The Lost Warrior by ThaKid15

The heat of the sun beat down on the tired figure as he strode forward, his steps nothing but shuffling of feet as he wandered the desert plains aimlessly. Had it been days? No surely weeks had passed, or even months perhaps. Or maybe it had only been hours since he began walking, and the angry mob still followed hot on his heels, shouting and cursing his name.It didn’t matter to the lost warrior. All his life he had only known one thing, and that was war. He had been raised to be a soldier, far braver and more skilful than any before, which he had become for a while. He had been a presence on the field of battle that could inspire thousands of men whose faces he never knew or would ever know, and a hero to so many.

But now he was tired. He wanted no more to be a part of this world nor the wars the ravaged it. There was no more purpose in his life; everything he had ever known was gone because of the sword that hung from his belt. Collapsing on his knees, causing billows of dust and sand to blow up at his face, the warrior bowed his head. He was too defeated to even cry, all he could do was wait for the inevitable death that would surely claim him in this desert.

Had the warrior not believed in the mysterious ways of the universe, he would not have believed the bright white light that appeared in front of him. He raised his head and looked up. It was a portal, a rip in the very fabric of reality that opened before his very eyes. Even in his defeated state, the warrior could not help but smile, marvelling at his luck. It seemed that he was still favored, for he had asked to no longer be a part of this world, and the world had listened.

Forcing himself up to his feet, the lost warrior staggered into the portal.

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“Hurry up Enoch, I don’t have all day.”

Julie frowned as her little brother scrambled toward her, running ahead of the crowd of children that were just now making their way out of the small church. Enoch had told her that he would be done with school early today, that he’d only have a few hours after lunch for lessons, but still he had kept Julie waiting for nearly half an hour.

“You said you’d be done early today.” Julie scolded as Enoch arrived at her side, and the two began walking.

“Father Dresden was not feeling well today, so he told us he wouldn’t be able to teach history,” Enoch explained meekly. “But then Father Herman decides to use that time to extend his mathematics lessons…”

“Well, whatever it is, you’re still late, and now so am I.” Julie said as the two hurried through the fields of grass that led to the walkway back to town. “I told you I needed to go out tonight didn’t I? If I hadn’t promised mom I would take care of you, I’d have just left you to walk back home today.”

“Sorry.” Enoch said softly.

Julie’s little brother was not a quiet or soft spoken kid. He was regular by all means, and had many friends in school when they lived back home. But ever since they were forced to move away to Grasmere because of the war, Enoch had been slightly more withdrawn and shy around others. Julie guessed that it was probably because he felt homesick and displaced, nothing uncommon for boys his age to feel when they’re forced to move away.

But Julie, meanwhile, was already sixteen, and ready to explore the world. She was finished with her mandatory education and was free to do as she wished. Had the war not forced her to move away from home, Julie would have perhaps left home anyways, to see the world outside of her hometown and meet new people. There was a lot the world had to offer, and Julie was not afraid to go out and see it.

“Where are you even going anyway?” Enoch asked.

“I told you, to town.”

“But where in town?”

“That’s none of your business.” Julie chided and the conversation ended.

The walk home from the church was long. Because of the rising number of refugees entering or passing through because of the war, Grasmere had to make several changes to accommodate them. The local church, which was just on the outside of Grasmere, was converted into a makeshift school during the day and afternoon for the growing population of children in the town. Boarding houses were also set up in shacks previously uninhabited for the older refugees, while the children were received by foster families who’d care for them during their stay. Julie was supposed to be boarding with the other older teens, but because she’d promised to take care of Enoch, she was staying with the fisherman, Hamden’s family that fostered her brother.

Honestly, Julie just didn’t understand why Enoch was so homesick. This was the perfect opportunity for him to make so many new friends and explore so many new places. They had lived in the capital before, which was so boring. The countryside was so much better.

After an hour of walking along the path, both Julie and Enoch finally arrived back in town. It was already dark by now, and Julie could see the town’s nightlife already in full swing. Torches were lit all along the streets, so that the night was fully illuminated, the tavern was already filling up, and people were chatting one another up on the streets, with handsome men in their finest tunics trying to woo the beautiful local women.

