Chapter 1 ~
Blood shall be spilt.
Germania; The black
forest.
Dawn fell
over Germania, the thick clouds had hidden the sun all day, only the moon light
peered with its white reflective beams and cold chilly winds crept over the
quiet forest that belonged to the proud barbarian tribe knows as 'Blood of the
Bears'. With their brutish agenda of living one with nature and their insistence
of using animals on their raids. Their persistent clashes with different tribes
had given them a name the Roman Empire feared, a name they wanted to destroy.
So it was
almost self-explanatory that one day, an army clad in red would stride in over
their land and demand that they lay down their arms and join society, to become
one with civilization and leave behind their beast-like way of living or die
like the rest. One side saw the other as a reminder of the past while the other
saw the mighty empire as a misanthropic threat and to nature as well.--No
wonder neither side could come to an agreement.
War naturally
broke out, and casualties were spilt on both sides, with the Romans being on the
winning side, they chose to end the tribe known as 'Blood of the Bears' once
and for all. Their plan was to weaken the resisting barbarians might, and
strike fear in the heart of the savages that they were. To rip out the heart of
the metaphorical bear the uncivilized had sought protection from.
And on that
day, when the great battle ensued. Willow fourteen year old princes, belonging
to the proud barbarians of the north, daughter of Haggard the Thirsty; A mighty
barbarian which Caesar planned to execute himself. Prepared to dress for
battle, most of the warriors had left the village and headed for war. Leaving
the children, sick, old and Willow of course. The strongest bears had been sent
to assist, leaving only a hand few to help fend if worst came to worst.
Willow, the
blonde hair adolescent didn't care if she wasn't allowed to fight. Nothing was
going to stop her from making her tribe proud, with her large stature, she knew
that she wasn't fit for a stay at home life, she wanted to seek great adventures
such as the ones her old man told. She knew that determination was the key and
persistency would eventually give her a loop hole.
The Roman
army strode in to war. Lives started to falter when the sun had risen behind
the clouds and when it had set, the two armies had settled their scores. With
one side losing severely, leaving but one sole survivor, a young princess who
had no business being in the battlefront anyway. This young adolescent had
chosen to ignore all rules and conventions set by her own father.
Willow had
snuck out of her tent that eventful morning and hiked all the way to the
battlefield, to see her great and mighty father defeat the little man’s army
from south. To her surprise, she was met with death and devastation. The
beautiful forests where she and many others had grown up around were left in
ruins, corpses pouring out enough life fluids to build a man-made swamp.
Shields, weapons and bodies were all the eye could see. The black forest was
covered in red snow, chill winds, wolf cries and screeching crows.
In front of
her laid the powerful Bear tribe warriors in ruins, her mind not allowing such
a sight snapped at the thought of her people being defeated in the hands of misanthropic
goons in red armor. Her father was nowhere to be seen while his personal guard’s
flag was broken into pieces. Heart pounding and eyes darting side to side, in
search for any indication, any clues as to whether her father was alive or not.
When her eyes
set towards the dark of the forest, she knew, deep inside she knew, that if she
went to search for him then she would only find a corpse of what was once a
great mind. Yet her body couldn't stop pushing itself to continue the
investigation. Tapferkeit, a massive black bear, 3 meters long, foul sharp
teeth and a stern yet cute faced bear; that worked as Willows personal guard,
followed suit. Watching and carefully making sure that nothing lunged at her
great majesty.
"Vater!"
She called out for her father, voice quivering and eyes watery.
Her bear pelt
and leather garment helped keep the cold at bay, though her hands were drenched
in both blood and snow. Tapferkeit 'Tap' had helped her take down singular
Romans that had strayed of the pack, meaning her young hands were already
sullied with the blood of living humans. Willow didn't mind the thought
and pushed through to find her father, continuing until the trail lead down to
a small creek.
"Vater! Where
art thou?" She shouted, blade in hand and Tap by her side.
It was once
she reached the riverbed that she spotted the large body leaning over a large
tree trunk. Next to the giant rested a white bear, beaten and bloodied laid
Zorn, Haggards personal bear and protector.
Tap was quick to run up to the fellow bear, while Willow rushed to her father’s
side.
"Vater!
Answer me please!" She cried out, but it was already too late.
His body had
already gone cold by the time she had reached him. Most of his life fluid had
already drained the body, which left him in a blue-ish state, a sight no one
should have to see.--Especially when it was your own parent.--Her mind snapped
once again, this time shouting until her voice cracked. She fell to the side
and zooned out, her eyes staring into the heavens but her mind was elsewhere.
"Noooooo!"
Willow cried out, drenched in her father’s blood. Tap roared to sympathize with
his partner, mourning the loss of a great leader.
Germania; The black forest; Willows cave.
Two years had
passed since the Roman theologically extinction the Bear tribes, they continued
to plow through the barbarians resistance. Planting their seeds as they
continued to massacre and force their ideologies on the poor defenseless
citizens of Germania; a country that was changing drastically since the Romans
placed their greedy hands over the beautiful forests, tearing up the dirt and
placing beautifully designed bricks.
Bricks that
worked as a road, and that road were like any road they built. The famous roads
that all lead to Rome, the city where a tiny man lived, a man who claimed that
he ruled all that where behind his red army's mighty falang. Sending orders and
telling the citizen of Germania the new rules of this called
"society" with new systems in place, with a lot of promises and
wishes. That's how Willow saw the Roman Empire, those who tore through her
families lands.
For two years
she has lived on her own, training relentlessly as her body grew in stature.
She could feel her strength build up as her mind poised with thoughts of
revenge, but she didn't even know who struck her father down, which meant that
she had pent up rage that she didn't know how to fuse. Tap had been by her side
the whole time and worked as a stress ball,--nothing is as awesome as petting
your own bear.--and as a sole surviving family member. Zorn had passed by the
grave injuries he had sustained and was now carried around by Willow as a
reminder of her past.
The white
bear pelt, hood, jaw bones that encased her face, facial scars--received from
hunting down drunken Roman soldiers.--and large stature struck fear in any
soldier standing in her path.--That and Tap was also pretty intimidating.-- The
last two years had led to one singular point, to a barkeep who withheld
important information. She had dodged her roman persecutors, hiding in caves as she pushed forward in her
quest for revenge. The six foot teenager rode her bear with pride, showing her
foes that she wasn't going to get shut down. Although she knew that it came
with a great risk, but she lead a life without cause but violence, any violence
would do because that was the cause of her life.
Through the
thick forest, fresh greenery was all she could smell,--that and the bear of
course and don't let me tell you what a bear smell like.--until the scent of
city struck her. Sweat and baked goods, both teasing the stomach and irritating
her sensitive nose. Mind boggling over whether she should go through with her
quest today or not, to stride in with a bear in a Roman city meant business,
especially when you appeared like a damn barbarian, but her ego told her that
she only had one path which was set to her by the commanders that fought her
tribe, by the leader who sent out the orders.
Her eyes set
on the beautiful yet disgusting brick formed city, people both walking about
and laying sprawled over the ground, luckily night had already set so the Roman
guards didn't mind the filthy drunks. Willow swallowed her grief, disgusted,
she continued on. Entering the city she believed she never would set foot on
ever again, the very city which her family was killed and buried. With fury fueling
her spirit, Willow set out to find this barkeep with the valuable information
and damn anyone who would try to stand in her way, least they wanted to taste
her blade. Gritting and growling, the woman punched a nearby tree before she
proceeded to wander the bricked streets of City of Wolves.
