Gerard awoke to the sounds of screams.

The Evrúopeans are upon us! Was his first thought.

Quickly, he sprung up from his bed and locked the door to his rooms. He acquitted himself with some light leather and mail armor. He grabbed his belt and sword, strapping it to his waist. He drew his sword from his scabbard, made out of Aes Sídhe steel. The dim moonlight streaming in from his window reflected off the blade, faint and alluring. The sword was a two-handed longsword but was light enough to be wielded with one. Sídhe runes were engraved down the center of the blade, giving it power.

Gerard steadied himself before unlocking and opening the door. Down the hallway to his right, the bodies of two guards lay on the floor, lifeless. How had the Evrúopeans already made it to the keep without anyone noticing? Sword ready, he went a little down the hall to Salvador's rooms. When he arrived, he noticed the doors were open. His eyes slightly widened and his heart began to race.

"Salvador?" he called, his voice but a whisper.

Nothing. The covers to Salvador's bed were all over the place. He was not sleeping.

"Salvador?" he called once more, panic slipping into his voice.

Nothing again. Gerard checked the chamber more extensively. No sign of Salvador. These rooms were similar Gerard's own.

One last time, Gerard called, "Salvador!" His voice was frantic.

"I'm right here, old man!" came the harsh whisper. It came from behind the door to the bathroom.

Inside, Gerard felt his insides relax. His heart began to slow once more. On the outside, however, he adopted a stern posture. "Why didn't you answer the first time?" he asked in a scolding tone.

Salvador shrugged. "I thought you would have the sense to shut up."

"Why?"

"Don't tell me that the dead guards doesn't give you a clue."

Gerard gave Salvador an evil eye before relenting. "Fine. You have your weapons?"

"Well of course I do!"

Gerard nodded. "Where do we head off to?"

Salvador cocked an eyebrow. "Our ships. Where else?"

Gerard sighed. "Right. Where else."

The two of them navigated the hallways of the Hibiscus Keep, slowly and in an attempt not to make any noise. Their blades were held at the ready, Salvador's twin sabres were held lightly in his hands, ready to strike out at a moment's notice. The candlelit halls of the Hibiscus Keep seemed to enhance the somber mood. Gerard's eyes were darting around the halls, scanning for any possible threats.

Clunk, clunk, clunk.

The sound of metal boots rang throughout the halls. It was coming from up the hallway and to the left. At the corner, Gerard and Salvador set their backs flat against the wall, waiting for the guards to pass.

The sound of metal boots grew louder and louder with every second. Finally, a group of guards rounded the corner.

Both Salvador and Gerard moved on instinct; their blades flashed through the air, disarming the guards and sending them to the floor. There were only five guards and all were on the ground in a matter of seconds.

"Peace!" one of the guards cried. "We have naught to do with you."

Gerard noticed the green pieces of cloth tied to the arms of the guards. Not a part of the Hibiscus Guard uniform, however, their uniforms did indeed depict that they were of the Hibiscus Guard.

Traitors.

Gerard held his longsword at one of the soldier's necks. "Whom do you serve?"

"T-the King of Greneserrat, of course!"

Gerard felt his lip curl back in a snarl. "Lies." He slashed off the green cloth on the guard's arm and held it at swordpoint. "What does this mean?"

The soldier did not answer.

Salvador kicked the man's left knee. A painful crunch resounded through the hallway. "He asked you a question!" Salvador's blades hovered over the fallen soldiers, making sure none got up.

The guard cried out in pain. "Fine, fine! We serve the nobles who oppose the king!"

Salvador seemed surprised. "Why?"

The guard gave out a harsh bark of laughter. "He's going to turn us over to the Evrúopeans! They're going to hang us on their five-pointed stars and burn us for their heathen gods! The king has all but sentenced us to death."

"Where is your honor?" Gerard asked, his voice but a deadly whisper. "A coup? On your king? No less the very man you swore to protect!"

The guard spat in Gerard's face. "Bah! The king has abandoned the Angel King! Honor be darned, I'm not giving myself over to heathens! Why do you care? This is not your fight."

Before Gerard could retort, Salvador said, "He's right, Gerard. This isn't our fight. The Evrúopeans will arrive at any moment, and I don't feel particularly great about waiting for them. We should just leave while we can."

