Barsole is a kingdom located to the south of the continent, located between the forest of Monsters and the peninsula to the far south. It had once been a grand kingdom of wealth and prosperity, as it was the sole way for any merchant to get goods from one end of the continent to the other, given that to risk going through the forest guarded by the crazy dragon was suicide.

  But Barsole had fallen greatly over the last decade or so. You see, her queen had gone quite mad, and now the kingdom was divided amongst many factions. All of them were vying for power for themselves.

  There are the greater nobles, who lick the boots of the queen and play on her growing madness and paranoia. They use their influence to direct the law of the queen how they wish while stamping out all other influences in a swift and all encompassing manner. So long as their own pockets and bellies are full, they could care less about the other people of their crumbling nation.

  Then there is the Rebellion. This is a collection of lesser nobles and well off or disenchanted commoners looking to get a better lot in life. They preach that they wish to do away with the monarchy completely, and on the surface they seem to have good intentions... but in all actuality they are nothing but a group of greedy terrorists looking to capitalize on the current sorry state of the kingdom, while making things worse with their own atrocious actions. All for the supposed sake of the people they so effortlessly kill in their terroristic attacks on the royals.

  Add to this slew of in fighting, the Holly Church of the Blessed Saintes. These people do not prey to any kind of land god, nor any 'true god' either. Rather, they dedicate themselves to a goddess of their own design. She had once been a saint born in Barsole with extraordinary healing abilities. But, after her death, the new church that had been built up around her had declared her a saint turned god.

  This church wished to put the youngest of the royal family on the throne: A young princess with the magical abilities to heal even the most gravest of wounds. Their logic is that they are certain that the Princess is none other than the reincarnation of their god. The church wants to put the princess on the throne and then declare that Barsole is a holly kingdom, putting the church as an entity with as much, if not more, power than the child Queen herself.

  However, the princess is nothing but a frightened eleven year old. She has no desire to claim the throne herself, but has no choice but to be swept up into the politics of the adults around her.

  The last faction with any power in Barsole would be that of the people loyal to the crowned prince. Seeing that the Queen is no longer fit to rule, both nobles and commoners alike are looking to the oldest son to inherit the crown from his mother. The next two oldest princes are part of this faction, fully supporting their older brother should he wish to grasp the crown for himself.

  Unfortunately, the mad queen also happens to be an insanely powerful witch. Her unwillingness to just step down, coupled with her seemingly insurmountable power, meant that it would be nay on impossible for anyone to wrest the crown from her clutches, no matter how hard they wished, prayed, or plotted for it to be the case.

  Add to that, the youngest prince seems to have inherited both his mother's madness and power. He is completely devoted to his mother, and is yet another obstacle for any one looking to take the crown for themselves to over come.

  And, currently, a new factor has blown in from their northern neighbor. Word has reach the Barsole court that things are brewing in the Monster Forest, and none know how such news will affect the kingdom going forward.

  "They say there have been man-like monsters patrolling the borders as of late..." Whispered a haggard looking Brutus. He was a lesser noble in the service of the crown prince, having looked over the kingdom's rising sun almost from his conception. His dedication to the crown prince was nothing if not absolute.

  "Do you mean the goblins?" Asked another noble. "I can't imagine them leaving the mountains they are said to haunt up in the north..."

  Currently the Crown prince himself sat at the head of a long conference table, his dark hair tied back out of his prematurely aged face, as he listened to his people discuss the current issues plaguing his doomed kingdom.

  Crown Prince Varian was an ever calm and stead fast man. He excelled in his studies as a child, and had even obtained some accolades while serving his kingdom as a knight. At thirty-seven years of age, he was long past due to have inherited the throne of Barsole from its current monarch, his mother: Queen Constance Barsole. But he had doubted for a long time that his mother would ever, willingly, hand him the throne.

  That did not mean that he was willing to just sit back and watch the people of Barsole suffer under his mother's iron grip either.

  It had not always been this way... Queen Constance had always been a powerful and stubborn woman, but it had only been when her husband- the late King Varian, whom the crown prince had inherited his name- had died due to a sudden illness, that the queen had begun to loose her mind. She stared to suspect everyone-even him- of poisoning her food, or plotting her untimely death. She listened only to the worst of her counsel, raising taxes unfairly, and even beheading citizens for the least of crimes.

