks, in pure shock

"Excuse me…?" Erix stops too, looks at him and nods her head.

"How old are you, Lady Erix?"

She nervously responds to him

"I'm 13."

Once again, Captain Cyris is astounded. He could not believe his ears to hear that someone so young was so talented at swordplay.

"How is that possible?" Erix shrugs and has no answer for him.

"You have exquisite potential… how would you like to join the Pearl Knights?" Erix thinks to herself…

"You don't need to respond right now… just think about it. Let us keep walking. I'm sure you would like to rest."

They keep walking together, inching closer and closer to Erix’s chamber. King Irin had a room high up in the castle prepared for her, almost as if he was expecting her arrival.

"A word of caution…" Erix looks up at him, slightly puzzled.

"...you are an outsider. I can't tell you this is going to be easy. The citizens and other soldiers will likely be… unwelcoming to you. They fear those from outside… Unfortunately for you, you stand out. Don't let that scare you… you have my support, but I can only do so much…" Erix nods her head and the two continue through the castle, until they arrive at Erix’s chamber.

"These will be your quarters… Please, await the King. Would you like me to stay with you?" Erix nods her head and sits down on her sleeping cot.

She does not exchange many words with Captain Cyris. She sits down and looks out the window for a little while. The fear of a new place, new people and the separation from her sister had taken a bit of a mental toll on her. She just wanted to rest a little bit, turn off her brain and relax. It had been a long day for her.

Oddly enough, Captain Cyris felt the same way. They had spent most of the day tracking down Erix and apprehending her, he hadn’t had a moment of rest.

Several hours pass and King Irin enters the room alone.

“Captain Cyris…" Captain Cyris bows to King Irin

"...please, allow me a moment with young Erix, I have grave news." As Captain Cyris walks past him, King Irin leans in and whispers something in his ear, quietly enough so that Erix cannot hear him.

"The infant was stricken with Bloodblight. The vomiting has already set in and she is losing a lot of blood. Her body still deteriorates... She does not have much time."

"My lord…" Captain Cyris, who is facing away from Erix, lights up with concern

"...isn't that…?" King Irin cuts him off.

"Yes…" Irin sighs.

"...the red-haired outsider they found in my sister’s Kingdom. She also had the Bloodblight. Keep this quiet. Having that child here with that illness puts this entire Kingdom in jeopardy."

"Yes, my lord." Captain Cyris leaves the room, leaving King Irin alone with Erix.

"Young Erix…" King Irin walks over to her and sits next to her. He gently puts his arm around her.

"...your sister. She isn't going to make it… would you like to see her before she passes?" Erix looks down. Averting her gaze from King Irin.

"No…" there is a stunned look on King Irin's face.

"...I've already said my goodbye to her. I knew this was coming." Erix looks up at King Irin with tears in her eyes

"Seeing her again after I already said goodbye would be too hard." King Irin hugs her as she cries.

He lets her go of her, still seeing the gentle tears in her eyes, he stands up and looks at her.

"Get some rest, young Erix." He turns to walk away and pulls the door open.

As he is about to exit her room, he turns his head back and speaks to her before he leaves.

"I saw you fight my Captain… holding your own as a trained swordsman. Using only a dagger." Erix stands up and looks at King Irin.

"Your training as a Knight of the Pearl Kingdom will begin soon. I trust you will rise rapidly in my ranks. However, I want you to get acclimated to your new environment before I throw you into the fray." Erix sits back down.

"Open the chest in the corner." He pulls a key from his robe and hands it to Erix.

Erix hesitantly gets up and walks over to King Irin. She grabs the key and walks over to the chest to unlock it. She freezes in her tracks after unlocking it and looks up at Irin.

"Go on, open it." King Irin motions his had towards the chest.

Erix opens the chest and inside is a greatsword. On the hilt right before the blade, there is a Pearl Kingdom Sigil, a beautiful, lustrious Pearl resting at the peak of Erix’s hand.

"That sword belongs to you now… from this moment onward, you are a Knight of the Pearl Kingdom." Erix unsheathes the sword to view the blade, it's lustrous glow baffles her as she perfectly views her reflection in the blade of the sword.

"Thank you, King Irin." Erix says. She resheathes the sword and places it on her bed. She turns around to look at King Irin, still standing in her doorway with a soothing smile, runs up to King Irin and hugs him. He laughs and places his hand on the back of her head.

“You're welcome, little one. Now get some rest. Goodnight." He turns to leave, exits the room, and slowly closes the door.

“Tomorrow, I will show you around the Kingdom, introduce you to the townsfolk, show them that you belong here as a Knight of my Kingdom.

Erix runs over to the bed with a big smile on her face, and her mind is racing a mile a minute.

“This room is spacious enough! I think there's plenty of room for me to practice on my own!"

She unsheathes the sword and begins to swing. She swings, flips, stabs. Practicing some of her best sword attacks. After roughly an hour of rigorous activity, she tires, re-sheathes the sword and lays down with it. She falls right to sleep, happy that King Irin and Captain Cyris were so welcoming of her.

Little did she know, they were the only two who would be welcoming of her… for outsiders are not often welcome in the Pearl Kingdom. The following day would be a harsh lesson to her on how outsiders are typically treated.

King Irin walks down the halls of the castle and is joined by Captain Cyris.

"She did not want to send her sister off?"

"No." King Irin then gets stern.

"Keep it quiet. Her believing her sister had passed makes it easier for us to study her…"

"Study her, my lord…?" Captain Cyris looks confused.

"Yes." King Irin’s stern tone continues.

"Before she is turned by the Bloodblight…"