Gerard took a deep breath. "You're right. I'm sorry." He lifted his blade and rushed down the hall. His blood still burned at the thought of broken oaths. The chivalric code had been burned into him at a young age, and those who broke their oaths usually found themselves with Gerard's sword sticking through them. But now was not the time.

The duo rushed down the hall, hoping they would not run into any more guards.

Of course, this was not the case.

They were met by a group of seven Hibiscus Guards with halberds. One of them had a sergeant's badge. "Halt!" he cried.

Salvador rolled his eyes. "Listen. We just want to get out of here as quickly as we can―"

Wrong thing to say, Gerard realized as the sergeant's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Seize the foreigners," he commanded his troops. The Hibiscus Guard raised their halberds and charged.

Gerard parried one halberd, his Aes Sídhe blade slicing neatly through. Now all the guard held was an ineffective stick. Gerard ignored him and sidestepped the stab of another guard. He slashed down with his longsword, slicing the halberd in half. Salvador's deadly sabres already had two soldiers on the ground, bleeding. They both seemed to be alive. . . for now.

Four down, three left.

Gerard stayed back, cautious, but Salvador rushed on the attack. His blades whirled in the air, bloody sprayed and tainted the edge of the fine Sídhe blade. Two guards fell down in seconds. Gerard charged the sergeant, who held a bastard sword. The sergeant held his blade in an attempt to block Gerard's strike. Fool. The Sídhe blade tore through the steel of the sergeant's sword and struck his shoulder. The man screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Only then did Gerard notice that none

All sense of caution abandoned, Gerard and Salvador both sprinted through the hallways of the Hibiscus Keep. On the way, they passed the Royal Theater.

The theater was a battlefield.

The rebel Hibiscus Guard and the loyalists fought ferociously. The floor was littered with bodies from both sides. Blood pooled into rivers and soaked into the hardwood floors of the theater. Grenassarri nobles were mixed in the fight as well.

The duo charged on, finally reaching the gates of the keep.

Which was under attack.

The City Police were assaulting the gate of the Hibiscus Keep. It seems they had heard the commotion in the keep and had decided to check it out before realizing there was an all-out war going on.

Hibiscus Guard and City Police clashed at the gates. The fight seemed even; however, the Hibiscus Guard was better trained and equipped.

"We have to get out before they notice us," Gerard said to Salvador.

"How?" Salvador asked. "The gates are a battleground. We'll have to fight through them."

Gerard scanned their surroundings. They were in the courtyard before the the keep. To their backs, the doors to the Hibiscus Keep were open. It was about twenty yards from the doors to the walls that surrounded the Hibiscus Keep. City Police had begun to scale and fight for the walls. Gerard assumed they believed that the entire Hibiscus Guard had defected and the only way to save the king was to storm the palace.

If the king and princess were still alive.

It seemed that through sheer numbers, the City Police was pushing back the Hibiscus Guard. Fighting spilled into the courtyard and effectively became a melee.

Now was their chance.

"Come on!" Gerard roared and charged. Salvador was quick to follow. Their blades flew the air, slicing and hacking at any that came to close. Gerard's sword tore through blades, armor, and shields alike. He ducked sidestepped the thrust of a spear by a member of the City Police and drove his sword straight through his breastplate. He pulled the blade out and connected with the neck of a Hibiscus Guard member.

The duo cut a swath through the melee, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. Gerard aimed to wound, only killing when he had to. He felt sadness with each man he killed. There should not have been a reason for them to die. They shouldn't be fighting amongst themselves with invaders at their doorsteps.

Salvador remained at his side, killing left and right. Honor did not bind him as it did Gerard. Salvador held no qualms for the men he killed.

I have failed you, Gerard thought. I'm sorry, Salvador.

Finally, the duo broke through the melee. A trail of bodies had been left in their wake, men dead and dying. Gerard and Salvador continued to sprint to the docks. Men and women entered the streets, staring at warring Hibiscus Keep. Gerard could only imagine what was going on in their minds.

Panic began to spread throughout the city; the citizens panicked as they realized that the Hibiscus Keep was stuck in a virtual civil war. More City Police began to rush to the Hibiscus Keep, racing to save their king.

They were about a mile or so from the docks when the dreaded sound came.

Bruuuum! Bruuuum!

The city bells.

Bruuuum! Bruuuuuuum!

The city was under attack.

The Evrúopeans had arrived.