Scene 2 - A father's death

Inside the house, Rune’s siblings were doing chores in the house as most of them had the day off from work exception of her and Vince who was off being a rogue in town.

Seeing them all smiling eased Rune’s anguished heart slightly, living in slums such as these took a toll on a person's mind. The home was the only place that the siblings could relax thanks to their loving mother otherwise they would be like most people in this kingdom treading very carefully lest they end up face down in an alley with a knife in their back.

Rune, her mother, and her seven siblings sat around on the floor sitting on the hard ground. Her siblings stared at their sister with curious with the wondering why their big sister dyed her hair.

Sitting at the head Mother showed a brave expression hiding the lingering fear deep within her eyes, “Everyone I know it’s sudden, but we have to run away, With your big sister awakening we must get away as fast as we can. None of you want to lose your big sister right?”

Everyone nodded their head fiercely in agreement, unlike the other slum dwellers these siblings had formed an iron bond together and at their core, their mother was the centerpiece that strengthened it, her words were law.

Seeing everyone fierce expression Rune could feel the hand of death that was strangling her breath to breath loosen ever so slightly filling her body with warmness.

Sitting next to her the youngest, Nena holding her hand with a bright smile, “Don’t worry sis! When Vince comes back he will protect us!”

Her smiled warmed Rune’s heart against the ever creeping darkness surrounding her thoughts, and her gaze lost wondering where her eldest brother Vince had run off to at this time. If she didn’t awaken she would go off to search for him and drag him back.

Alas her Mother stopped her from going out and told her to wait to see everyone agreeing to her suggestion clasped her hands together, “With a goal in mind quickly my children we must pack and move in haste!”

The pack of children moved around the small shack with a quickness, time was not on their side at any moment the slavers could kick down their door and take their sister away. Still, of the nine inside the house Rune couldn’t seem to move her body as sudden thoughts shook through her mind, ‘Should I just give up now? We don’t even have a plan together If they follow me they could die. Shouldn’t I just leave right now?’

The fear and guilt was building up within her, one step at a time, while she was indecisive everyone had quickly packed up which wasn’t much stuff to begin with. Mother moved over to Rune as they finished packing helping Rune stand up, “Sweetie it’s time to go. We need to move while the sun is still on our back.”

Shaking her mind away from the darkness Rune remembered a line her little brother Saren spoke about often in his weird stories,‘Those that never move forward, never get to see the ending brought forth.’

Ren her brother and fellow gardsmand led the way out of the house With Rune and Mother leading behind them. Even though Vince wasn’t here he would catch up in no time after reading the note they left behind. The one question they had in their hearts was where their mother would be taking them, but they knew deep down as long as they stayed together they had a shot somehow.

At least that’s what Rune thought.

The three exited the house together after covering Rune’s head with a huge sack that was formerly used to store flower, hoping to disguise her from any greedy eyes. Luckily hair wasn’t a raging inferno anymore so it didn’t catch on fire.

But as soon as they exited the house Rune’s hopeful intentions took a nosedive a small group of armed men wearing grey robes confronted them with less than honorable intentions.

Even in more shock to Rune’s mind was that between the group men was a bruised and beaten Hoss with a sad and downcast expression full of pain. Rune’s hands started to turn into fists seeing her guard parter between so bady black and blue.

Ren startled by the sudden confrontation, wielded his sword at the ready his voice stuttering clearly frustrated, “Wha… W-what do you want? W-we want no trouble here.”

Greedy eyed, the man leading the pack of men laughed, “Ha ha… We want the Awakened! If you don’t hand her over quitely this man here will be gutted!”

The men drew their weapons and blocked the family’s pathforward, as the Rune’s family stood stunned how quickly the turn of the event was taking place. Rune mind was a mess over the whole problem what should she do, she should give up to these men and save her family's life and Hoss’s it was the best move but she couldn’t move forward.

Seeing Hoss hurt so made her heart ache out of everyone in the slums Hoss was one of the people except her family that treated her so nicely like a father. He even had a loving wife and daughter to feed he was a bright and honest man in this hellish city.

To see him reduced to blood and tears made her start to choke holding back her tears, at this point she made the choice that her life wasn’t worth it. If she was made a slave of some noble so be it if it protected her family and Hoss so be it.

She would give up at that moment of weakness and took a step forward. Seeing this in his half closed eyes beaten black in blue Hoss yelled hoarsely, “Runey remember the guardsmans code! Protect the civilians and punish evil! Do not give yourself up to evil and live. Live!”

The leader of the group of men frowned smashing his fist in Hoss’s face, “Shut up old man who said you could talk!”

Her eyes widen seeing Hoss in pain that he feet started to move on their own. Seeing this Hoss's eyes flashed with warmth, “You know Runey I thought of you as a second Daughter, and for that, I can’t allow you to give yourself up therefore… Promise to protect my family!”

His eyes flashed with determination with the force of bear he charged the leader who was about to smash into his face once again opened his mouth wide sinking his teeth into his leader's neck. Blood started to flow as the leader screamed to his minions to kill Hoss.

In response daggers were drawn stabbing all over Hoss’s back and sides the suck deep and quickly his clothes were drenched in blood, yet the dying man's jaw was unmoving from the pain twisting and turning back and forth ripping out the leaders throat before crashing down into the ground in the pull of his own blood.

Rune fell to her knees in shock seeing Hoss die after calling her his daughter tears she was holding back began to flow down her cheeks as her heart bled with sadness, "I promise father I'll take care of them."

Then within the shell-shocked group of men two of the men lunged forward not batting an eye to their former leader slashing their daggers at Ren. “Come at me rats!” Ren growled his shaken mindset quickly recovering he started to clashed blades with both of the assailants, parrying their blows while forcing them backward. But the two attackers were a mere diversion as the rest of five odd men standing still suddenly lunged the sibling group...

Rune awoke from their roars of blood and picked herself off wielding her spear in fury a voice whispered in her ear, ‘Kill them… Kill them all!’