Liberty was a young servant girl in the Kings Palace. She was the Queen's handmaiden. Her thick black hair cascaded down in a long ponytail. She had a pale face, pink cheeks, and long large cobalt eyes that sparkled, but for all her outward perfections her head was filled with dark thoughts and tragedy danced behind her eyes. Liberty cursed her mistress, who had dragged her away from her family, and loathed her life.

She had only one friend in the world, a Squire named Darius. He had shoulder length, dark brown hair and brown eyes. His tanned skin was freckled. He served under one of the King's fiercest nights.
Liberty didn't see Darius often, but, when she did, it was the highlight of her day. In Midsummer, Darius went off to his first battle. Liberty didn't think he was ready. Sure, wars were waged at least once a week, but still Darius didn't have his helmet or sword yet. He  hadn't earned them, according to rumor. Liberty waited and worried for five days before the message came saying Darius had been killed in action.
Liberty cried for two days straight, no one could comfort her. The only person she'd ever cared for was gone. She didn't know how to move forward without him.
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Three days after Darius's death, Liberty was sulking through the hallways when she heard raised voices. As she got closer, she began to make out the words.

"I don't care if he was good warrior. It needed to be done."

"But your Majesty, Darius was only a child I..."

"He had almost collected all the armor. He was one piece away. If he had gotten the sword, we would have lost him."

"Sir he was loyal."

"That's what he wanted you to think. So you would lower your guard. He played you, so that no one would suspect him of treason."

"He could never do that."

"Who am I talking to, Oric or the boy? Get him out of your head. He's been taken care of. Would you like to join him?"

"No Sir."

"Good. Now, get out."

Liberty barely had time to hide before Oric, Darius's mentor, marched out of the King's study. She watched him disappear down the hallway before she dared to breathe. The air caught in her throat. It couldn't be. All her life she had been taught that the King was the kindest, most selfless person in the entire Kingdom, but those were lies. The King, whom she had served almost her whole life, was a fraud, a murderer, a devil. Liberty's heart burned as she considered ways to make this evil man hurt. She caught sight of an intricately crafted belt. Its silver buckle had small complex markings etched into the pure metal. The leather strap was a gorgeous dark weathered brown, like an old Cedar fence. How could someone so ugly own something so beautiful? This was a start. She snatched the belt and bolted, not daring to look back. She would never go back. She grabbed her few belongings and left.

She exited the Castle and disappeared into the night. She would find a way to avenged Darius. She owed him that much.
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Liberty huddled over fire desperate to get warm. It had been a week. Soldiers had started looking for her. Normally, she wouldn't have dared to start a fire, but the bitter cold had persuaded her. Her hands had shook so much that she could barely get it started. She rubbed her hands together and wrapped her thin frayed little blanket tightly around her shoulders. All of a sudden, her eyes teared up. It happened whenever she thought about Darius. She inhaled and let out a long shaky breath.

Something snapped in the woods behind her and she whirled around. She watched the trees expectantly, waiting for an angry knight to appear, but instead, a teenage girl with short caramel hair and light skin stepped into the glow of the fire.

The girl stopped as Liberty reached for a flaming stick. "I'm not going to hurt you." She held her hands out in front of her. "I just want to help."

"Who says I need help." Liberty gripped the scorched log as she shifted into a crouch.
The girl glanced at the the silver buckle of liberty's belt. "That's a beautiful belt. Where did you get it?"

"Why does it matter? I have it." Liberty looked the girl up and down suspiciously.
The girl parted the long shawl she was wearing to reveal a belt of the same style as Liberty's. The only difference were the markings engraved into the silver

"Who are you?" Liberty's grip on her weapon loosened.

"Hopefully, I can be a friend."
The sound of hoofs resounded from a short distance away.

"You have to come with me now. I won't hurt you, but they will." She stared at a faint flickering light among the trees - torches.
"How do I know you won't turn me in?" Liberty glanced at the light.

"You have to trust me." The girls expression was urgent.

Liberty wavered for a moment. "Fine." She stood up, grabbed her stuff, and the two girls vanished into the trees.
————
The mysterious girl continued to lead Liberty through the woods. Each time Liberty tried to ask a question the girl cut her off and told her that "all her questions would be answered soon." Finally, they stopped.

The girl turned to Liberty. "My name is Nadia. I'm with the rebellion." With that, she knocked on a tree.

