Lost

I still enjoy the times that I can go out far away from the castle. I was able to explore the land and see new things. It changed after my 12 birthday. When I am walking across the hall near my fathers throne room I over heard him and a messenger talking. The news is about the threat that a number of imperian spy was able to enter the land and spotted lurking around. It alarmed my father for the imperians have always wanted to terrorize our land. He right away deployed knights to patrol around our kingdom. He then forbidden us to go out of the caslte to be safe. I didn’t want that to happen and so is my brother this is because I found out that my brother has a girlfriend outside of the castle and not being able to go out means not seeing his girlfriend. I found out about his girlfriend one day when I was walking at the center of the city and I saw my brother talking to a girl. I didn’t mention that I know of his girlfriend though. He debate with our father and said that he can take care of himself that he be allowed to go out of the castle. My father agreed to let my brother still go out of the castle. I told my father that I too should be allowed because that will be unfair. He said he will let me go out but he will one of his well skilled fighter go with me. The fighter turns out to be the father of my brother’s girlfriend.

I didn’t like the idea that one of my father’s guard will follow me whenever I go out of the castle but I took whatever bargain I get. One day I got sick of being followed that I spot an opportunity too flee. I saw a crowd and run towards it. I know the guard followed me I ran so quick that I lost him. The problem is I find myself lost in an abandoned and creepy place. I tried to trace my steps to get back but I got lost even more. Then, I hear people coming I thought of coming to them for directions but I decided to hide instead for I feel like those people cannot be trusted. I hid behind a rock not far from them. I saw 3 men talking to each other. “This is a nice place to hide. We planned for this a long time. We don’t want to screw this up. We will stay here until they feel that their little kingdom is safe from us again”. They are planning something bad and I decided to find out about it so I continued to spy until dark. As I continue to spy I saw that they are creating a map of the whole kingdom. The worst thing happen. I accidentally step on a branch that made a noise and they discovered me. I can see the look in their eyes that they are so ready to kill me. I ‘m thinking of running but my feet just wont move. The first man took out his sword and ready to swing it on me. I thought about the training I’ve been doing and I thought and this is the time to put all I’ve learned in to use that this is what I have trained for. So when the Man slash his sword on me I was dodge it and run. The coward me just run but they caught up on me. I had no choice but to defend myself then when the Man is about to strike me with his long and sharp sword an arrow shot him right to his chest. When I looked I saw my brother with a group of knights.

They hold the two men prisoner and discovered the planned attack on our kingdom. The map they are making is the whole map of the kingdom that they will use to strategize their plan. I was thankful for my brother but when I came to thank him about saving my life he yelled at me and said that what I did is foolish. It turns out that our father the king have cast out the guard that should be protecting me away from our kingdom for failing to watch over me when I got lost. That means my brother’s girlfriend also needs to move away with his father. I went to our father the king and told him not to cast out the guard who he assigned to watch me. My father decided not to cast him out but he never want to see them again inside the castle. I didn’t know what happened to my brother and his girlfriend after that. It took a month before my brother talked to me again after that incident.

No Work All Play

I were finally allowed to go out of the palace and to the center of the city when I were 11. I’m glad that I don’t need to sneak in and out of the castle they might thought there is no use in forbidding me to do so I can sneak in and out with using my own free will anyway and they cannot stop me. My brother is also 11 when he were officially allowed to go out to away from the castle. My brother doesn’t like going out of the castle though. He usually stays in his training and focus on becoming a real Man of the castle.

After my training in the morning I am always excited to go out in the center of the city to see other people and places. The market is specially a busy a place. The plaza where a lot of people performed in the street and play their own composed music. People dancing to their tunes. I enjoy being outside. Further more across the street I see people right around my age playing. They are playing a game called Ring Match. The is composed of 10 poles and played inside a large area which they call field. The field has 5 poles in each end that consist of 5 different colors. The objective of the game is to throw and have the right colored ring be inserted in the right colored pole. The challenge is that the pole is guarded by the opposite team so you wont be able to score a point by successfully inserting the ring on to the poles. Both team needs to place they rings on the poles of the other team. The poles can be placed strategically anywhere inside the field by your opponent. The team who has the highest score wins. When I approach them they let me join the game and teach me how to play it. I met new friends that they and I very much liked the game. In fact I so much liked the game I brought it at the castle. I am able to convince my older brother to play it with me and he liked the game as well. We always play together since then. That is also the time when we bonded and  I got closer with my older brother. Through playing the game longer we kind of modified the rules and played a larger field. The field became the whole palace ground which made it more difficult and challenging. My brother climbed up and placed his pole on the top of the room. I climbed and placed mine on a higher room. Every after the game we get so tired but laughing because of the fun we had playing.

