Death...endless destruction and suffering. I walk through the carnage that is war. Infants roamed the streets, crying for their now dead parents. Buildings are ablaze and bodies fill the streets by the dozens. I look around and see no soldiers, nobody even holding a weapon. Who could have done this? Looking down, my brown uniform pants were getting stained with the blood of the innocent. My longsword's sheath was entirely too close to the blood for my tastes. I took it out of my belt and held it in my hands.

Once a mining town, this hellhole was now the very picture of apocalypse. The openings to the mines were completely caved in, trapping the workers inside. Some tried to escape and were crushed under the rubble. The survivors inside will not last long without the help that isn't coming.

Walking into the middle of it all, I see a man in black armor. It was masterfully crafted, with carefully placed spikes upon his shoulder blades. An engraving of crossed swords lay upon his chest. The man's sword was naked in his hand, shining red with the blood it had spilled. He lifted his head slightly as I approached, acknowledging my presence.

"Speak." His voice was strangely calm, not quite as deep as I thought it would be. He was perhaps in his early twenties. The man didn't move as he spoke.

"D-did you do this?" I choked out. The man stared at his sword for a while before finally nodding.

"That would be what it seems like. I am responsible for all of this." His voice dropped slightly, possibly in sorrow. But could a monster who did all of this be capable of such feelings?

"But why? What did these people do to deserve this?"

"Nothing." His voice was hollow. His head lowered a little as he grasped at his helmet. "You see, Makoto, the slightest choices have consequences. The most trivial thing in the world to you, such as eating breakfast, can impact how the rest of the day can go. Choosing to go one way instead of another can lead your life in a whole different direction. It's just...what happened to me." The man took off his helmet at last, exposing his face. My eyes widened in terror as I saw his overly-familiar face.

I awoke to the sound of knocking at my door. I sat up groggily and rubbed my hands against my face to wake myself up. Someone's here this early? The knocking grew louder and more insistent.

"Young Master Kagori? Are you awake? Young Miss Tsubasa is here for you this morning." My butler, Reginald, called to me. He was an elderly man who had served my family for as long as I can remember. My parents often told me that the first person to even hold me was not my mother, but Reginald. I straightened up and called back to him.

"Yeah, I'm awake. Send her in." At those words, the oak door swung open to show Reginald standing with Aoi Tsubasa, my childhood friend. She was a slim girl, a little over five and a half feet tall, with auburn hair and golden eyes. I assumed that her height was normal, even though she hardly came up to my shoulders. Today, she was dressed in a light blue dress that fit her form quite nicely.

"Makoto, are you going to laze around all day? You know your father has a meeting today that he expects you to attend." Aoi flung the covers off of me and exposed my half naked body to the morning chill. I jumped in shock out of my bed.

"What was that for?" I demanded. She'd seen me in worse situations than this, so I wasn't embarrassed. I started rummaging around in my closet while Aoi flopped onto my bed.

"Ahh...What I wouldn't give to sleep in a bed like this. Swan feathers in your mattress really are something else, aren't they?" Aoi sighed contently. I pulled a suit from my closet and took some pants from next to it. These would do nicely for the day."

"I've offered to let you stay the night here before." I reminded her while putting my clothes on. Aoi's face turned slightly red and she turned her head.

"You know we can't do that. We've known each other forever, but we aren't that close." Aoi murmured. I leaned in close to her face.

"And if we were?" I whispered. Aoi's face burned brighter and she flung my own pillow at me. The soft pillow hit me, then the floor without a sound. "You keep clothes here, you eat at my house often, and you even bathe here. How much closer do you want to be before you sleep here?" I asked, aggravated. I pointed at the closet, where she kept more clothes than I even owned. A loud throat clearing interrupted before she could answer.

"If you two are done with today's banter, we have business to get to." Reginald spoke up. We followed him out the door into the east wing of the manor.

The inside of the lavish Kagori Manor was filled with bustling servants and rushing maids. Everything was being put into place for our guests today. We walked out of my room in the west wing and made our way towards the center of the manor. At every turn, the maids and servants bowed their heads to me before rushing away, murmuring "Young Master".

The history of the Kagoris goes back nearly a thousand years. My family was famous for helping to save the kingdom a thousand years ago when some overlord threatened the land. The details were fuzzy at best, and I didn't make much effort to visit a historian. Even my father didn't know the entire story. Since then, we were charged with protecting the royal family, mostly the descendants of the current ruler.

The center wing of the Kagori Manor was the most lavish part of the entire land. Rich, purple carpet was everywhere and was cleaned daily. Expensive vases upon pedestals were bought at charity auctions and put into this wing to show hospitality. This was where visitors came to request meetings and was the only wing where they had free roam. Burly guards patrolled the other wings to keep strangers from wandering where they shouldn't. They didn't speak much, if at all, content to just walk around and earn their pay.

