It was a beautiful midsummer day. Everywhere, the morning dew was beginning to be absorbed by the rising sun. One of earth’s beings, decorated by these glittering droplets, were ruthlessly pulled and tugged at. The shaking motion splattered the remaining dew unto the perpetrator.

William got drenched from top to toe, as he pursued vibrant flowers for Grettel and her family. They were going to celebrate the solstice with flowers, scattered as decorations and assembled into floral-crowns.

Normally one would gather their own materials. However they wanted to savor the luxury of having a servant. Thus William was given the task…

He neither had the courage, nor stamina to search the mainland woods. So instead he traversed the most overgrown areas on the island. The places where no other villagers would gather flowers, because of the stinging bushes and grabbing twigs. It was right on the outskirts of the castle wall, that met the ground and the lake.

“Ouch!”, William cursed, as a twig bounced back on his eyelid. His injured eye got swollen and red. He almost wrung the life out of the bouquet he had gathered, merely to vent his frustration. Yet he was determined to venture further into the thicket. For he was on a hunt after Spider Flowers. Said plant could grow over a meter tall. The swaying wonder was like a bouquet in itself, with fresh pink and white blossoms.

With some mud and missteps he finally got those mocking flowers! Each step back got more tricky, as he was going uphill. When he finally reached the top a peculiar sight could be seen.

It was a messenger. Or rather one of lord Blaise’s scouts. He was riding on a sprinting dinosaur. It ran as if death was scampering behind them! When the scout deemed himself close enough to the castle, he took out a roarbone. This one was larger and more unusually shaped than his father’s. As the scout blew life into it, a eerie boom resounded through the landscape.

Clearly something was off… William stood for a while, uncertain what to do. Then suddenly people began leaving their homes. All over the island a mass evacuation found place. They all sought refuge towards the castle. And they didn’t come barehanded.

Even if they were stressed, many managed to pick up a sack of food and valuables, while they herded their precious livestock along.

Meanwhile the ordinary villagers sought refuge, knights of all ranks blew their roarbones. It was an awful orchestra of noise. In the midst of confusion, a sharp voice rang out, “Mirabelle! Get down here this instance and help me carry this mess!”. Of course that voice belonged to Grettel.

William rolled his eyes as he met her midway. Grettel made a fuss, “AH! You fool! Drop those stupid flowers and take this sack! Hurry!”. William frowned as he thought: What the heck!? I just risked life and limb for these ‘stupid’ flowers! And now you want me to dump them!?.

Seeing that William didn’t obey, Grettel forcefully slapped them out of his hands, before she threw a sack in his arms. “Hurry! Hurry! Or do you want to become fodder for the enemy!?”. William dragged the sack behind him as he huffed, “What enemy!? What’s gwoing on?”. Grettel made her sons hurry up, before she snarked back, “The enemy is the enemy! Does it matter to us normal folk what banner they carry?.. Nay! What you need to worry about is to get inside those walls, before you become a victim of their games!”.

It was a mess. While villagers flocked to get inside the gates, a troop of knights came riding out in full force, led by lord Blaise himself. Some villagers got knocked to the ground, while others almost fell and stumbled off the drawbridge. But they didn’t complain. Instead they came with uplifting shouts and hurrays.

William got safely inside the castle walls along with the other peasants. As they focused on regrouping and securing their items. William found an arrowslit to observe the battle through. What he hadn’t expected, was that Talbot had the same idea as him.

The boy, with the physique of a beanstalk, came creeping up from behind. So William got a huge shock. When he realised who it was, he instinctively sent that person nasty looks. Thinking, someone had come to steal his observer’s seat.

Talbot approached him with his hands behind his back. Seemingly calm, yet his expression was filled with excitement, “Don’t worry servant. Ergh-... Curses, I suck at this. Uhm… Mirabelle!… I also plan to view the commotion from here. However, you found this spot first, so I’ll let you stay... Surely there’s room for both of us... I’m quite tall as you might have observed. So, I’ll take up the upper half of the hole… Hope you don’t mind”.

William felt his swollen eye act up, as he accused, “Why so kwind all of a sudden?”. Talbot found a space to peek thru, before he replied, “Kind?.. Haha. I merely don’t like unnecessary conflicts... Besides, saying servant this and servant that. It just feels so awkward. I can’t get used to it… And since mother isn’t here, why not take the liberty to talk as I please?”.

As soon as Talbot could take in the eye candy, that was the knights, he squealed like a useless fanboy, “AH! Finally, we get to see lord Blaise in full action! Just gaze at that magnificent armour his wearing! What style and power!? They have embedded it into every detail!”. William had to clamp his ears down with his hands, to get spared from the squawking coming from above.

A dramatic wind came and swept up lord Blaise’s cape, as he and the other knights rode along the land string. Sadly, they were too late to get the upper hand…

Having a look from above, William now understood the reason why the scout looked like a victim from a horror movie. It was because a huge gathering of opposing knights, were right at his heels!

The knights wore bright yellow tabards, along with banners decorated with two dragon-like-fish, pierced by swords. Below it was a mountain range and a figure of a man with a wide open mouth.

Talbot shivered a bit as he studied the banner, “It’s… It’s the cowards from Windamere fort! They have returned!?”. Talbot continued to mutter like a crazed lunatic. With each unsaid word, William twitched his normal eye in irritation. It didn’t take long before he couldn’t take it anymore, so he yelled, “Spweak up!”.

Talbot immediately stopped his muttering and yet again, subverted expectations. Within seconds he came to the wrong conclusion and exclaimed in a trance, “Ah! So you’re also interested in their lifelong history of battles?..”.

William was going to refute the notion, but was too late, as Talbot rambled on, “Well, you see… All I know is from rumors… But! I’m certain that lord Windamere have come today, because so many forces have been pulled out of Blaise castle recently... They have been sent away to support the overtaking of Halbal… You see, there are still rebel-forces around that area that needs a good combing… It’s safe to say, that lord Blaise being down on so much man-power, have instigated lord Windamere’s thirst for revenge... And yet, he’s really nothing compared t-”.

Suddenly an all consuming rumble, interrupted Talbot. The deep growl quickly became a distinct voice, that could reach the ears of everyone on the island, including the poor sods that were left on the surrounding mainland.

It was the deep voice of lord Windamere. His ability was apparently loud vocals… Not really an ability that seems effective when it comes to battles.

Both William and Talbot, refocused their gazes unto the two lords. Lord Blaise stood with his eldest son and personal knights on the land string. They were blocked from advancing any further. Because lord Windamere and his little army, numbering 200-300 people, blocked the exit, including the entire nearby shore.

The voice chuckled tauntingly as it shouted, “HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE CAUGHT ON THAT MISERABLE ISLANDS OF YOURS?.. YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN QUICKER! HAHAHA…”.

To this Talbot bitched back to the wind and the unfortunate girl below him, “Faster!? They acted like the wind! It’s you who came without any proclamations!”.

Lord Windamere continued his speech, “IT IS HIGH TIME THAT WE GET OUR JUSTICE SERVED!.. YOU VILLAIN, HAVE LAID WASTE TO OUR HOMES AND PEOPLE FOR DECADES! SCORCHING THEM INTO OBLIVION!.. FOR WHAT!? MORE LAND!?.. WELL I HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU!”.

Within the ranks of knights, a single one was pushed forward in the procession, “GO ON, SIR GILBERT! SHOW THEM THAT WE’RE NO LONGER SUBMISSIVE TO THEIR FLAMES!”.