Royal Knight

I am Kahel. After 2 years of training to become a knight I am given the opportunity to join the king along with the other knights on a journey to the south. The expedition is for expanding alliances through out the land. The king have always chosen to go and speak to other leaders of other lands to recognize friendship towards kingdoms and maintain peace thru out the whole land but there are other kingdoms who does not care for peace only seek power and envy other prosperous kingdoms. The alliance was successful but during the journey back I sense something bad will happen not a moment later, a herd of armed people surrounded us and made an ambush trying to kill our king. The knights bravely fought back and protected the king. I didn’t a second chance and stood up to protect the king. I always has this ability to sense danger around me and it has always help me in times of trouble. We became out numbered but the knights fought bravely. I was left to protect the king at some point. I took the king behind my back but the king take out his sword and started to fight beside me and said “Don’t mock an old man child. I can wield a sword better than those knights myself”. Even if outnumbered, we won that fight and the king made me one of his best knights after that. Just after a year he made me captain and as I have continued to impress him he have trusted me so much to lead his troop in taking over a land on the north who has been attacked by rebels. As always I am victorious but when I came home to our land I saw our kingdom at war. I and my men rushed to the battle as I saw the castle on fire. I hurried inside and look for the king. While looking for the king I saw dead knights. Then I heard a voice “My best knights are dead. We where caught by surprised.” As I looked I saw the king badly wounded covered with blood. I rushed to him and he whispered “The kingdom has fallen”. I responded strongly, “No! There is still hope for the kingdom and our people. I will save our beloved land”. The king uttered his last words “Then go and leave with our remaining knights and take back our beloved land. Be king”.

I gathered the remaining knights and fled. “Are we escaping captain”, they asked. “No! We will be preparing to take what is rightfully ours. That is the kings order.” After that incident, my men and  I have worked hard on a plan to save our lost kingdom. Everyday we lived our lives preparing for the day that we finally take our beloved land back from its takers, the Imperians. The day came and we arrived at our old kingdom determined to take it back. We where incredibly victorious but I came across a painful realization that night. The Knight Captain who help me enter the contest for the selection of the future knights. The one who taught me the ways of battle and handling a sword is the traitor who made the fall of our kingdom possible and the one who killed the king. With vengeance I ended his life and that is when I became the king ruler of the whole Celestial Kingdom. I am Lord Kahel Elionhart.

Brotherhood

When I turned 9 I have noticed how my older brother have become manly and mature. The kind of son exactly how my father wants. Everybody started calling him Prince Sefiro. When I spent my time playing my piano and violin he spent his time training and getting fit to be stronger. I still remember his words “This is what our father wants… No, this is what he expects. And if this is the only chance I will have to spent time with him, I’ll do it.” He even added “If this is what he usually does, at least I can join him”. I am not convince about what my brother said. I know the world out there is not all fighting and war. He may call me too soft but I can win my father’s time with other things that does not involve physical violence. That is why instead of mastering how to fight, I have mastered every piece of instrument my father gave me.

One time the day me and my brother was hoping for happened. My father were not busy enough to to spend time with us and bring us hunting. My brother and I are excited to have our father spend time with us. During the hunting all I packed was our food, my flute and violin. I was hoping my father will play it with me. When we arrived at the hunting ground, he let the guards leave far away from us. My father didn’t let me play any of my instrument for we should remain really quiet so not to scare of the cervid we spotted. My father gave a gun to my older brother. I can sense that my brother is not comfortable in shooting that poor cervid but my father is waiting for him to shoot. He press on the trigger and the loud noise of the gun was heard through out the forest. My brother miss and the cervid escaped and run. I was relieved that my brother missed by my father stood and in split second shoot his gun. The cervid was shot right through its head and I was terrified I was not able to move where I am standing. That is the first time I ever saw a living thing died. My father then look at us and said next time its your turn. We moved and saw another cervid but this time it is younger than the first one. My father handed me the gun but I couldn’t hold it. I know my brother didn’t want to make that shot too but he bravely took the gun from me and said “I’ll do it”. My father told him to relax and focus on the target and he carefully aim at the cervid. Then, as he makes the shot. I heard another loud noise and I see the cervid helplessly and slowly dying. I freak out and and shouted “No!”. I run away from my father and brother. My father chased me and as he chased me he tripped and fell. Then, I saw a big vicious bear came out and went to attacked my father. I got scared and I don’t know what to do. As my father is about to get bitten by the bear I took my flute and played it. It caught the bears attention and started to slowly walk near me. Then, it run and attacked me growling so loud my knees shook out of fear. I run from the bear but came to a dead end off the cliff. As the bear is about to throw it’s sharp and big claws on me. My brother suddenly came, took out his sword and attacked the bear bravely and stab it at it’s back. The bear shouted in pain and looked at my brother. I know my brother is scared but he stood there bravely to protect me. My father came and shoot at the bear. The bear ran away after that. I know I just too sacred but that made me realized why my father wants to teach us how to defend ourselves and fight and I admire my brother who bravely protected me that day.

