Crusade: A beginning

Fire. Fire was something the young twins Alyssa and Ethan knew quite well lately. The first fire had been in their fire place after the power went down. The people had needed to turn the power off so a large wall could be built around their town. The twins didn't know why, but the adults seemed a bit relieved to have the wall. That night, by fire light they had seen their father checking all of his guns. When Ethan asked why their father simply smiled and patted them both on the head "Just doing some long over-do polishing, everything is fine." Their father said, and they happily believed him.

The truth was that everything was not fine. The head king of the land, a man respected by all, had done the unthinkable. He had gained his title when he conquered the old world, a land where people were split over the smallest differences and given too much choice to squander. He had gathered an army and conquered the world, leaving left only a few handful of goverments and organizations alone. One of these Organizations was the Holy Church, which makes his betrayel even worse.

The king was thought invisible, and no one desputed it. Besides conquering the old world of false liberty and corruption, he had opened the door way to magics and technologies. There was also his vast kingdom and army to consider, plus his own achievments in battle. His family on the other hand...Their mortality was proven at the Vatican city, while the family was visiting. Filled with anguish, the king hid into his deepest corridors, and conducted a dark ritual with darker individuals. The king vanished, and the corruption began

The next fire they saw was after the power had returned to the city, and a man had been caught stalking around the new walls. The twins had been in the town square with their parents, exploring and not paying much attention to the odd stage that had been built in the center. Yet, suddenly, a trumpet was heard. Everyone looked to the raised platform, and saw that three people now stood a top it. One was a man dressed in fine clothes, very offical looking and priestly. The next was a larger man, with a black hood and clothes. The last had been the creeper, who was now chained to a large stake, which was surrounded by hay and other flamables.

The priest like man began to speak, using elaborate gestures and large words and phrases Ethan and Alyssa didn't seem to understand but made their parents stare on in shock. Finally, the priest gestured to the black hooded man, who lit a match and tossed it at the beaten man's feet. The hay went up in fire. The third man began to let out a chant, and suddenly the hooded man began to scream, gripping at his skull. In a rush, the priest grabbed an axe and swung it hard, cutting off the burning man's head before he could start chanting again.

The head went rolling into the crowd, and landed right at the twins' feet. Their parents spent the rest of the day consoling them. They never learned what happened to the hooded man. In truth, he was dead, his brain and skull turned to mush. Finally, the twins didn't see fire again for a small while. Until they heard about it again. Small dots of fires surrounding the city. They didn't seem to see any significance, but it sent their parents into a rush of anxiety. When Alyssa and Ethan questioned them, their parents simply made them promise something. If bad things began to happen, the pair would hide. The twins pinky promised.

The town watch sent a group of about twenty men to check out the strange sightings. Only five of them returned, each silent as the grave and heavily wounded. They were rushed to the local hospital, trying to patch up the guards so they could tell their story. One died his first hour home, two more died a day later. The next died in a weeks time. The last one left...He bit off his own tongue. It left the city with held breath.

Then, the worst fire of them all appeared. It rained down all around the city, smashing the walls and buildings. A sharp shooter in a tower looked out at the horizon, searching with a large light before he suddenly shouted a quite horrific word. "DEMONS!!!" The town guards went into a frenzy, trying to arm up and defend against the approaching legion. The twins had been out in a street, playing with others. The fire came down, and they froze. Suddenly, their parents appeared. Alyssa and Ethan looked at them, happy to see their parents coming to save them.

The parents never made it to them, mowed down by a demon that had gotten into the walls. The surviving guard, who had bitten off his tongue, now stood ontop of the gatehouse laughing like a mad man, the doors to the city flung open to let in the dark host.

The twins looked at the shredded, bleeding bodies before turning and running into a near by store front that had been under construction. They went into the very back and hid, listening to the screams, roars, gunfire, and the sound of fire filling the air. Thankfully they had stumbled upon a store intent on selling food, so there was a good supply.