Behind her, a small door opened at the bottom of the tree and a head popped out.

"Names." A whispery voice asked.

"Nadia and Liberty. Liberty is a recruit."

The figure nodded and stepped aside.

Liberty followed Nadia into a dark tunnel.
The stranger from before shut the door, blocking out all light. Then, after a few sparks, a flame flared up on the end of a torch.
The light illuminated a man's face. He had sharp brown eyes, thinning light hair, and a few wrinkles formed around his mouth and eyes as he smiled at Liberty.

Torch in hand, he led them down a shadowy tunnel full of cobwebs and tree roots.
————
The tunnel seemed to stretch on forever, like a black hole ready to swallow them up. They had travelled downhill for most of the journey until finally the path leveled off. Then, after several minutes, a dot of light appeared ahead.

When they finally reached the source of the light, Liberty had to duck through a low doorway. For a moment, she was blinded by the sudden brightness. After her eyes adjusted, she was stunned by what she found.

Dozens of children, teenagers, and adults busily bustled around in front of her. Their bodies glinted with differing amounts of bright silver armor, all of a similar style to her own belt.

Nadia started forward through the crowd and Liberty, not knowing what to do, followed close behind.
————
"Wait here." Nadia stopped in front of the door then entered leaving Liberty alone in an intersection of tunnels.

Minutes passed slowly and Liberty wondered what Nadia was doing in their. Doubt began to creep into her thoughts, but were scattered and forgotten when Nadia returned in a nearly full suit of armor. She wore along with her belt a sleek glittering breastplate, shining knee high boots, and a small bright circular shield strapped across her back. Her head was bare, her caramel hair pulled back in a ponytail with her bangs and two thin strands of hair framing her face. She had an air of authority that wasn't there before.

Liberty could only stare.

Nadia giggled. "Come on. He's waiting." She started walking.

"Who?" Liberty jogged to catch up.

"The chief." Nadia led Liberty through a maze of tunnels to another door. She opened it, but the room was empty, except for a throne like chair on a low dais.

"Did you really come looking for him here?" A man leaned on the wall behind them.

"Sure. There are occasions when he's here." Nadia turned to face him.

"Rare occasions." He stepped away from the wall his features becoming clearer. He had a scar cutting down the right side of his face crossing over his eye.

"I thought you said he was waiting." Liberty eyed the stranger more than a little afraid.

"He is." Nadia assured. "Just not here, apparently." She looked back at the man. "Do you know where he is?"

"Where do you think? With the youngsters." He winked with his good eye, that or he was blinking, Liberty couldn't really tell.
————
"Here we are." Nadia shoved open a door and the clamor of laughter and squeals hit them like a wave of mirth.

Liberty found herself surrounded by kids all under the age of 10. Sitting on the floor among them, laughing just as hard as any one of them, was a man in full armor his helmet on the ground next to him. She couldn't help but smile at the scene. It looked like something out of a storybook.

"Go on." Nadia urged her forward. "I'm right behind you."

Liberty inched through the crowd toward the man.

Children stopped and stared at her. A couple pointed at her belt and whispered to their neighbor.

"What are they staring at?" Liberty had meant the question for Nadia.

The man, presumably the chief, answered. "Well, You of course." He smiled at her. "You're the first real recruit we've had in awhile. If you accept obviously."

"Accept what?" Liberty couldn't help blushing.

The man had light blue eyes, short cropped brown hair, and thick stubble. He appeared quite young but his eyes shone with an ancient wisdom.

"Our offer." He paused and looked at the children around him. "Come with me."

They exited the room and started walking down a tunnel. "You know the truth about the King; and I can tell you want to fight. So, I give you a choice. You can continue on your own; or join the rebellion and fight with us." He stopped and looked Liberty in the eye.

Liberty held his gaze as best she could. Finally, she answered. "It would be an honor to fight with the rebellion."

He smiled and began to walk again. "I was hoping that would be your answer. Come." He led her down several tunnels and through the door that Nadia had entered earlier.

Her eyes widened at the sight of racks upon racks of silver armor. Breastplates, boots, Shields, swords, and helmets lined the shelves that crowded the room.

"Welcome to the Armory." He gestured lavishly to the room around them.

"Wow." Liberty breathed. She followed the chief through the aisles until he stopped, picked up a breastplate, and offered it to her.

