For The Sake Of Our Kingdoms

[Comic]

Only a very well trained eye would be able to keep track of the shadow that crept from tree to tree, vanishing in and out of sight. The dark blue cloak hung off her shoulders reaching her ankles. Diana clung close to the tree, balancing her weight on the slim branch underneath her. Under a hood grey eyes studied the small, run down cottage that served as the living quarters for Joffery Gale. The prey had been hard to trace, thief's usually aren't open about their trade to others, and the smart ones rarely get caught. That is unless she is stalking them.


A couple years prior a ball was held at Lunar Castle, properly named after the giant mural that filled the glass ceiling of the ball room that depicted the different phases of the moon in a months time. The ball was an opportunity for all seven kingdoms to meet and celebrate the beginning of a new kingdom that had been established to separate a kingdom of two royal heirs who wished to shed blood before trying to compromise. The other five kingdoms came together as the counsel and allowed them to divide the kingdom in two. Diana was forced to attend the royal event being the only heir of the King and Queen Loorea, of the Alkina kingdom. It was there that the thief had stolen her crescent moon necklace her father had giving her on her fifth name day all those years back. Tonight was the night she would get it back.


Diana, preoccupied with her other duties, did not have the time to hunt Joffery down. The Loorea had been at war with several other kingdoms due to the mysterious raids that began persisting throughout the Alkina kingdom. However, the battles and raids began to slow pace, which allowed Diana the time to attend the unfinished business.


Willing herself to move forward, Diana slipped through the trees silently, closing the gap between her and the cottage. Once she reached an opening she dropped to the ground. The sweep of the cloak against the night air was the only sound that could be heard. Light leaked out of draped windows, piercing the dark night. Diana had no trouble staying out of the light as she crept around the cottage to another open window on the other side of the cottage. Soundlessly, her hands hoisted her body over the ledge bringing herself into the rotten smelly room of the thief.


The smell of onions filled her nostrils and stained her eyes threatening to make tears. Diana calmed her breathing, and narrowed her eyes not allowing that to happen. The room she entered only bared little light that crept in from under the door that most likely lead to the kitchen. The only sounds to be heard were running water, and the clanking of dishes. Every so often a single man's foot steps could be heard pacing about. Diana kept to her shadows in the corner of the small room concealing herself from sight. The sounds of the water had stopped and the sound of moving dishes seized to exist. The footsteps however, continued and became louder as the man drew closer to the bedroom door. Diana's breathing was calm, but her mind raced through thousands upon thousands of possibilities. The door opened with an annoyingly loud squeak, and a man with a candle lit in his hand walked in.


His face was one not easily forgotten. He would have possibly been handsome to Diana if she didn't hate him so much. Joffery's chin was chiseled, sculpted to perfection. His eyes soft with a deep forest green. His features made him known throughout the kingdoms, which is exactly how Diana was able to track him down. It's hard to forget a face like that, she just had to find the right damsel who could identify him.


The light from his candle revealed several different features of the room. The small room was occupied with a wardrobe, a bed, and a desk. Diana could now see that the bed was a mess and the desk had a small chest with a lock to keep his belongings private. Diana was still concealed in the safety of her shadows, his candlelight not reaching her corner. Joffery set the candle down on the table pulled out the chair from under the desk and sat down. Diana could hear his breath was slow, his heartbeat at a steady level. There was nothing else to listen to due to the quite of the night. Pulling out a piece of paper from a drawer the man began to write, dipping his feather into an ink bottle every so often. Diana waited patiently until she decided it was time to greet him.


"It's been a while Joffery " Diana said as she took a single step forward into the light, a smile now visible to the man before her. Joffery startled reached for a dagger and launched it at her, but, he was to nervous, and the blade had burrowed into the wooden door.


"Who are you?" Joffery asked, not frightened but curious. "It has been a long while since somebody was able to get me to jump. " he stood up and faced her. Without saying a word Diana pulled her hood back and revealed her grey eyes, and her glowing forehead. The man's eyes widened and he drew a long hard breath. "The Moon's Justice," he stated her title "to what do I owe this pleasure. I believe you are mistaken, I have not met the likes of you before."


Diana gave him a smile and held her dark stare at him. She knew he would not recognize her, the moon symbol that rested on her forehead only revealed itself when she wished it to and her makeup was done so dark around her eyes that it was hard to recognize the Alkina Princess. "You have something that belongs to a friend of mine at a ball two years back. I know you didn't sell it but rather, you kept it as a personal trophy. She wants it back, and hired me to retrieve it." Diana said keeping a friendly but dark tone.


Joffery studied the woman before him, seeming to contemplate his situation. A devious smile crept across his sculpted face. He walked over to the chest that rested on the table. He reached into a pocket and then pulled his hand out with a key, unlocking the lock and opening the small chest. His hand slipped inside the chest and pulled out a diamond encrusted crescent moon necklace. She did not let her joy show on her face. Her grey eyes remained on Joffery watching his every move.