“Hey, Enoch.” Julie said as she pulled her brother to a corner.

“Yeah? What is it?”

“We’re back in town now. You know the way back to the Hamden’s place don’t you?” Julie said as she ruffled his red hair.

Enoch looked at her puzzled. “Aren’t you going to walk me home?”

“Do I really have to though?” Julie shrugged. “It’s just on the outskirts of town, not very far and impossible to get lost finding it.”

“But you always walk me home.” Enoch pouted. “Why did you even have to pull me to a side anyway?”

“So I don’t get seen walking with you, get it?” Julie quickly ushered the boy away. “Go on now, go I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

Sighing, Enoch reluctantly began to walk away. Good, finally Julie would have some freedom and time alone to do whatever she wanted to. Walking back out to the streets of the town, Julie looked around, trying to decide where she would go first.

As she walked the streets, wandering around for a little while, Julie spotted a group of three men checking her out as they stood by a corner. The three of them seemed to be in their early twenties and were not a familiar face from around here. She thought that maybe they had just moved here or were just visiting. Either ways, Julie noticed that their clothes were made of fine materials, meaning they were probably expensive.

Looking their way, Julie gave them a knowing smile as she spun around, giving them a good look at the curves of her body. She turned back to look at them. Their eyes were fixed on her body, and she shot them a sultry look. Taking this as an invitation to approach, the three of them talked amongst one another for several seconds in whispers, before finally stepping forward.

“Hi,” The first one said. “I just couldn’t help but notice that such a beautiful girl like you was spending her night out in town all alone. I’m wondering, do you want to join us? We’re just visiting, and I’d love to get to know some of the locals. Especially one as pretty as you.”

Julie giggled and felt herself go red. Of the three, this man seemed to be the leader of the group, and he was the one Julie was most attracted to. He had bright blonde hair that was combed back neatly and soft brown eyes that would melt any girl’s heart. To add to that, he was muscular, his arms and chest bulging out against his tight shirt. The other two were handsome too, with greased back dark hair and piercing green eyes, but Julie didn’t care for them much.

“What’s your name?” Julie asked.

“Daniel.” He responded. “And you?”

“Julie.” She smiled and he took her hands, kissing it gently. Julie giggled.

“It is a pleasure to meet you Julie.” Daniel said. He motioned to his left and then right. “This is Jacob and that’s William, my two dear friends. Will you join us for a drink at the tavern? I’d love to get to know you better while the night is still young.”

“But of course.” Julie’s face flushed red. There was just something so attractive about him. “Lead the way, sirs.”

Daniel took her arms in his and together, they walked the streets of Grasmere toward the tavern.

“How long are you staying in Grasmere?” Julie asked as they walked.

“Not long.” Daniel replied. “We were just passing by, on the way back to our homes. We leave tomorrow again, but we probably will come by Grasmere more often over the next few months.”

“Oh, where are you from then?”

“Norwich.”

Julie raised her eyebrows. She knew where Norwich was, it was a large docking town just soutwest of Grasmere. If Daniel and his friends were from there, she realized that they had to be upper class men. Glancing down at their fine tunics once more, Julie wondered just how rich they were, and if they’d be interested in just a simple girl like her.

Finally arriving at the tavern, they found a table for the four of them amidst the crowd, who were drunkenly singing and shouting, with the occasional hearty laughter rising out from the middle of the crowd.

“So,” Julie said as they were served their mugs of beer. “Tell me more about yourselves. What is it that you do?”

“Well, to be honest,” Daniel began to say. “We were just on our way home from the eastern frontier.”

Julie’s eyes went wide. “The war? What were you… Are you soldiers?”

“No, of course not!” Daniel laughed. “My father is a general in the war against the Escanans. I went to visit the frontlines to see my father. I didn’t see much fighting or do much else save for helping to inspire the troops, and now I’m on my way home with these two to accompany me. I guess you could say they’re kinda like bodyguards.”