  Now the nation was at a breaking point, with multiple faction gnawing at the rope that was the noose around the countries proverbial neck. On top of it all, they now had to deal with these strange rumors coming from the northern forest.

  Barsole had always been somewhat reticent toward demi-humans, and down right hostile toward any kind of monster. But, since the decline of the kingdom, it had gotten down right brutal. Demi-humans had been locked up, killed, or enslaved. And even the barest hint of a monster spawning within the kingdom had the Church of the Blessed Saintes foaming at the mouth. News of monsters gathering at the boarder would only spell trouble.

  "I hear that it was not goblins, but rather some kind of fur cover race of monster." Spoke up another of his counsel.

  To Varian's left, the second oldest Prince scoffed. "What does it matter what kind of monster it is? We just need to kill it if it even thinks of crossing into our borders!"

  Zale was as proud and boisterous as their father was said to have been in his youth. His academics and military achievements were just as good as Varian's, and some might think him in the running for the throne... But the second prince just did not have the personality for it. And Zale would say it to anyone who asked as well. He was nearly six years Varian's junior, but the crown prince still considered him his closest friend, as well as his brother.

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  "That is your solution to everything: Kill it." Huffed Bracken. He was the third prince of the kingdom and had just reached his twenty fifth year of age. Unlike Zale, Bracken was a deep thinker. Though, the third princes brain was more suited to the whimsies of the mind rather than the pursuit of literary knowledge. On top of that, he was one of only two princes to inherit their mother's gift for magic.

  "What, you want us to make friends with the monsters?" Scoffed Zale, leaning back in his chair and lashing the third prince with his icy blue stare. Varian and Zale looked a lot alike, except Varian had green eyes while Zale had blue.

  Bracken, on the other hand, looked just like the paintings Varian had seen of their late grandfather on their mother's side. Tall and lanky with honey brown hair, fair skin, and warm hazel eyes. Some even speculated that he might not have been the actual son of the dead king. Mind you, it was from their mother that they had inherited their royal blood, so other than some interesting gossip, no one cared too much about that.

  "You don't think it interesting that the monsters- who once were rarely seen on our boarders at all- are now, not only showing themselves, but working in some kind of organized fashion?" Sighed Bracken in a some what condescending tone.

  "No, I didn't say that. I just don't see why simply killing them is still not the best option."

  "Enough." Growled Varian, irritated with their constant nit picking. It wasn't like they hated one another, simply that they seemed to find their constant arguing as a rather fun game, even at the expense of their poor older brother. In their new found silence, Varian spoke. "Like Bracken stated, it is best to know if there is some kind of organized front forming on our borders. Who knows what has been brewing in that demandable forest in the centuries its been sealed off..."

  Varian's stance on demi-humans was not as strict as his mothers, but he had not affection toward monsters. As far as he was concerned, they were vicious, man eating fiends placed in this world to test humanity and their resolve. It would not do the kingdom well to suddenly have to deal with an invasion from the forest while they were dealing with their current succession issues.

  "Send men out to bolster the boarder guard." The crown prince sighed, rubbing a growing throbbing pain in his temple. Nothing seemed to be going his way. If the Church was right, and the Saintes was a god, then she had it in for him for some reason.

  "Your mother won't like that..." Warned a grizzled old man at the far end of the table. Barlette was one of the very few people present that wasn't a noble. Instead the old man was a tried and true war vet that Varian had had the honor of serving with. Technically the white bearded man was supposed to be retired, but he insisted of standing with Varian all the same.

  "Yes, well, my mother does not like much of anything I do these days. But that does not divert from the fact that she has put me in charge of the boarder, and there fore I have every right to up the number of men on it."

  "Besides, give the sharks in Mother's ear five minutes and they will have convinced her it is a grand idea. It would mean less of our troops stationed here." Pointed out Zale, his cold eyes now on the older man.

  "In fact-" Stated Varian, brow furrowed in thought as he leaned further over the table. "Have Master Summers form an expeditionary party. I want to know exactly what is going on in those damn woods."

