To Help Those That Can't Help Themselves

The guard instructs me to go to the gate while he helps people get to safety, it's like a battlefield. People are fighting everywhere; there are bodies on the ground, and blood all over the ground as well as the area surrounding the gate. I see Zach fighting someone and I rush to his side to help.

"No!" He yells at me and I stop in my tracks. "I got this, Austin is outside of the gates go help him." I nod and run outside the gate and the scene is different. It's more gruesome, and there aren't as many people here fighting. I hear someone scream so I hurry over and see someone standing over one of the villagers about to stab them. I pull out my swords ready to help the person but arrows shoot down in front of me.

I look around trying to find out where they came from, the guy from home walks up to me with a smile on his face. "Skye, my dear it's been a while." I put my swords up and see that the villager was stabbed, I didn't make it. I grunt and take a few steps back, I don't know what he's going to do but it won't be good.

"Who are you? How do you know me?"

"I am a personal assistant to your brothers."

Huh? Brothers? But I don't have any. "I don't have any brothers, I'm an only child."

The man has a devilish smile and puts his finger over his lips. "All in due time." The next thing I know the man is charging straight towards me, he has his bow ready to attack me. An arrow whirls in my direction but I manage to move just in time.

I put my swords up in front of me as the man drops his bow and pulls out a dagger attempting to strike me with it. I jump back and look around assessing the situation. Everyone around me is fighting, there are some in groups and some that are by themselves.

I notice the people that attacked us are using magic. Royals? No, they wouldn't attack commoners and the nobles don't like coming this far from the castle.

I decide to attack the man first, he dodges. He's very flexible. "What are you? You have a bow and a dagger so you're specialized in close combat. Correct?"

"You're smart. I am an assassin, ordered to kill you."

What? I'm shocked by what he says. Someone I've never met, someone I didn't even know existed wants me dead? Before I have time to react the man lunges at me, I move out of the way but I wasn't fast enough. I feel something puncture me; I look down and notice my stomach is bleeding. I cough up blood and stumble to the ground.

This mysterious man that killed my grandmother ten years ago is about to kill me. I never even got his name or why he was ordered to kill me.

I struggle to get up, using my swords as leverage. With my last bit of strength and energy I throw my sword at him, it speeds towards him and I can see the shock in his eyes as I collapse once again. I hear a thud and hope it's the man. I try to open my eyes to see if it was him, but they won't open.

I wake up to the sound of people talking. I open my eyes and I see Zach and Austin hovering over me. What's going on?

******

"Skye!" Zach smiles as Austin pushes him out of the way.

"Are you okay? You were seriously injured." Austin grabs my hand and holds it close to him. I look at him and see that there's sadness and concern on his face, he was worried.

"I'm fine. What happened? Is the fight over?"

"Yeah, some recruiters and knights came to help. They were on their way over here in hopes of getting some recruits for their ranks and they heard fighting so they helped us. The fight ended shortly after they came."

I sigh in relief.

"Oh, and someone named Zero told me to say he hopes you get better soon."

"Zero? How do you know him?"

"I don't, but he saw me carry you here and got worried. He's still here if you want to-

"No." I know I'm probably being childish right now, but I'm just not ready to forgive him yet. I don't know if I ever will.

I sit up and my stomach hurts. I lift my shirt a bit to see stitches across my stomach. I look around and there are other people on beds, a lot of them have worse injuries than me. There are knights and guards from the village, even some children and elderly.

"Are the recruiters still here?"

Zach and Austin look at me surprised. "You can't be serious about joining. You just got out of a fight and you nearly died." Austin says worriedly.

"He's right it's too dangerous and you're not in the condition to try out." A soft voice says out of nowhere. A small petite woman walks up to me; she has some papers and a pen. I'm guessing she's the one in charge here. "You're to remain in bed until I say so. Those stitches are new so they could come out quite easily."

"I'm not going to stay here bedridden. Look around us, there are children and elderly in here hurt from the fight. I came here to train for the knights, that battle was my first experience of what it would be like to join them, after everything that's happened, and seeing these innocent people hurt just makes me more determined to join." I get out of the bed grabbing my stomach; I storm out of the building looking around for the recruiters.

I see some knights standing around talking I approach them and they all stare at me. "Excuse me, are the recruiters still here?"

"Yes, they're in the church." I thank them and walk to the church; people stare at me as I walk past them whispering amongst themselves. I open the huge doors to the church and see the recruiters talking to people.

Someone approaches me and gives me a warm smile. "Are you here to talk to the recruiters?" I nod and the person escorts me to a line. "There are other people so you'll have to wait to talk to someone."

"Thank you." The person leaves me and goes back to wherever they were.

After what felt like hours of waiting I'm finally standing in front of a recruiter. They're sitting at a table and urge me to sit, I comply. There are pages scattered on the table. "Name?"

"Skye Banks"

"Do you use magic?"

"No."

"Weapons."

"Two swords."

The recruiter looks at me. "Two?"

I nod. "I use two at once."

"No one uses two."

"I do, I have since I was young. I'm very skilled at it; it's easier for me to use two instead of one.

"Interesting. Why do you want to join the knights?"

"I want to help those that can't help themselves. There are children and elderly in the medical building, innocent people that didn't want to get involved in the fight, but they did. They got hurt for no reason! Anyone who hurts innocents deserves to be punished and I want to be the one who helps bring those people to justice."

The recruiter nods and then the question comes up. "Anything we should know that would affect you joining the knights?"

I wasn't prepared for this to come up; I knew I was going to be asked questions but I was hoping they wouldn't ask this one. I take a shallow breath and clench my hands. "I killed someone."

The recruiter looks at me shocked. "I need more information."

Tears start streaming down my face as I look the recruiter dead in the eyes.

"It was a couple of years after I arrived at the village I live at; there was this kid that threatened to kill me. I was only ten or eleven but I was scared, so when they approached me with their weapon I attacked first. I stabbed them right in the heart; my blade went right through them."

"You did that at such a young age?" The recruiter almost sounded proud, but why?

"Yes."

"Very well then. That is all, I will send your information to the captains, and once a decision has been made a letter will arrive either instructing you to go to the capital for the combat test or to tell you that you didn't qualify. You're dismissed."

I nod before leaving, still clenching my hands. I shouldn't have said anything. I should've kept my mouth shut.

As I try to make my way to a secluded area the events of that day fill my head. All that blood, it was everywhere.

I can't…control myself…what's happening to me?!