He pulled it back as she reached for it. "This breastplate belonged to your friend, Darius. He was murdered in battle. This is all that was recovered." He handed it to her. "Wear it nobly and never forget your friend's valor."

Liberty nearly burst into tears as she took the gorgeous and familiar piece of armor. "Thank you."
————
Liberty endured six months of hard training before her  instructor, Nadia, said she was ready.

Nadia brought her to the chief, who kissed her on the forehead and gave her shining silver boots that, when she put them on, extended all the way up to her knees. Their tops were trimmed with gold and they were surprisingly comfortable.
————
The chief wouldn't let her go to battle yet. Liberty's only hint as to why was a vague comment about her needing faith.

For now, she stayed behind, watching the kids or cleaning armor. She began to feel useless like they didn't really want her there.
————
Then one day, a group of rebels returned from a battle. Their armor, unlike Liberty's, was dirty and bloody. Thick Crimson liquid poured out of gashes on their faces, arms, and legs. Ugly jagged cuts broke up their muddy skin. Many were blistered and burned from flaming arrows. One man had dried blood and peeling blisters where his eyes should have been. Another displayed a bandaged stump where his left hand used to be.

The women, who had stayed behind, lifted up their skirts and ran with their children to meet their husbands, sons, and fathers. Among them, Liberty spotted Nadia embracing a taller man with a short stubbly brown beard a little darker than Nadia's hair and many scars. It had to be her father.
————
Several weeks later, Liberty still hadn't gone to battle. She could never erase the image of those men returning or the women and children greeting them.

Soon, a group of soldiers was sent out, not just men this time. Women were among them as well as the man Liberty had seen return, the man with no eyes.

Liberty stared at him. Why was he going to battle? Then it hit her. They believed in what they were fighting for. No matter what they would never stop fighting. They had faith.

Something changed in Liberty that day. She started to believe in the rebellion; to have faith in it. That's when the chief gladly issued her a round shield that flashed in the torchlight. Across the middle of it, the word faith was engraved in the beautiful metal. The chief also gave her a temporary sword to use until she earned her own. She was going to battle.
————
The call to arms came much sooner than Liberty had anticipated. It was at that moment, marching out among her fellow radicals, that she felt a wave of unquenchable fear. They journeyed far in a short amount of time, rarely stopping. Liberty was winded and ready to collapse when they reached the checkpoint. That night they slept under the stars two miles to the West the battlefield.
————
The troops broke through the tree line and stopped. Before them, stained with unimaginable gore, lay the battlefield, ripe with the smell of death. Carcasses scattered the ground, still gushing blood. The grass was scorched, scarred by untamed fires which continued to burn.

Liberty gagged and turned away.

Suddenly, she felt everyone around her stiffen. Looking up, she saw a long line of the King's soldiers, outfitted in black armor that billowed with shadows. They were banging sword and shield together, chanting one word – 'death.' It echoed over the field like a prophecy of doom. With each impact, Liberty's heart skipped a beat. The tactic was designed to intimidate and it was working.

Liberty had never been so terrified in her life. In her mind, she had known that she could die, now it really started to sink in.

Before she was ready, the men and women around here started to move forward. Unable to escape the inevitable, she followed suit, drawing her sword.

Both sides charged forward, the enemy moving like a black wave. The armor of all the rebels seemed to glow dimly, letting off a pale aura. Then, like the night clashing with the day, the two armies met.

The enemy, like shadows, ducked and dodged the swing of Liberty's sword. They were like a swarm, Liberty couldn't clearly see any one soldier.

Rebels fell all around her, either in death or injury.

Someone screamed nearby.

Liberty turned and found Nadia sprawled on the ground, nursing a deep ugly gash in her side.

Liberty darted over and knelt down by Nadia's side. She carefully removed the helmet Nadia had recently acquired.

Nadia gripped a shining sword in your hand.

Liberty had only seen one person with a sword like that – the Chief.

The gash in Nadia's side was much worse up close. Liberty was no doctor, but she could tell that Nadia was dying.

She bit back tears. "You're going to be fine. I promise. It'll be alright." She held tight to Nadia's free hand.

Nadia's breaths were short and strained. "You're right. I'm going somewhere much... better - a place... with no more pain... or death." A sharp pang of pain ran through her body. "See you on the other side." Nadia drew her last breath and her body fell limp.