  Silence met his ominous words. He wasn't surprised; after all, there hadn't been an expedition into the Monster Forest since his grand father was a young lad. And that had not ended well at all. Barely an hour after sending the party into the darkened trees, those outside could hear the other men's death howls. No one has dared attempt it since.

  "Do you thing Summers will actually do that...?" Hedge Bracken, sitting on the edge of his own seat. Curiously, he looked just as intrigued as he did frightened by the thought of sending honest knights into what amounted to an almost guaranteed death trap.

  Barlette sighed, scratching at his bearded with a had covered in as many scars as it had wrinkles. "Summers is a sword mast of the great kingdom of Barsole: He will do what ever it is that he is told to do."

  An even graver silence hung over his counsel then, as if they were all saying their final farewells to the sword master in their own heads.

  This time it was Varian who sighed. He could not end this meeting on such a sour note. "Look, there has barely been a peep from that old dragon in ages. He is probably dead. My best guess is that the monsters are on the move because of that, not some plan by the deranged lizard to invade kingdoms he couldn't care less about."

  "But we have no way of knowing that!" Insisted Zale, slamming a fist on the table. Master Summer had been a friend of his during childhood, and Varian know the two were close.

  "That is precisely my point." The crown prince insisted, glaring at his brother. "The last thing we need right now is for the monsters to break out of the forest and invade Barsole. Whether they do it of their own volition or at the command of Aeros. One way or the other we need information."

  "Brother, you are right." Stated Bracken. It was not a place that the prince had thought he would hear support on this issue from first. All eyes now turned to the third prince. "In fact, I would like to volunteer to be on this mission!"

  "What?" Hollered Barlette, who actually stood up from his chair.

  "Have you lost your mind?" Snapped Zale, glaring across at his younger brother.

  meanwhile, the rest of the room broke into various levels of shouting or heated whispering. Clearly none had expected the usually reclusive Bracken to go out on a long mission into a forest. Much less and monster infested one.

  "I hardly think that such a mission is suited to his highness." Growled the old knight, clearly trying to dissuade the younger man. Barlette may have been an old grouch, but he had a good deal of affection for all the royal family- even their crazy youngest brother, Troy, who spends all his time at their mother's side.

  "What are you talking about?" Smiled the third prince, leaning back casually in his chair. He almost looked like Zale then, even if their physical appearances were so drastically different. "Having a prince along will be even better. The men will not hesitate as much to carry out the mission, believing that my brother would never send his dear younger brother out into danger and death. Plus, the men would be all the more on guard and vigilant if I happen to be there."

  "Enough." Snapped Zale, fists clenched and teeth grinding. "The Monster Forest is no place for you to be sating your demandable curiosity Bracken!"

  Varian knew Zale to be right. This was just another one of Bracken's stunts to assuage his need to know the unknown. Most people would look at the laid back, skinny, third prince and think that he was just a lay-about with no drive. But Varian knew better. Sure, Bracken could be lazy and unmotivated... but give the man an unsolved curiosity and he turned into a voracious hunter.

  Varian knew that, now that the thought was in his younger brother's head, he would not be dissuaded. Bracken would find some way to get on that mission, even if it meant going against his orders.

  "Fine, you may go..." He relented.

  "Have you gone mad as well?" Snapped Zale as Bracken sat back, looking quite pleased with himself.

  "You know full well that he was going to go whether I allowed it or not." Groaned the ever exhausted crown prince, sinking wearily into his own high backed chair. "At least if we send him in an official capacity we can have him watched and guarded. Other wise he would be traipsing through the forest with nothing but a backpack and we will never see the fool again."

  "This is absurd..." Growled the second Prince. Despite his displeasure, he still couldn't disagree. They both knew that the third prince would sneak into a wagon if he had to.

  "You had better not cause problems for Summers." Varian stated, willing his brother to obey. "And remember, you are there strictly as an observer, Bracken."

  "As you say, your majesty, this kingdoms great First Sun, who shines on us all so splendidly!" Saluted the younger man, looking far too much like a person who was going to do the exact opposite that he was asked.

  Varian prayed that Summers would be able to keep his sanity...

  "Stop that..." Varian sighed, running a had down his face in growing anxiety. The stress of dealing with his family was going to put him in his grave long before he ever got the chance to rule this kingdom himself.