I am soaked.

The rain fell from the sky and water ran in rivulets underneath my armor. I hardly notice it as I ran across the ramparts with my two companions. Ness, a guardsman a few years my senior, and Nana, a female guardsman who joined the ranks a year earlier. The blue and gold tabard of Crown's Landing they wore over their plate armor were also soaked. The heraldry on their chests depicted a rearing black dragon.

A few minutes ago, we were eating a coarse meal of bread and gruel when a sentry came bursting into the gate tower. The man was dripping rainwater as he strode towards Ness and gave his report. He told us that he saw a group of creatures climbing up the walls. Ness told him to go to the barracks and bring reinforcements. We grabbed our gear as the sentry bolted out the door and followed him out into the rain.

I blinked away the water from my eyes, trying to see ahead of me. It was dark and the torches along the ramparts gave us little light. Crown's Landing spread out to our left. The inky blots of lighted windows were visible in the downpour. But the buildings were mere silhouettes against the night sky.

Two monstrous figures emerged from the darkness ahead of us. They were bare-chested and in the flickering torchlight, I could see that their skin was green.

"Orcs in the ramparts? Impossible!" Ness said, brandishing a torch in front of him.

The torch hissed and spat as it revealed more of the creatures. Yellowed tusks curved up from their lower jaw. Their hunched forms belied a hidden strength. The orcs wore leather armor and carried wicked looking cleavers.

One of the orcs stomped his foot and roared a battle cry, which carried over the noise of the rain. His companion thumped his chest and did the same. I gritted my teeth at the inhuman howls.

I arrived in Crown's Landing earlier that evening. The two guardsmen offered me a meal and place to stay for the night.

It was time to earn my keep.

"Here they come, rookie!" Ness said to Nana. "Brace yourself!"

I said a silent prayer to the Creator and raised my hammer. A burst of light erupted from me and my allies, forming a shield around each of us. Ness threw down his torch and drew his sword. The blade whispering in the rain as it left the sheath. I held my ground beside him, our shields upraised, as the two orcs charged towards us.

The creatures were battle-hardened. I could hardly keep up with my opponent as we exchanged blows. His hatchet bounced off my shield even as he avoided my hammer swings. The shield of light around me flared every time I failed to dodge an attack.

An arrow whistled past my ear and lodged itself into my opponent's throat. I saw his eyes widen in surprise as he knelt in front of me, the hatchet sliding from his hand. The creature clawed his throat, making gurgling sounds as his lifeblood flowed out. I swung my hammer sideways to end his suffering. The creatures lifeless body fell on top of the stones.

I turned to Ness to help him with his opponent. But he was already pulling his sword out of the orc's gut. The creature had three arrows stuck in him, an evidence of Nana's skill with the bow.

"We best check the rest of the wall," Ness said, wiping the blade of his sword on the fallen orc's leather. I nodded in agreement and said another prayer to renew our shields of light.

"I'm glad we have you this night Paladin," Nana said, squinting at her hands, as if trying to see the shield I placed on her.

"Say that to me only after we finish this," I said, with a grim smile as we followed Ness across the ramparts.

We met the rest of the orcs further ahead. They were still pulling some of their comrades over the wall when we arrived. I skidded to a halt over the wet stones and raised my hammer, pointing it towards the sky.

A pillar of light resembling a gauntleted fist slammed into the orcs. I stunned most of them with my attack, but some were still standing. They howled in fury and charged towards us. Nana fired arrow after arrow at the charging orcs. Her missiles whistled through the rain. Ness skewered the first orc who came up to us. I came to his aid, with my shield in front of me and my hammer swinging. We gave our all as we fought the beasts on top of the ramparts.

But there were too many of them.

A large orc wielding a cleaver in each hand shoved his way towards us. The orc bellowed a blood curdling battle cry as he swung his weapons in a frenzy of bloodlust. The beast cut down Ness in an instant.

The older man's shield shattered under the force of the blow, and his blade broke in two. Nana cried out in despair as Ness fell. She drew her bow, aiming the arrow at the large orc, but a black-shafted arrow pierced her through the chest. Two more arrows slammed into her before she fell backwards.

My two companions were dead. I gritted my teeth as the entire group of orcs fell on me. I stood my ground. A Paladin of Justice doesn't retreat even when the odds are against him.

I am a beacon of light.

I give hope to the hopeless.

I will not falter.

I danced with death that night. I felled several the orcs before they finally overcame me.

I knelt then on the ramparts, defeated. The rain rinsed the blood off my armor, and my arms hung useless at my sides. I stared up in defiance at the grotesque face of my executioner. The orc who killed Ness stood over me with arms outstretched, howling in triumph.

I fought with all that I had. If this was to be my end, then it was a good end.

A blinding flash of light exploded on top of us. The hairs on my body stood on end as a wave of energy washed over me. A loud explosion echoed in my ears a second later. I saw the charred remains of the orcs when my vision finally cleared.

A fair-skinned woman stood on the spot where the large orc used to be, her back towards me. She wore a tiny white dress over white skimpy shorts that ballooned around her hip. A jeweled golden crown perched on top of her white wide-brimmed hat. She was carrying a broomstick, of all things, in one gloved hand, while a spellbook floated near her. My ears were still ringing, but I could hear her voice.

"I can't believe the orcs reach this far," she said. "They will raze Crown's Landing to the ground if this war continues."

The woman spun around to face me, her raven-black hair whipping the rain away.

"What's this?" Her intense blue eyes were wide behind her large round framed spectacles. "A descendent of Boden? Here?"

"I... have no idea what... you're talking about," I said, trying to rise to my feet. I failed. She snapped her fingers and I felt healing energy course through my body.

"There," she said. "I'm not as good at healing as Blackaria, but that should be enough to keep you from dying."

"Thank you." I said a prayer and a stronger healing energy flowed into me. Strength returned to my body and I was able to rise to my feet.

"Well," she said. "You're full of surprises, aren't you?"

"My name is Baeyne," I said. "A Paladin of Justice. May I know your name?"

"You can call me Brightspark," she said. "And you, are a descendent of Boden. I can feel the well of magical energy within you."

"Boden?" I said, confused. I've never heard of that name before. My parents were simple farmers out in the country. They didn't bear the name "Boden."

"Yes, Boden." Brightspark nodded. "And you might be the only one who can end this war."

The war between humans and dragons, and their allies had raged on for a full year. It showed no signs of abating. How can a single person end it?

"End the war? I don't follow." I shook my head, eyeing her with skepticism.

"We must find the cause of this war," Brightspark said, waving at the destruction she'd cause. "Listen, go to the Adventurer's Inn and look for Belle Snow. She might know what caused this war in the first place.

"This is your fate, descendent of Boden." Brightspark mounted her broom side-saddled. "Don't try to fight it."

She soared upwards into the night, one hand holding the broom while the other kept her hat in place. I stood there on the rampart among the charred remains of the orcs. The rain pricked at my face as I stared blinking at the night sky.

Descendent of Boden? What did she mean? Who is Boden?

I will have answers to these questions. If it's my destiny to stop this war, then so be it.

I am a Paladin of Justice.

I give hope to the hopeless.

I will not falter.