Liberty could no longer hold back the tears, she sobbed, the droplets splashing on Nadia's breastplate.

Behind Liberty, a man cloaked in shadows and equipped with dark armor raised his crooked sword above his head. Just as he was going to bring it down, a bright blade broke out of his chest. The soldier collapsed, revealing the chief standing behind him
————
Liberty sat in a corner crying. Her knees were pulled up to her chest. She had been there for several hours after their return.

She heard someone approaching. Looking up, she beheld the chief walking towards her.

He sat down next to her and placed an arm around her shoulders.

Liberty leaned into him, glad of the comforting hug.
————
Liberty strolled the base in full armor, her helmet under her arm. It had been several years since Nadia's death and Liberty had fought in many more battles.

A little girl ran down the hall to meet her. "Mom!" The girl was around five years old with her mother's long raven hair and her father's green eyes.

Liberty embrace the girl tightly. "Hello Nadia." She had named her daughter after her brave friend. Nadia's father had been killed a year ago in one of the worst battles anyone had ever seen. "What are you doing out of the nursery?"

Nadia pouted. "I wanted to see you."

Liberty hugged the precious girl and smiled.

Suddenly, a boy ran around the corner in a breastplate and belt. "Ma'am! We've just gotten word. They need you."

"On my way." Liberty rushed Nadia to the nursery then join the gathering soldiers at the exit. She took her place near the front and the procession started off.
————
For two days, they marched West. As they neared the site, the air was ripe with the stench of decay. The very earth they walked on was saturated with blood. The army cleared the trees as the sun began to rise. Corpses littered the field in various states of decay. It was a scene that Liberty was all too familiar with.

The King's dark army stood ready to charge. The number of soldiers exceeded any that Liberty had combated.

Liberty slid her bright silvery helmet onto her head. The piece of armor glinted in the newly rising sun's light. Drawing their swords, the army charged, the sun rising behind them.
————
Many soldiers fell to the sword around them as Liberty led her squadron forward. She commanded twenty soldiers in this battle. driving her sword through the chest of a dark soldier, Liberty had killed near thirty enemies.

One of her soldiers collapsed with a yell.

Darting over, Liberty chopped the enemy's head off at the shoulders. The head rolled to the ground and the body fell.

Liberty knelt over the young soldier. He had an ugly wound in his neck and his breaths were strained. She put pressure on the wound as thick warm blood gushed out.

The boys breath started to gargle. His eyes widened and he reached for his neck.

With her free hand, Liberty grabbed his. "Shh...It's okay." She noticed the glimmering sword in his hand. People only got that sword when they were dying.

The boy's chest fell, his eyes glazed over, and his body went limp.

The world was muted as Liberty closed his eyes and carefully rose, clutching her sword with a bloody hand.

As the battle progressed, hope of victory sank. One of the dark soldiers killed more rebels than any other and the sun was setting.
————
He slapped Liberty across the face and blood trickled down her cheek. He was good, but size was to Liberty's advantage. Ducking below his swing, Liberty grasped a large log and bashed it over the soldiers head. The log exploded and her enemies helmet fell to the ground, rolling almost right up next to hers.

When he turned, Liberty gasped. Oric, Darius's former mentor, glared down at her. Dark rings circled under his eyes.

Liberty dove sideways as he swung his long sword.

Oric jabbed at Liberty mid spin, as she dodged an attack. His blade pierced deep into the flesh at her side, through her ribs and up into her heart.

She screamed as she fell. Pain pounded through her chest, blood poured out of her side, and it was hard for her to breathe.

Oric stared down at the seemingly helpless girl. "You never had a chance."

A gleaming sword with a beautifully etched silver handle appeared before Liberty. Grasping it with her bloody hand, she pushed off the ground, turned, and decapitated Oric.

His corpse collapsed, his head between his legs.

Liberty fell back onto our elbows, breathing hard. This was it. She lay on the ground, staring at the colorful sunset sky, and closed her eyes.
————
Liberty opened her eyes. The most beautiful sky she had ever seen was above her. She couldn't feel any pain.

Someone leaned over her. He looked like the Chief, but ancient and brighter.

She couldn't help but smile at him.

"Welcome home Libby." The boy's voice had sounded next to her. There was only one person who called her 'Libby.'

She turned.

Darius was beaming down at her. "It's about time."