Prologue - Rescuing A Prince

There is so much information that we are lacking. We trust you our greatest Ranger to solve our new dilemma. We will rally support and supply you as best we can, as you keep us updated on your mission.
Rumors are so rampant, we will give you everything and trust your intuition to handle it."

 
Yuriko gives an affirmative response, "The time for deliberating is done.
I will make haste and punish the traitor. Justice will be swift by the code of the Rangers.
The Council's Will shall be followed, and I will be its executor."

Then Yuriko turns away from the table and walks out of the room of the High Council.

The news is still coming, all of it sounds worse than previous days reports. Yuriko can only speculate, but she is certain of a few things. General Dessel betrayed the High Council, for what? The royal family of Aether has been usurped, and most likely slaughtered. The best way to get answers is to force it out of the traitor. 

Yuriko has a band of seasoned warriors that could try to make landfall and keep control with her authority, or they can search discreetly for the remnants of the royal family. She is determined to get answers. Why was the council betrayed?

~

Meanwhile, we see a portrait of a human with a thick short beard, standing at a campfire waving his hand in the direction on the map toward a human city. The map listed Wellingtonia. This was the fallen capital of the Aether Empire. Promptly, a runner arrives to the human man, and hands him a rolled-up paper with news on it. 

The man looks at it and approaches the campfire of his loyal officers. waiting for the announced news. 

One officer said, "Ranger Jeod, we will find the missing prince. We believe his father the king did well to get him to safety by leading the marauders to different areas of the castle." 

Jeod confirms, "Yes, we will get the boy soon. What we already know, the King has ordered me to find Elias and protect him. The other news, we failed to capture the fallen castle, but the usurpers are flying a banner. We have identified the bastards that did this.
The banner of the Wolf was seen upon the ramparts." 

Several gasps came out of the officers at the campfire. Jeod's Lieutenant spoke up, "The hero did this, but why?" 

Jeod pounding his palm on a log, "We will find out, but our priority is Elias. The boy must be found; I will be following the orders of the fallen King of Aether." 

Jeod turns to his right-hand man, "Alcide, get me more updates of our search." 

The Lieutenant confirms, "At once!" 

Then the meeting ends and people hustle about to accomplish their objectives.

The setting changes to the smoldering disheveled walls. Jeod walks with the pace and sturdiness of a lifelong soldier. His soldiers were making a path to the armory. Jeod lifts up a wooden beam by himself and throws down an empty weapons rack to reveal a boy with brown chestnut hair. Eyes filled with tears and frightened hands trying to hold on to a rack. 

Jeod introduces himself, "My name is Jeod, and I am a long friend of the King, your father.
As my oath as a Ranger, I swear to protect you with my life."

The boy looks up and slowly feels relief swim over his 10-year-old human body. 

Changing the setting to a camp that was set up outside the broken castle built out of ironwood. Normally dense and thick as stone, shattered in spots in the conflict of two armies. The Lieutenant is seen handing the young prince a cup of hot tea to drink. As Elias sits on a bed with a blanket over his shoulders. 

Jeod speaks up, "I apologize that I was not around to protect your father and his kingdom. I came at once from another mission I was tasked with from the Council." 

The boy exclaims, "the High Council? You must be important to be given orders from them. I wish I could be a great warrior one day that the High Council acknowledges me." Elias says with pride. 

Jeod says, "I appreciate the sentiment, I do. Although, I will make you my first priority over the council. You lost so much, and I lost a dear friend too. Since you are interested. I can make a great warrior out of you. It will be hard on you. Yet, I do not doubt that it will be nothing compared to what you faced already." 

Jeod continues, "Get some sleep. Your father also asked to make you the best warrior. We will not slack off and find a way to take back your capital. First, we need to get away and go into seclusion. The usurpers will want to eliminate all of the royal bloodline."

The prince sits back and rolls into bed and Jeod sits in the chair next to the bed. As the nighttime has rolled in and Jeod 's new goals fill his head. 

~

General Dessel was standing in the throne room of the castle, he was a Lycan and hero to not just his people but all the nations. He won many battles in his days as Ranger. He finally gathered the information he needed all his life. Built up a lot of resources and manpower. 

When the time came, he did not hesitate to take command of the castle of Wellingtonia. He then asked his followers, "I did not see the prince, despite our destruction of the banner of the Golden Lion. It seems that not all the royal family was vanquished."

A follower of Dessel spoke up, "It appears the King Gerard took the field against us, but a single rider took flight to the wine cellars. We made attempt to move in and take all, but the Banner of Longshanks engaged us and then retreated to seclusion." 

Dessel confirmed "Ah, no matter. We have bigger plans, but there will be a day that we need to fight those loyal to the royals. We have much bigger plans ahead..."