"If you build the guts to do something, anything, then you better save enough to face the consequences."

― Criss Jami.

Chapter 1: To Be Free

The night sky was dark with just the moon and stars to give off light. But in the east the black slowly was turning a fiery orange as the sun was on its way to set the sky ablaze with its golden light. The air had this eerie quiet feeling and there wasn't a soul walking in the streets. At this time, the people were in their homes not allowed out before the sun was fully in the sky because of the new curfew that the king put in place. The kingdom of Abadda has been at war with the kingdom Balolg for three years now, and there have been many assassination attempts on the king. So, to try to catch the assassins a curfew was in place to keep track of the families.

The only thing that she had to worry about was a few palace guards who roamed the streets. Thankfully they never think to look above, so tonight was perfect for Irisa to make her move at the front gates of the city.

Adjusting the vile that covered her face she started climbing the building she was hiding behind. Quietly and quickly Irisa jumped from rooftop to rooftop advancing toward the gates. Confidence swelled up inside as she swiftly ran on the rooftops, non of the guards patrolling the streets have yet noticed her existence and in no time. She finally reached the gates. But she was faced with a lot more men on duty than there were patrolling the streets.

Now this might be a problem. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...15 men pulse two more in the watch towers. I'll have to make this quick. Reaching inside a small pouch tied around her hips she pulled out a black cobra.

"Alright, Suii, it's time to get to work."

His scales felt warm and smoother when he slithered out of her hand and made his way toward one of the watch towers. He scaled up until he disrepair into the nest. Five minutes passed and nothing has happened until the watchmen suddenly tumbled from his post and hit the ground with a loud thud. All the guards rushed toward their fallen comrade with horror spread across their faces.

"By God?! What happened?" shouted one of the men. "He's foaming from the mouth. What should we do?"

"Somebody call for Captain Jander, hurry!" Three of the guards ran off, passing Irisa and into the city to look for help. Just when they left the watchmen from the other tower fell from his nest.

Panic was overcoming the guards as they argued about what they should do. Irisa stayed in the shadows, being very careful not to give herself away just yet.

Nice work, Suii!

While nobody was looking she quietly and quickly walked closer and closer to the men. One of them got down on the ground and searched the watchman's body for any wound that might be made by a weapon. Before she could make her next move a hand from the darkness grabbed her arm. Turning around Irisa faced with a tall muscular man with orange hair carrying a large sword strapped behind his back while a long scimitar hanging from his belt. Behind him were the three guards who left earlier.

"Hey, who are you and what are you doing at this hour?" He asked. She didn't answer him but glared at him.

Damn, and everything was going so smoothly. Irisa thought to herself.

"Captain Jander!" The guards came running toward them. "Captain Jander, who is this?" The Captain shoved Irisa out of her hiding place and the men began to circled her.

"I was on my way here when I saw her skulking around this ally. Woman, are you responsible for the attack on my watchmen?"

He could not see it but Irisa gave the Captain a mocking smile behind her vile. "How could I? From that height, it's impossible."

"Then what are you doing here?" Captain Jander asked.

"...flying away," Before any of the men could react, Irisa took out a whip and attacked at the Captain.

"Stop that woman!" he shouted as he unsheathed his scimitar but using her whip Irisa swiped it from his hand. As fast as lightning she cut her way through the guards that surrounded her with ease, her feet dancing swiftly and fast like a cat chasing a mouse. Until it was Captain Jander himself that was left standing. He stared at her wide-eyed amazed from her swordplay.

"W...what are you?" he whispered.

Irisa chuckled. "Just a bird, who wants nothing more than freedom from her cage."

She was about to charge after the Captain but then from out of a dark an arrow stabbed Irisa in the shoulder. Behind her, more guards rushed to aid their leader. Cursing under her breath she reached for the arrow, quickly pulled it out ignoring the pain and prepared for any attack from the wave of guards.

Feeling very confident in the numbers Captain Jander shouted, "Give it up, there is no hope of escaping, now. You may have some skills I'll admit, but not enough to fight us all." Irisa glared at him with fiery purple eyes.

No, I'm so close to freedom I can taste it...I can't stop now! "Forgive me, Captain. But I have waited a long time for the one chance to start a new life, away from this city." Raising the scimitar she charged at Captain Jander. "And I won't let you, or your dogs, get in my way!"

The Captain quickly reached for his large sword on his back and stopped Irisa's attack. Irisa was putting all of her strength in her attacks as she tried to pin him into a corner. Her feet danced along the ground and the swing of her arm was so quick that the Captain had a hard time keeping up with her speed. She even came close to slicing his head off, but compared to the scimitar his broad sword gave him an advantage in the fight. Raising his large sword he slammed it down on the scimitar and sliced it in two.

Irisa jumped back from the broad blade and looked at the broken scimitar, then with no hesitation the Captain landed a mighty blow to her stomach and she fell to the ground knocked out.

How could someone like her fight like a master swordsman?! It's unreal! Panting, Captain Jander stared at the girl in wonder.

"What should we do with her, Captain?" one of his soldiers asked.

As much as he wanted to dispose of her he was against harming women. "I'll bring her to the palace, her sudden appearance is anything but ordinary. We'll let the King decide her fate. For now, double the guard here and keep a sharp eye for anything else odd in this area."

"Aye, Sir!" his men shouted and then they hurried off to their posts. Grabbing the unconscious Irisa Captain Jander tossed her over his shoulder and headed back to the palace, along with five of his personal guards trailing behind him.

