A well trained fencer fell backward to the stone floor, grunting. He then shook with laughter, shaking his head as his sparring partner helped him to his feet. The younger man turned away, lifting his mask.
"Was that all right, Duchess?," young Prince Riain called out.
WildStar, Grand Duchess of the Kingdom of Dawn, smiled and nodded, seated across the hall with a book alongside her royal guest for the afternoon, Proserpina. "You may well best your father when he returns."
The prince beamed, turning to clap the fencer on the shoulder in thanks, who was still laughing. WildStar stood, smoothing her dress, preparing to cross the hall to ask the young prince to join her for lunch when the fencer's laughter stopped. Something had caught his attention outside the window.
A hooded stranger, face concealed, stood outside the castle. WildStar approached the window cautiously. The stranger stood motionless for a moment, simply watching. Then, slowly, it raised a robed arm and pointed toward the Royal Palace. Toward Dawn. And toward WildStar and the prince.
A mere moment later, grass behind the hooded stranger parted, a dark moongate cleaving the air.
WildStar spun around. "Take him to safety," she ordered the older fencer. "Get him out of here. Go. Go."
The fencer nodded, seizing Riain by the arm, rushing him back into the depths of the palace. With a look to an attendant, WildStar sent the girl flurrying to raise the palace alarm and call for help. WildStar and Proserpina then stepped outside the main gate to watch in horror as first armed scouts, then privates began pouring through the moongate.
Dawn has been attacked, citizens! WildStar and Proserpina successfully held off the attackers until reinforcements could arrive. When the reinforcements came, the moongate seemed to empty larger and larger amounts of dark troops from an unknown location. Several of the reinforcements threw their hands in summons of energy vortexes, only to be slain from behind by mercenary assassins, who had slipped through the moongate undetected!
The first wave of invaders was quelled, thanks to many who came to defend the Royal Family and the Kingdom of Dawn.
But citizens began spreading word of impending danger to other communities when the following set of orders was found:
The hooded stranger was not among the bodies found outside the Royal Palace when the fighting subsided, and the moongate remained open, shimmering in the afternoon light.
"Was that all right, Duchess?," young Prince Riain called out.
WildStar, Grand Duchess of the Kingdom of Dawn, smiled and nodded, seated across the hall with a book alongside her royal guest for the afternoon, Proserpina. "You may well best your father when he returns."
The prince beamed, turning to clap the fencer on the shoulder in thanks, who was still laughing. WildStar stood, smoothing her dress, preparing to cross the hall to ask the young prince to join her for lunch when the fencer's laughter stopped. Something had caught his attention outside the window.
A hooded stranger, face concealed, stood outside the castle. WildStar approached the window cautiously. The stranger stood motionless for a moment, simply watching. Then, slowly, it raised a robed arm and pointed toward the Royal Palace. Toward Dawn. And toward WildStar and the prince.
A mere moment later, grass behind the hooded stranger parted, a dark moongate cleaving the air.
WildStar spun around. "Take him to safety," she ordered the older fencer. "Get him out of here. Go. Go."
The fencer nodded, seizing Riain by the arm, rushing him back into the depths of the palace. With a look to an attendant, WildStar sent the girl flurrying to raise the palace alarm and call for help. WildStar and Proserpina then stepped outside the main gate to watch in horror as first armed scouts, then privates began pouring through the moongate.
Dawn has been attacked, citizens! WildStar and Proserpina successfully held off the attackers until reinforcements could arrive. When the reinforcements came, the moongate seemed to empty larger and larger amounts of dark troops from an unknown location. Several of the reinforcements threw their hands in summons of energy vortexes, only to be slain from behind by mercenary assassins, who had slipped through the moongate undetected!
The first wave of invaders was quelled, thanks to many who came to defend the Royal Family and the Kingdom of Dawn.
But citizens began spreading word of impending danger to other communities when the following set of orders was found:
The hooded stranger was not among the bodies found outside the Royal Palace when the fighting subsided, and the moongate remained open, shimmering in the afternoon light.