Secret

Inside the library of the castle there is a small room that is locked. I never wonder what is inside that room until I turned 10. I asked my father about it and he told me that inside that room is the knowledge kept hidden, a secret that is only for our family to know. He said a book that my great grandfather himself has written is inside that room. I got curious about the secret so I came to the library locked picked the door of the small room and came in. I didn’t know at first that my father tricked me in doing that and he actually did the same with my older brother. It was true though, a book written by my grandfather is there, I took it and started to read it.

Through the book I got to know my great grandfather and his heroic acts. I also found a map. The map is a fake one though and only created by my father to trick me. I didn’t know it was fake until later that week. The map leads to an area far away from the castle. I followed the map first thing in the morning and I didn’t noticed that the map’s path is strategically place to train the me. I had go through a forest and I even encountered a bear inside it. Of course I run like hell when I saw it. I had to cross a scary swamp and I had climb a hill to get to the other side. At the other side a saw a cave guarded by 2 our guards in our palace. I got even more curious but I do not intend to be seen. I think of a way to distract them to look on the other side as I hide behind a rock not far from the are. I threw a stone to get their attention and I was able to sneak in. Inside I saw a Piano with a letter that says “Happy Birthday” it was a birthday gift from my father. I never thought my father would actually plan something like this just to give me a gift. He did the same thing with my older brother on his 12 birthday and I didn’t know what his gift to my brother is until I turned 13. I also came to know that my brother have experienced much more hardship following that map than I did.

War

My father have still always been strict but I respect him a lot. On my 8 birthday he gave me Violin as he have discovered how I like music. He knows how to play it too so he spends his time teaching me and we even play together sometimes. I was really happy that I get to play Violin with my father and I seem to have mastered it quite well than the flute. The happy days of mine changed when I saw my father talking to a Man in a serious face. Since then my father doesn’t want to be disturbed anymore. He spent most of his time in his room and talking to the castle’s officials.

One time I got so curious that I went to him and asked why he so busy all of a sudden. He vaguely explained but all I can remember is his words “Sometimes to achieve order on both ends, one must disagree even if it means fighting the other side”. After I heard that from my father I remember how my older brother is trained to fight. I have never want to fight and hurt anyone. I never knew how that thing that made my father so busy turned out. All I hoped is that the fighting ends because I know no matter how I pictured it, fighting will always end to someone getting hurt.

When I turned 8 my father introduced me to Dulcar Alguste, on of the captain in his Royal Guards and told me. It is time for me to learn how to defend myself. I know the day will come that I will be taught how to fight just like my older brother since the day I saw my brother training on how to throw a knife and use a sword. My father throws an excuse that he wants me and my brother to come with him when he goes hunting that he will not be that much worried anymore if we learn how to defend ourselves and fight in case a wild animal attack us during the hunting. My brother just kept silent and proceed on learning to fight and I’m sure my father said the same excuse. I did what I have to and just like my older brother, I started my training on how to fight and defend myself. The training is strict and hard something that I never pictured. I even thought my brother is doing something worse since he is older than me. I run, I climb, I jump and I run some more. The training is excruciating. Tired as I am I did what my father wants me to do I learned how to use a sword and throw a knife. I also learned how to hold and fire a gun at that early age and came to knew that I even learned it first than my older brother.

I came to realize the war that my father and all of his knights had and the men killed during it. Fear broke on me and I can’t explain how I feel. I questioned myself, is this what I will be doing when I grow older? Lead war and countless of battle. Am I destined to hold a sword or a gun and kill a man for the sake of our land? Is taking someone’s life inevitable if you are to defend your kingdom?