We finally arrived in the dining room, where my father was waiting. Succulent dishes adorned the dining table. Turkey, slow roasted to perfection, glistened on the table. Sweet potatoes and exotic fish surrounded the main course, grabbing the eye of anyone who looked in its general direction. As delicious as the food looked, it had hardly been touched. That was fine; the food was merely a formality for business meetings. Strange men sat around the table, all eagerly talking to my father, Gregory Kagori. He sat with a small stack of papers in front of him. Father looked up from his papers and allowed himself a small smile when he saw us.

"Makoto, Aoi, come in." My father's deep voice boomed across the room. He didn't speak loudly, but his voice carried anyway. The other men fell silent at his words. Each of them turned to slowly look at us. Father stood up to greet us. As tall as I was, my father stood nearly a head taller, his shoulders broader, and more muscular than my scrawny self.

"Father." I bowed my head. "It's quite rare to see you home. I believe you called for us?" Aoi bowed her head as well.

"I did. These men are here to help me put my affairs in order." He gestured to the men in suits behind him. They all nodded in agreement.

"Your affairs? Are you going somewhere?" I asked.

"Yes, Makoto. The King needs me elsewhere. Troubled times are approaching, so I must leave my post. I wish I could tell you more." Father looked angry with himself, looking away sharply.

"But who will take over your spot while you're gone? Surely the castle won't leave the royal family under the care of the regular guards. They're-" Father raised his hand to interrupt me.

"That's where you come in. Makoto, my son, you're going to the castle." His smile returned. "You will take up my post to protect the King's daughter. It's a large responsibility, but there is no other pair I would rather do it." I was stunned. I wasn't ready for this. I'd been in the manor nearly my entire life. Reginald spoke up before I could answer.

"Sire? Did you say 'pair'?" Reginald bowed his balding head in respect. Normally, Reginald wasn't allowed to interrupt. My father nodded deeply.

"Makoto isn't trained for this quite yet. To make up for his lack of experience, Aoi will be going with him. I've already cleared it with Aoi and her parents." My father gestured with a thumbs-up. It appeared I had no choice. I dipped my head in acknowledgment.

"If that is your wish, Father." I told him.

"Good!" My father clapped his hands together happily. "You may leave for the castle tomorrow morning. Wake up at sunrise, take Aoi, and make haste on your horse. His Majesty isn't known for being lenient on people who make him wait." I bowed my head again and turned to leave. Aoi started to leave with me when my father spoke up again.

"Wait!" He called out. "Aoi, stay with me a while. I have something to discuss with you." As I left the room, I heard hushed whispers before the door closed coming from the men around the table.

Some time later, as I was relaxing in my room, Reginald poked his head in the door. He had changed into a less formal suit than he normally wore.

"Young Master, will you be dining with us tonight?" Reginald inquired.

"I will not." I answered him. "I'm not hungry." Reginald started to smile and opened the door the whole way, pushing a tea cart in.

"I had estimated as much. Surely the Young Master would care for some tea, though? It'll help soothe your nerves." I couldn't deny that much. The news of going to the castle had suppressed my appetite. I smiled back at Reginald and he poured a cup of tea, handing it to me.

"Reginald, you know me too well." I laughed, sipping at the tea. It was sweet and warm when it touched my lips.

"It's just a small part of my job, Young Master." Reginald nodded slightly. "Your family is my life, after all." A cold feeling rushed over me.

"What about your own family, Reginald?" I asked. I dreaded the answer.

"Long past." His voice dropped. "My son was killed in a training accident. He was the only family I had left." Reginald raised his head again. "Enough about that, Young Master. Enjoy your youth and take chances. You have more opportunities ahead of you than an old man like me." Reginald turned to leave when he stopped himself.

"Actually, Young Master. I just remembered: Young Miss Aoi is waiting outside. I believe she wants a word with you." Reginald opened the door and let Aoi in. She was wearing furry pajamas that reminded me of a puppy. Her face was bright red and her eyes were facing the floor. Reginald left the room, closing the door behind him.

"I-I thought it'd be easier to get moving if we were in the same room." Aoi stuttered. I got out of my bed.

"I understand." I smiled gently at her. "You can have the bed." Aoi looked up, surprised.

"Where are you going to sleep?"

"I can make a small mat on the floor. It's no big dea-" I started.

"No!" She interrupted. "I...I don't want you getting sick, Makoto, so..." She didn't finish her sentence. Aoi just patted the bed. I sat down obediently next to her. She crawled under my covers and gestured for me to do the same.

"Don't look." She instructed. "I don't want you to do anything weird to me while I sleep." I chuckled to myself. She'd always be spoiled. I turned away and closed my eyes.

"Good night, Aoi." I said to her.

"Makoto?" Aoi's small voice came from behind me. "Do you think we can always be like this? Being able to stay by each other, no matter what?" I turned back to Aoi and patted her on the head.

"Of course. Now go to sleep, or you won't want to get up tomorrow." I closed my eyes again. Small arms wrapped around my back and pulled me closer.

"Good night, Makoto." I heard as I drifted off into the darkness.