Chapter I: The Outlaws

A young woman quietly stares down at an unmarked grave. She gives a faint smile, standing perfectly still. Behind her, a pair of bodyguards look on.

"We should go, Evelyn," a female knight says.

"Just a minute, Flora," Evelyn replies.

"It's dangerous out here. Since the duke recalled the local guards, bandits have been seen roaming the countryside."

"Relax, Flora," a shady woman says. "Enjoy the silence."

Flora looks to her, eyeing the dilapidated graveyard around them. Thunder rolls in, a light rain tapping against the ground. The skies look foreboding, as if hiding a dark secret.

A contract with the shrine knights is what brings them here this day. Said knights perform charitable tasks for commoners on behalf of the church. Flora is one such knight, performing duties for those in need. Today, it's escorting a sickly young woman to visit her brother's grave. Flora's friend Lydia decides to tag along, as she often does whenever she's bored. She's a mysterious femme fatale; a shadowy assassin from the eastern continent.

After several minutes, Evelyn turns, eyeing her bodyguards. "...Alright. Thank you both for waiting. Let's go before the storm gets worse."

"Ha! Not so fast!" a harsh voice says. The three turn around, watching a group of bandits appear.

"Damn!" Flora says, quickly drawing her sword.

"I wouldn't do that, sister. You're vastly outnumbered, here," a bandit says. "Now pay up, already. Your gold or your lives!"

The bandits ready their weapons, standing twenty feet away. Evelyn trembles in fright, Flora tightly gripping her sword. As rain continues to fall, Lydia gives a cold stare.

"Fools. Causing trouble in a place like this," she says. The girl raises her arms, readying a pair of wrist blades. "Such disrespect. You shall join the ranks of the dead."

As Lydia rushes forth, the bandits suddenly open fire. Lydia dodges left, avoiding a pair of flying bolts. As she nears one of the men, she slashes, cutting one's stomach open. He topples to the ground, the others attacking with crossbows and knives. As they focus solely on Lydia, Flora appears, beheading a man with a single slash. His head goes flying off, landing at another bandit's feet. The outlaws all scream, rushing off into the woods.

"What? Running away?! Cowards!" Flora says.

"Flora, don't! It's dangerous!" Evelyn says.

"She's right. They can ambush you in the woods. And besides, they're small fry. They're not worth our time."

"Tch!" Flora says, sheathing her sword.

The three leave the graveyard, returning to the forest town of Nydwick. It's a cozy woodland settlement dotted with bushes and evergreen trees. The castle is perched on a hill, the monastery towering over the town's wooden buildings. Flora and Lydia take Evelyn home, parting ways with her soon after.

"Well that could've gone smoother. Seems you can't go anywhere these days without trouble," Lydia says.

"Yes. Bandits in the graveyard... We should report this to Commander Runa at once," Flora says.

She and Lydia head to the barracks. Upon entry, they find the commander busy with paperwork.

"Flora. Welcome back. How did it go?" Runa asks.

"We managed to carry out Evelyn's contract, but were met with resistance from a group of bandits."

"What? In a graveyard? Have they no respect?"

"That's what I said," Lydia adds. Runa raises a brow.

"Ahem. Excuse me, but this is a meeting between knights. You may not address me so casually."

A brief silence fills the room. "Well excuse me," Lydia says, hand on her hip.

"My lady, with due respect, Lydia was crucial to our success. If it wasn't for her, we would've been quickly overwhelmed," Flora says.

"That is beside the point. We are holy knights given a sacred charge by the church to protect these lands. We do not need our names stained by accepting the assistance of mercenaries. I know Lydia's your friend, but she should know her place when addressing her betters."

"Betters? How pretentious...," Lydia says.

"What was that?!" Runa says, gritting her teeth.

"Guys...," Flora says.

"I don't need this shit," Lydia says, leaving the room.

Flora sighs, following her out into the hall. "...Lydia. Please wait. Runa doesn't mean it. She's just under a lot of stress."

"Stress? Please. That chick enjoys being a cunt. I may be a mercenary, but I still have my pride. I don't need that pompous dyke talking me down."

Flora heaves a sigh, looking on at Lydia. She's a sultry assassin in a skimpy black V-suit. She's taller than the average girl, sporting a pair of black gauntlets and matching boots. She has a slim build, her faintly tanned skin both smooth and unblemished. She has short black hair down to her eyes, her outfit topped off by a thin white scarf.

"I hear you. But try and consider Runa's position, here. She's flooded with requests for aid on a daily basis, and sometimes she forgets her manners."

"Hmph," Lydia says, eyeing her friend. Flora's a noble knight in stately silver and blue attire. She has golden blond hair, an iron longsword sheathed at her side. She's slim and fair complected, her eyes a gentle emerald green.

"Flora," Runa says, appearing from down the hall.

"What is it, my lady?" Flora asks, turning her way.

"We just received a contract," Runa says. "...And we don't need your help."

"I wasn't offering it," Lydia says. She turns around, heading toward the front door. Her boots click the ground as she goes, her bare ass visible from her risque suit.

"Tch. Honestly. I don't know why you're friends with that woman," Runa says.

"Lydia's a good girl. She's cold, but she has a heart of gold," Flora says. "And besides, it's not like you weren't pushing her buttons."

"Careful now, Flora. Remember that I'm your superior, here."

"Alright. Here's the situation: Millie, here, seeks an audience with Count Arlowe of Leventine. Escort her to said town. Show this to the guards by the gates and they should let you inside," Runa says, producing a parchment. "Be wary, however. Leventine is known for its corruption. The guards are no exception, either, and may ask for a bribe. Don't give in to them. Our coffers are stretched enough as it is. Do what you must to see the count, even if it means fighting your way through."

"Yes, Lady Runa."

"Dismissed," Runa says. Flora and Millie leave the barracks.