Passion

My father is a bold and righteous man as I have believed. He is very strict in everything that a man is suppose to do. I hear him shout at people but I barely pay attention on the detail of what he is yelling about. I grew a bit scared of my father because of that but I can’t just follow everything he wants me to do all the time. There are incidents that I do not do what I am told and I get yelled at just the same with the other people in the castle but I have a passion. Music, I know I have only able to sneak out of the castle a few times but I was able to meet a kid as the same age as I am when I got a chance to go far from the castle. There is this one time I got tired of reading books and being stuck in the big library so I decided to run away and sneak from everyone in the castle until I finally got out. I climb up a window, hide under a table, behind the huge statue of my great grand father and I was able to get out. I run and run not thinking of where I want to go. I hated my father that time for making me do all the reading where I just wanted is to play outside and the night after he scolded me, I run off. When I was running I heard a music and I am very intrigue about what I am hearing. I followed my ears and saw a kid holding a pipe and playing with it as a musical instrument. I like what I am hearing until I have noticed I already went too near to her that made me visible. She stop playing and look at me surprised. “What is that?” I asked. She answered “It’s a flute my father makes one for a living”. A man suddenly came out from a small house and walk towards us. “Who is your friend?” the Man asked  and before the girl replies the Man stop with rounded eyes, shocked as he looked at me and said “Judging from the way you look and clothed you came from a wealthy family”. I introduced myself but I unintentionally hid my true identity. When the Man asked me where I am from I was not able to answer right away. The girl suddenly speak and introduce herself “I am Claudia and this is my father”. Her father invited me to come inside the house but I decided to go. Claudia spoke, “Do you like this? You can have it” She said. “Visit us again next time and I will teach you how to use it” I looked at her and her father and they both smiled at me. I bowed my head and said thank you and then I went home.

Since then I usually sneak out of the castle to go visit her but it was just a moment of time when the people of the castle noticed. I hid the flute safely but I got caught one time when I’m about to get back in the castle. That night a messenger called me and told me that I am being summoned by my father. I went up to my fathers room scared. “I know you are sneaking in and out of the castle lately” he said. My heart just started to pound harder and harder, faster and faster. “Are you good in playing it now?” he asked. “I know about the flute” he added. I showed him the flute and told him its not that easy to use. He laugh and said “I didn’t know you have such passion in music but I have heard you play you indeed really need an improvement”. “But I usually run out of air when I blow on it and when I blow too soft the sound won’t come out and when I blow hard the sound is just different” I replied. My father laugh really hard. I never heard him laugh like that before. “How long have you been sneaking in out of the castle?” He asked. I answered more than 2 weeks already. The next words of my father really moved me and the fear I have for him just disappeared. “2 Weeks? Nice work.” “You know who is really good in playing the flute? Your grandfather.” he said. “Really?” I replied amazed. “How about you? Have you ever tried playing it?” I added. “I tried but you are right it’s not really my thing” He responded and laugh. That is the first bonding time I ever had with my father and I just realized that my father was not really that scary at all that I don’t hate my father. I love him.

Childhood Memoir

I am Raxziel. As a kid I grew a bit differently from other kids of my age. Being the son of the king you must be thinking I’d be the happiest kid in the land. Yes, I live in the castle with a lot of skilled knights to protect me, plenty of food to eat and things only wealthy people can enjoy but in my early age I am given a weight on my shoulder that no normal kid would want to carry. When I was 5 I used to sneak out of the castle to see how the other kids are living there normal life, dancing, laughing, playing around like what normal 5 year old kids really do. I watched in envy as I am little by little dragged by my feet to go and join the fun they are having. Then, as I go near, the kids will just stare at me, startled to see my fine built, neat clothes, well groomed hair and descent posture. Before I get to say a word the royal guards will just find me and bring me back to the castle. When I get back I will get scolded and lectured about how important my role is and the big responsibility I have and actions such as leaving the castle like that can put me in danger as so is the land. Over and over I am reminded of the people that rely on me and the land I represent and needs to look after.

When I turned 7, I spent my whole childhood studying and reading. Days, weeks and months passed by. As a child I spent my whole day in a big room full of books reading about the history of our land, experienced of people who have been idolized by everyone for their noble and heroic acts. While I’m busy on learning I can’t help but notice the noise outside. I look at the window and I see my older brother outside the ground being thought on how to fight. My brother just turned 10 and I can see that he has been molded on what my father calls as a worthy successor of the throne. Watching my brother fight I can already picture myself on the same situation.