"Do you mean this old thing?" He asks twirling the chain around in his fingers. "Oh you must mean this." He said, his eyes flickering back to her face. "But I'm sorry it's not for sale. Could I interest you in a bracelet though?" He asked with thick sarcasm.


Diana only returned his antagonizing torts with a sweet smile.


"You can either give it to me, or I can take it. The choice is yours."


"Ah but me lady, I plan on keeping it. I told you it's not far sale." Joffery said putting the necklace back and the box and locking it. He was about to open his mouth again to make another taunt but before he could draw a breath for the words he was pinned up against a wall with the blade of a crescent shaped sword against his throat. It took him a moment to realize that he was staring into the grey eyes of the Moon's Justice. He blinked and caught his breath, trying to will his body to move, but she was unmovable. He watched as a wicked smile formed on her red lips. "I was hoping you would resist, I have been wanting to kill you for a long time. " Diana said as she applied slightly more pressure to her blade.

 

[Traka]

While strolling through the dark forest, Richard heard the distinct call of an owl that rested on a thick branch. Is that an Eastern Screech? I can't see it, but it surely can see me. Must be very useful to be able to hunt in pitch blackness. Could a witch-doctor replace my eyes with those of an owl? He thought, looking in the direction from whence the sound had come, and slowly becoming aware of the amount of time that he had spent walking in the woods and observing the little animals. Was I immersed in my thoughts enough to not notice when the sun began to set?





He'd set out two days ago in pursuit of a thief who was said to work with a traitor to his kingdom, Bernard of Trissen; former courtier and marquess under King Charles of Wedora, Richard's father. Bernard's dishonest tendencies were no secret to the people of his domain, nor to the King's advisors and the ruler himself, but they were considered harmless and measures were not taken. He would ocassionaly steal a trinket, tell lies without motive or dissapear from a banquet only to be caught in the kitchen trying to get bites out of the cakes. That's what he wanted everybody to believe, and he was doing rather well until that day. I saw him leave during a recreational hunt that my father was hosting. Was it a week ago? Yes, about nine days. I thought that his mischievous attitude around social events was awfully supicious, a lucky foreboding on my part. We were coming back to the castle when a peasant on the street stuck a letter into Bernard's pocket.


There seems to be a clearing in front, moonlight is filtering through, thought Richard, taken out of his remembrance for a moment. Trees are getting sparse, the hideout must be close. Now, where was I? Ah, yes, the Marquess. He made an excuse and went off into a side street; nobody other than myself thought ill of it at the moment, since that was a common occurrence. Still, I followed him. He went into an alleyway and spoke to a group of do-wrongs, scum that do not wash their trousers not because they can't afford to, but because they want to appear more imposing; I'll never understand such types. As the man walked and recalled the events, a small cottage entered his view, covered with a soft layer of the moon's gleaming silver. There it is. I did not bother to hide myself, instead, walked up to the Marquess and asked about his odd companions. His reaction was an indifferent greeting, clearly practiced many times beforehand.


Faint voices that came from the cottage could be heard, though not understood, and a dim light escaped through the windows and the cracks of the door. One of the four malefactors had the nerve to offer me a handshake, he was a handsome man, the same one whom I intend to capture tonight. As he was shaking my hand, another lawbreaker tried to stab me in the side. Funny thing. At that very moment Bernard and Joffery fled. I would have liked to have a talk with them, but the other three thugs stood in my way, so I resigned myself to speaking with them instead. What were they thinking? All of them: the Marquess, the cutthroats; what was their reasoning after they saw me? The criminals provided little conversation, two of them were unable to speak with their necks snapped and the third one could barely articulate with a broken jaw. I should have been more careful. Enough of his babbles could be deciphered for me to understand the message. Bernard had been selling information to our enemies, and Joffery was the spy. That explains the awfully convenient timing of many assaults by the neighboring kingdom on our keeps in the borderlands.





Richard knocked on the door and opened it slowly, still absorbed in his thoughts. I think that all the events have been accounted for. Did I forget anything? As he strode into the room, sight was caught of a man and a woman embracing against the wall; "...you for a long time", she seemed to say, gazing into Joffery's eyes with a broad smile.


"Oh, I'm terribly sorry!", said Richard. There's no reason in the world to interrupt a loving couple, I should retreat and wait outside from a distance that allows them some privacy. He went back on his steps and closed the door, then stood holding the knob for a moment. Charming maiden, that one. Reminds me of... No, wait. Was she holding a blade against his throat? Harbouring the doubt, Richard split the door open once more and stared. Yes, she is holding a blade! This is no moment of intimacy! I hope so, at least.





"Can't let you do that, lass, I need him alive", shouted the prince, drawing his sword. "Haven't I seen you somewhere else before?" He started to advance, pointing his blade at the woman. "Step back, there's no need for bloodshed"