Prolouge

Time…

Time is everything.

Time determines your presence in this world.

Time determines your faith.

Everyone always complains about time.

Always talking about not having enough time.

But if you were to have so much time.

What would you do with it?

Would you let it go to waste?

Or..

Would you use it for bad or good?

…

Year 1249 C.E.

    Loud, rapid footsteps echo through the corridors. The sound of chains rattle against the marble floor. She stops abruptly in the middle of the hall to catch her breath. Her breathing was hoarse and heavy; she was exhausted and out of breath, but she must keep on going. She wills herself up and wipes the sweat off of her face and continues down the hall towards the door slowly. She stops for a second to get a feel for her surroundings. From afar she heard shouting and someone running her way. No, not just one, a group of people shouting and rushing closer.

“This way!” one shouted.

“Hurry! We mustn't let her get away with the artifact!” another shouted.

“No,” she gasped as she slowly walked backwards hugging the artifact tightly to her breast. As the first soldier appeared in sight, she spun around and broke into a sprint. She reaches the door and tries to open it, but it wouldn’t budge. With great amount of panic she turned around in search of another way out, but there was none. The soldiers were getting closer. She tried to look calm, hoping that they don’t sense her fear. Quickly, she spun around while taking a few steps away from the door. Hesitating, she finally runs towards the door, slamming her body against it. Again, it wouldn’t budge. Frustrated, she continued to ram her body against the door, hoping that the door would give in. Nothing. One arm hugging the artifact and the other against the door, she slowly lowered herself to the ground.

“What do you want with the artifact?” she asked through gritted teeth. Two soldiers walked towards her and seized her by each arm forcing her to drop the artifact. The third soldier took ahold of the artifact. At the sight of that, she forced herself free of the soldiers’ grasp. With great force she turned around and punched the soldier in the face. She heard a satisfactory crack as her fist connected to his jaw. She grabbed the sword that was strapped on the soldier’s waist. With a swift swing of the sword, she decapitated the second soldier. Deep crimson blood splattered across the wall and stained her ragged clothes. The soldier’s headless body fell backwards, blood continues to ooze out of the veins and arteries of his neck, slowly. She liberates herself from the chains and points the sharp tip of the sword at the soldier holding the artifact. Cautiously, she approached the soldier.

“Hand it over now,” she demanded. She stopped  as she heard someone clapping from among the group. Focusing on the soldier at the same time, she turned around to see who it was. Among the group she saw a shadow brush through them.

“My, my,” he said. “What happened here, may I ask?”

The soldiers knelt as the figure came into sight. “My lord,” they all said at once. The king signals the soldiers to rise, which they did.

“What do you want from me?” she asked. “Why do you want the artifact?”

“There is a lot of things that I want, girl,” the king replied. He pauses. “Do you know what it is like to be a king? To have to fear of other nations trying to conquer you, or your own citizens rebelling against you? If I have your artifact I will be able to crush the other nations. I will be able to have total control of this land. Everyone will be under my control.” He grabs her by the neck and pins her to the wall. “Think of what this world could be, think of what we could do,” he said to her.

“Go to hell,” she spat in his face. The king leaned back in disgust and wiped the saliva off of his face. She forced the king’s heavy body away from her and struck him on the side of the head with her elbow. With one swift movement, she retrieved the sword from the ground and swung upward. The soldiers started to attack her.

“Stop!” the king shouted and the soldiers stopped. At the same time the soldier holding the artifact split open into two. His intestines spilled onto the floor, flopping around like jelly as it made contact to the floor. A river of  blood formed, flowing smoothly down the hall. The soldiers looked in shocked, yet patient, waiting for the king’s next orders.

“You can live girl! Hand over the artifact now!” demanded the king. She glared at him, then looked at the artifact on the floor. Slowly, she picked it up and she held it out for the king to take. “Good girl,” the king said. Just as he was about to reach for it she yanked it back denying him of the artifact.

“I’d rather die,” she said and turn the knob on the artifact, it started clicking. She then cut down the door and ran.

“Kill her!” the king commanded. The girl continued to run until finally reaching the balcony. She peeked over. It was at least a 700 foot drop from where she stood. The clicking of the artifact increased and started to vibrate uncontrollably. She had nowhere to go and the soldiers were getting closer.  She spoke to the artifact, “Go, Cronos, you must find your new master.” She then threw it over the balcony and with a flash of light the artifact disappeared.

“No!” the king screamed in agony and drove his sword through her. She smiled and looked up at him.

“Sucks doesn’t it?” With one last effort she kicked the king back and pulled the sword out of her.

“Your time is up,” she said as she nails the sword through the king’s face as blood and bits of the brain flew everywhere. She let go of the sword and let the king’s limp body fall over. The girl looked up and saw the soldiers had trapped her in the edge of the balcony.

“So is mine,” she said. She winked at the soldiers and waved farewell. She jumped over the balcony to her death. I am free at last, she thought to herself. I hope you find someone trustworthy, Cronos. She closes her eyes and relaxes her mind.

My time is up…