That was the morning before the raid.
You are twelve years-old today. You have lived in this same village in the country of Dolentia all your life. Most of your older brothers have been shipped off to an important job elsewhere by the cruel ruler, King Rancia.
Nothing much has changed in Dolentia while you were growing up. Your life has been very much the same as the others. You had taken no part in the unpleasant tasks that the cruel ruler in your kingdom sent to your playground and surrounding fields. You never met any friends on these excursions.
The one friend you have always been allowed to bring along is Amrec... your prince. He is three months younger than you, has the same blonde hair, and is almost as tall as you. His father is one of the guards at the castle, so he is only able to accompany you on a few occasions.
You used to do the task of picking up the scattered crops around the playground to help the farmers. You were allowed to bring Amrec along today. It seemed to be your last hurrah. You did not know at the time, but it was.
The two of you were working on cleaning up the playground when they arrived. The sun was baking down with warmth that soaked into your skin. It was very hot and humid. You had gotten a little sweaty and were taking in a large gulp of air while you worked.
In the distance, you saw a large figure wearing a silver helmet, shiny armor, and carrying a sword. You recognized them immediately. They were one of the king's guards. The one carrying the sword was even more familiar. He had a scar going down over his right eyebrow, a braided red beard down to his chest piece, and an unpleasant glint in his eyes. He was looking back and forth between you and Amrec as he approached.
He said in a loud voice, "That's the last of the people I need to see."
Both you and Amrec shrunk back against the wall, ready to run for your lives if needed.
"You better not tell your parents about what I've been sent to do. When the new king takes over, he will execute everyone, including you and your family."
He looked back and forth between you and Amrec once more, then stepped closer and said, "I better not find you holding that... thing I asked for. And you better not touch anything else, either. Anything you see that doesn't belong to you, you toss away."
The guard then turned around and left the playground, leaving you and Amrec alone in the silence once again.
Your heart began to beat faster, and you could see the sweaty beads of sweat on your own forehead. You did not know what the other guard had meant by anything. It was just an odd reaction from a guard. You were left in a state of confusion, wondering what was coming next.
You caught a look of Amrec's face. He looked as if he was thinking what you were. He had a panicked look on his face that you could not read. He gave you a wary look, then said,
"A boat is coming. I think everything will be alright. We need to get out of here as fast as possible if he finds out we're gone."
Your prince and you gazed out from the edge of the castle. Out in the distance, a large figure wearing a silver helmet, shiny armor, and carrying a sword was walking away from the castle, drawing your attention. You do not see anything different about him. He looks just like the guard you have always seen at the castle. He seems to be in a hurry.
"I think I know what he is. He told us that there is going to be a new king and the current one will execute everyone. He must be one of King Rancia's guards. He told us to stay away from everyone else. I think he was looking for someone, but I can't tell who."
You looked back towards the guard walking away. "What do you think he said? I think he was going to take over King Rancia's castle. Am I right?"
"Yes, he was," Amrec responded.
"There is going to be a new king? I'm afraid of what will happen next. I hope we won't have to leave this town."
You glanced out over the shimmering blue waves of the ocean. The sun was shining down from behind you. You stared at the horizon, thinking about how hot it was today.
"It's almost hot enough to melt. I don't know why it's so hot here. Almost as hot as a warm day in the middle of summer. I thought cold stretched into these parts of the world"
You then quickly looked down towards the tree you were sitting on near the water below. You saw a small puddle of water in the shade. The puddle was reflecting sunlight off the small beads of sweat on your forehead. You waited to see if you would melt away into a puddle, but you didn't.
You then looked back across the water. The sky was a deep blue. You don't see anyone else on the water nearby. There was nothing on the small beach but you, Amrec, and the large tree. Your surroundings were quiet, even the sounds of wildlife were gone.
"We need to get back to work for the farmers. We got away from the guards, but we need to help out the farmers. Maybe the guards will leave us alone about the other task for now. We should start getting all the crops and stones scattered around the playground. We need to put everything back where it belongs. Then we can check up on the farmers."
You and your friend begin putting all the crops back into the bags, then began collecting all of the stones scattered around the playground. In the silence, you could hear the sound of the wind splashing the water back and forth in the ocean. It was almost soothing, until the sound of a bird flapping its wings told you that something was approaching.
You and Amrec looked up at the same time, staring out at the same distance with the same amount of fear, concern, and shock. You did not know what it was until it was just above the trees. It was a boat with a cloth covering the top.
