Amid the Earthen Ruins she walked, sword in hand, for it was the only weapon she could weild against an enemy unseen by most.

Accosted by a runner, she raised her sword to ward him away.

He said, "Belay that sword, I mean you no harm."

And she answered, "What fool meets me without horse or sword on a night such as this?"

He paused and saw her face was set in combat, but fair and beautiful of form.

"I am the runner for the King and he calls upon you to defend his honor."

"I am a soldier for my kingdom", she said, "but I do not know the King and wonder how he came to know of me."

The runner reached into his clothing and drew out a paper, the writing gold on fine, smooth parchment.

"This says 'to one amid Earthen ruins, one so fair and strong and brave. I call you to the service of the new king to defend from a dragon most fierce and barren of soul.'"

The runner stood amond the ruins and waited for a reply, but heard none for some time. The one so fair then lowered her sword and motioned for the runner to go.

"I have no loyalty to this new king and I know him not as a man...but I do know the dragon, so fierce and and barren of soul, as you speak, and would rather defend with him."

"But why?" Cried the runner. "Are you not a subject and soldier of the king?"

"I am," she said as she turned her back to leave. "But the dragon doesn't ask me to do battle, or die for a cause with so little thought behind it."

"But wait," he cried after her. "You have a duty to your country."

"I have a duty," she repled. "A duty to the rights of all things to live no matter how different they are from me, no matter how fierce or barren of soul."

Away walked the one amid the Earthen ruins, her sword in her hand and a gleam in her heart, for she would slay no dragon this day, or ever,

The second city she approached seemed barren, vacant. Sheathing her sword, she walked amid ruins of just over turned chairs and still hot cups of tea bared on an open table.

Who had left so sudden that food was left uneaten and a fire left unattended?

Surely her arrival was not the cause of everyone's fear.

From the closest corner an small tuft of golden hair and a blue eye appeared, spyed her.

"Who goest?" She spoke. And in return as answer a child, a cherub of no more thab 5 years came out of hiding and boldly walked toward her. She had only a grey, rough cloth to cover her and her feet were shod in the filthiest of thin leather.

Kneeling, she took the cheek and chin of the child into her hand and looked into unafraid eyes.

"You did not run with the others. Where have they gone?"