By the time she finally came Irisa was lying alone in a hot stone cell when she tried to sit up she felt a jolt of pain in her shoulder, her wounded on her shoulder was clean while she was out. As she tried to soothe her aching shoulder she looked around her cell some more. On the far right wall she saw a small bared window where the sun light was shining through. In the sun's ray's dust particles were slowly falling to the stone floor and a few flies were buzzing in and out of the rays. Outside her cell he could hear the cries of other prisoners begging for freedom from their cell or calling the guards names, others were whistle at Irisa asking for her name. Normally, if a person found themselves in a predicament such as this they would panic. But Irisa started laughing at herself.

Ha, ha, ha! Well, this is a fine mess you got yourself into, Irisa. I guess security is more serious around there than I thought. Irisa smiled to herself. And now if he finds me guilty I will be beheaded…that's one way to freedom.

After three hours of just sitting there watching the flies there was some commotion from down the hall. All of the other prisoners started shouting and crying, but they weren't cries of agony or sadness but of hatred.

"Enough of your pathetic cries! I'm not here for any of you vermin!" It was the Captain that came to visit the dungeon and when he appeared before Irisa she just sat there continuing to watch the flies.

"On your feet, His Highness will see you now." he said. Irisa finally turned to look at him and smiled.

"Oh, is that so, I was hoping to rest here a little while longer. After that beating that you and your men gave me I rather have a nice, long nap." Frustrated, he opened the cell door and grabbed her arm forcing her to stand.

"Do not tempt me to cut off that mouth of yours." he growled and shoved her out into the hall where two other guards were waiting to escort them to see the King.

Oh, he's angry with how close I came to taking his head off. The very though made her giggle a little. They finally reached the throne room but there was nobody there, save a few other guards.

"Where is His Highness?" Captain Jander asked.

"He will be a bit late. What do you expect, after last night's commotion His Majesty had to try convince his allies that it will never happen again. And that the spy will receive a heavy punishment." Irisa glared at the guard.

"Who said I was a spy?" she said coldly.

"Who said you weren't?" Captain Jander said.

"Well I'm not, and if I was you wouldn't have captured me so easily." she said rolling her eyes.

"You lie, no women in this Kingdom could have great fighting skill like yourself, and only a fool would go up against 15 men on their own." He smiled "Maybe you wanted seduce His Majesty so you decided to get all this attention by sneaking out." She rolled her eyes again.

What's wrong with these men? Why is it that when a woman does something that surprises them they relate it to sleeping with them?

"Just kill me, spare me from staring at your ugly face any longer." His smile was then replaced with a frown and he struck her across the face.

"Maybe I should have killed you at the gates!"

Then the doors behind them opened and two more men walked in. The first man had long black hair that he kept in a pony-tail and he carried a long scimitar tied to his belt. The other man had short brown hair and he too had a scimitar strapped to his belt.

"Enough! Whether she is a spy or not, I will not tolerate you shedding a woman's blood in this palace."

Captain Jander and the other guards bowed towered the man with to pony tail. "Your Majesty Conall, forgive me, I won't do it again." King Conall sat down and stared at Irisa with intense blue eyes.

"My men believe that you are a spy from the rebel Kingdom, I too believe them but I now hear you claim."

"Do I look like one?" She said trying to keep a cool head. King Conall laughed.

"With that attitude, and temper you're trying to hide you might be an assassin instead."

For a second just she saw her father's face when he left flash in front of her eyes, turning her head she mumbled, "Why would I want to live the life of a shameless cold murder, you end up dead in the end." The cold remark surprised him at first, and then a look of curiosity and amusement spread across his face.

It looks like I struck a nerve there. "So answer me this: if you are not an assassin or a spy then why did you want to open the gates?"

She looked back at him and said bluntly, "The details of my past are completely privet. So, I'll just say that my childhood was dark, bleak, painful and I want to start over." King Conall chuckled a bit.

"And what of your family, what do you think they will do when they see your head on a chopping block?" he asked

"I have no family." King Conall continued to stare at Irisa with deep thought.

What nature of woman is she? Facing all of those men alone and even proved a real challenge for the Captain. She...is very amusing. Looking at her closely her dark skin looked so clean, no scars or moles and her hair was as white as a clean sheet. White hair...a rare sight in a woman and her lips were round and looked very soft. She is a living 'diamond in the rough.'

With a rare beauty like her, I wonder if another man has claimed yet. Irisa felt a bit uneasy with the way the King was staring at her.

Then the other man who walked in with King Conall said, "You shouldn't have to deal with a woman like her, let me pass judgment on her and you continue to rest for later today." The King waved his hand.

"No, no, it is fine. I have more important things to deal with at the moment, so for now, lock her back up." Captain Jander bowed and dragged her out of the throne room. Then King Conall and his friend left the throne room as well and head back to his study.

"Hastos, were any of your men able to get some information about this woman?"

"Just that her name is Irisa, but she was telling the truth about her family. No siblings or a mother and father. Apparently, she was known as an incredible herbalist and was always accompanied by a cobra but some call her a witch or demon because she has purple eyes."

"Irisa...I see. She has such great skills, but I wonder why she wants to leave the Kingdom so badly...I wouldn't mind letting an energetic woman like her live a bit longer."

Hastos raised an eyebrow. "What are you scheming this time, Conall?"

"Hastos, how long has it been since the Swan Harem was used…I think it's time to re-open those doors for our new guest." Conall said with a fox smiled. When he was alone in his study he thought about his meet with this strange woman.

"She doesn't hesitate to speak her mind that's for sure, and that she took on all those highly trained men and the Captain himself...and those eyes. I have never seen eyes like hers..." He started laughing until his stomach hurt. "This is going to be fun, trying to tame a purple eyed wild cat!"

First chapter, hope you enjoy it!