Prologue

Several years ago...   

  The castle was roaring with celebration.

     Annabeth laughed aloud as she watched the once serious guards, now dancing around the ballroom. The royal servants wore common peasant clothes in place of their stiff, red coats. That didn't trouble Annabeth, she knew them all by name.

     Everyone in the kingdom of Drasa was invited to celebrate in the spacious ballroom. They were celebrating another year of independence from Overlord Callier Crow and his Crow Empire. Mocking banners had been hung for the pleasure of the Drasonians:

    Callier Crow, First-Class Birdbrain!

    Blackbird Empire, or was it Raven?

    The sapphire-studded dress that Annabeth wore was the talk of night. All night she heard people buzzing about its dazzling beauty and exotic colour. Even a tailor from a faraway kingdom asked her to dance, just so he could better see the design.

    It was late. Annabeth was standing out on the balcony that overlooked the lights of Drasa. A gentle hand was placed over hers on the railing. Annabeth looked back to see a handsome prince. She stared into his sea-green eyes as he leaned in to kiss her

    The dream ended.

    Annabeth groaned in protest and squeezed her eyes shut, trying desperately to return to the wonderful dream. She had this dream frequently. The palace, the dress, the prince, the freedom from Callier and his men. All fake. She shifted uncomfortably on her straw mat and shook her head; the laughter still rang in her ears.

     In a moment of realization, Annabeth's eyes flew open and she was on her feet in seconds. It wasn't laughter she heard, it was screaming.

    She flew down the stairs of her tiny house and peeked from behind a sack of grain. Her father stood in the doorway, pleading with two Enforcers. Annabeth shivered, those must be the scariest men I've ever seen.

    The Enforcer on the right was taller. He wore a black suit of armor studded with spikes, a dark plume of feathers sprouted from his helmet. The image of a crow, its wings spread wide was burned into his forearm. The feature Annabeth found most frightening was his eyes. They were a shadowy pools of malice, fixed on her father.

    "Overlord Crow gives you freedom, yes?" The Enforcer demanded.

    Annabeth's father nodded, "Yes."

   "He gives you safety?"

   "Yes, of course."

    The scary man held up a small red sack, "If so, how dare you insult him with this pitiful amount of gold?" He shook the sack in her fathers face and it made a tinkling sound. Her father said nothing.

    Annabeth's father, Rion, was a large man. He had to duck under doorways, and could carry eight sacks of grain at once. He could've easily just swatted the two men away. But Annabeth knew that he would never do something like that, even to such horrible people. He was big and strong, yet he would never use it against anyone. That was the reason she loved him so much.

    There were men, however, who were not like her father. But the Enforcers didn't seem to get that. They stomped around and threatened everyone, even though they were only average height and most lacked muscle. It had occurred to Annabeth that it wasn't the spiky armor of evil faces that scared the townsfolk so much, it was their fearlessness. The fact that they could do whatever they wanted and knew it. 

    The Enforcer glowered at Rion, "Have you no tongue, peasant? Answer my question!" He raised the sack of gold and struck her father with it. Rion didn't even flinch, his fists were clenched tightly.

    Annabeth's hands flew to her mouth to keep from gasping. Her father wasn't angry at all, he was terrified. His eyes were brimming with tears, and his legs were shaking slightly. It puzzled her. What could scare him so much?

    It was only then that she caught full view of the second guard and what he was holding, or rather, who he was holding.

    Kaya, Rion's wife and Annabeth's mother was standing beside the second guard. Both of her slim wrists fit easily into his grip. Her hair, dark like Annabeth's, hung loosely, shadowing her face.

    Kaya gave her husband a sad smile and Annabeth knew exactly what it meant. She could always understand what her mother was saying even if she only talked with her eyes. Her mother was saying: Keep Annabeth safe.

    Slowly, her father answered the enforcer. I have nothing else to give. He stated.

    Annabeth's hand slipped on the smooth grain bag she was leaning on and she hit the ground hard. When Annabeth shakily got to her feet, she looked up to see everyone staring at her. She was paralyzed with fear. Annabeth could only watch as the enforcer turned back to Rion.

    "Nothing else to give, eh?" he questioned, his eyes were locked on Annabeth "That doesn't look like nothing to me."

Reviews

[Molly Faith]

This was so gripping! Loved the whole premise, and easy to follow, despite being fantasy. You should definitely continue!

[Mirror]

Great!

First, remove the line.... "several years ago.. " this is already a prologue. You can use time setting like year dates.

Now, this story is disheartening. I mean I will literally kill those guards! Rion and his wife can't lose Anna. I want to know what happened next......