Alyssa and Ethan didn't know how long they stayed there, having no sunlight to see the time. They just sat there, eating the food, drinking from bottled water, and listening to the un-natural noises. Everyday, after their daily meal, they would pray for a way out of there and thank God for not getting them killed. The pair was getting rather good at it. Alyssa got curious one day, and went to the covered window near the back of the room to take a peak. Alyssa peaked, and leapt from the window. The twins didn't talk about what Alyssa saw, but simply prayed extra hard from then on out

Then, one day, salvation came in the form of the gun fire beginning again. It kept on for days and days, getting closer and closer. The twins dare not look out of the window, especially since a few times a stray bullet flew through it. Then, it all stopped. The twins had run out of food and water. They stood together, hand in hand, and chose to risk it. The pair walked out of the store to see a whole new sight. Armed men in odd clothes, carrying large shields with crosses on them, and guns.

The ground was covered in blood and ashes, their final fire of this place was a large burn pile in the city center. The stink was strong, but couldn't be placed. Alyssa's eyes wondered to a number of people on pikes, while Ethan witnessed a collection of decapetated heads. All being thrown into the large fire.

They stood there, wide eyed, Alyssa and Ethan not believeing the sight before them. They stood for a few moments until they were suddenly noticed. "Survivors!" A man shouted, getting the attention of all those around. The twins kept their hands tightly intertwined, as the many knight like figures checked them over. Words like 'corruption' and taint were thrown around, but the twins just were thankful to not be surrounded by monsters or fire anymore. Alyssa and Ethan, right there, gave a quick thanks to God. The men seemed to reach an agreement thanks to that, and soon the twins were loaded onto a cart set out towards some unknown land.

The cart had a variety of others on it. From ragged soldiers to other kids to a priest or two. The twins recognized a few of the people on that cart, happy to see familiar faces. But most just kept to themselves on that cart. At the corners were some of those 'knights' that had saved each and everyone on that cart.

"Alyssa?" Ethan asked
"Yeah?" His sister replied
"Who are these people? What do they want?"
"I don't know...I miss mum and dada."
"I do too..."
"But, we protect each other?"
"Yes, Alyssa...We protect each other."

Finally, Ethan worked up some courage and turned to the knight next to him. Get some of the answers that they needed. "Sir...where are we going?" He asked, his eyes wide, his sister looking at the knight by leaning a tad bit forward.

The knight was an older fellow, with a rough features. He had long, brown hair down to his chest. His face was covered in thick mutton chops, connected by a mustache. He wasn't in armor, but Ethan had a feeling if he was it'd be very heavy to fit the man's build. Yet, to off set all this...he had a little girl on his lap, about their age. She was the one that answered.

"We're going to the capital!" The girl said. The man tapped her head, nodding "Yes, the capital of the papacy." He went on. A slightly older girl scoffed from her seat. The rough man gave her a dirty look, before looking to the twins. "You must be the twins I heard of...I'm to be your trainer, as a way to pay the papacy for saving you." The man informed them suddenly, making the twins exchange glances. This time it was Alyssa to speak up "We're going to be knights?" She asked, and the rough man chuckled before nodding "Yes little girl. You, your brother, my daughter, and the scoffer, are going to be crusaders." he said, visable pride at the thought of new recrutes from such a young age.

At 8, the twins couldn't fully grasp the concept, so it excited them. They were off to a grand city to learn to fight those demons who hurt them. The shiny armor and weapons were a bonus, plus the new friends! Yes, the twins believed they were going to be on an adventure where only the bad guys get hurt...If only children didn't recover so quickly from terror, they may not have been so uppity in the face of their towns destruction.

"I'm Zimera! Zimera Urban" The girl on the rough man's lap beamed, and so the name exchanging began. "I'm Alyssa, and he's my brother Ethan. Alyssa and Ethan Innocent." Alyssa said, pointing to Ethan. Alyssa then looked to the girl who had scoffed "And you??" she asked curiously "Anelisa, Anelisa Gregory." The girl sighed, and Alyssa gave a thumbs up. This older girl had to be about 10, give or take.

The rough man over looked the small group of kid's, smirking to himself. So he had 13 years, only 11 for the older one, to turn these children into some of the army's best soldiers. He snickered to himself, he'd take the challenge in stride. Now was a chance to end even minor corruption within the lines of the troops. He gave a small prayer to the Lord for guidance, and then looked in front of the carage. "There, little ones!" He called out "Welcome to the flying city!!"