You open your eyes to find yourself in a hospital. It seems slightly shoddily made, with simply a few blankets making a hospital wing. The bed is uncomfortable, pushing against your wings. One wizened old man is standing above you, his eyes closed, and he's whispering softly.

Noticing you're awake, he smiles. "Welcome back to the world of the living, young one. It seems you had quite a battle back there. Do you remember anything that happened to you? We found you unconscious and bleeding in the forest." He grabs your wrist, and feels your pulse.

"Oh, and in case you were worried, you'll make a full recovery."

Slowly, regaining consciousness, her eyes parted open and she awoke with an audible groan. The place she was in wasn't very clear at first, the surroundings still a blur. Her head was still dizzy. Looking up, she noticed the shape of someone standing over her and his voice. The voice of an elder?

"Ah...where? Where am I?"

The old man smiles as you ask your question. "I wouldn't expect you to remember. You had one rather large wound on your head, probably from a club. You are currently in the community of Pherae, my child. This is the city where the survivors of Fynn fled to after Nergal attacked us."

The man washes his hands and grabs something around your head that you can't see. "Hmm... it would seem as though this wound has healed enough." Pulling a bit, off comes a bandage, with a large amount of red blood on it... it must've been from that wound on the head he had been talking about.

"Now that you're awake, what is your name again miss?"

Pherae? Fynn? Maybe it was from harsh knock on the head, but she had no clue what was being said. Neither places didn't sound like home; and if she was elsewhere, and someone took the liberty to help her, and not bind her like a prisoner, maybe she was in good hands. The young humanoid covered in feathers got up slowly after the elder took off her bandage. She was still in a bit of a daze, bringing up a clawed hand up to her head.

"My name...?" she said. It felt safe to reveal it, "It's...Altadys."

"Well Altadys, you're healing up very well. Not many people could've taken a wound like that and recovered without serious long lasting wounds. Ivan, our prophet, claimed that such an event would happen... well, I suppose you should know... since you're a part of it now."

The old man pulled up a simple chair. He sat down, preparing himself for a long tale.

"It all started about two fortnights ago. You see, I am the chief cleric to the court and crown. I never interacted with commoners before, but this situation... well, you'll see why.

In Fynn - the capital of this country - I served his highness King James IV, and his daughter, Princess Aria. The two were kinda and just rulers, being fair to their subjects, and not taking more money than they needed. They also took more money from the rich, to permit the poorer to have a more comfortable living, if only a little. They were loved by the people... by some more than others though, and that is where our tale begins.

I was not the only one in direct employment of the court and crown... there was a man named Nergal, a powerful guard, and the general of the armies. He always thought the nobles were too slack, but they kept him in check, and he always ended up obeying. He fought against the... Bubbles, we've taken to calling them. Our city was built on a ley line, so we had many magical summonings of strange and often powerful creatures. He defended us, and so we thought we were safe as long as we had him. Well...

It turns out, we were wrong to trust him. He had been secretly planning a rebellion, but for how long I don't know. One day, he simply entered the court room, unannounced, and much to sure of himself. The hand picked royal guards lowered their spears, but he then charged in with his own soldiers. There were simply too many. But the soldiers did a good enough job that I was able to take Aria and run through the secret passage. The king was behind me... but he sealed the entrance behind him, and I heard him draw his blade... To this day, I don't know if he managed to miraculously survive. We can only assume the worst.

However, this means that his son, Kylar, now holds the throne. He is placed in the most defendable place in the country. Even if we gathered all the militaries in the country other than the soldiers they have in Fynn, then we would still fail to penetrate it."

The old man gathers himself, allowing you to take the time to digest the story so far. After a few seconds he begins again.

"So I'm sure that you are wondering how this affects you. Well, Ivan the prophet recently had a vision. This vision seemed very obscure... but it was simple in meaning. We would have a hero come, and we would find them in a field, alone. That is it. And now we've found you... so perhaps you are the hero which Ivan saw. That is what I think. Altadys... I know this might be a bit much, but please. Do your best to fulfill this prophecy. I'm asking you personally. I'm not asking you to kill Kylar and Nergal... yet. But for now, I would just like an answer. What will you do now?"

Hero? That was quite an amazing story she had heard, like from her days as a little hatchling. But, it was tough to digest after she had just woken up from a bad wound on her head. This was especially about the part about her being a hero. She would've never imagined. Altadys rubbed her head again.

"You see me as a hero? What can I possibly do?"

The old cleric furrowed his brow. "Well, I am unsure about that... I was hoping that you would know what your talents are enough to be able to tell us what you do."

"But, yes, we see you as a hero. And not just a hero... the hero. Altadys, we think that you are the one that will be able to help us get the Princess back on her throne, and defeat Kylar. So I ask again... what will you do now?"

What will I do now? Altadys sat up on the bed to ponder over everything. Was this a bad dream? After being knocked out, how was she cast off to an unknown place of refugees? Then, the elder by her talked about being an expected hero, and throwing herself into danger to save the strangers of this place. The bird girl slowly shook her head because these thoughts crossed her mind. A hero? The idea repeated itself. It could've been a deceit, it could've bene not true, she might've been in the hands of the enemy, one she probably stood no chance against.

"Elder forgive me. How do I know that you're telling the truth?" Altadys turned her head, staring at the old man with sharp eyes, "How do you I know I'm not in danger?"

The elderly man, taken aback, regarded Altadys seriously. He shook his mouth forming a slight frown. "Altadys, I never said you weren't in danger. I said that you were destined to be a hero. The path will be dangerous. But everything else I have told the truth, I swear on the grace of Pelor that I have."

Suddenly a voice from the entrance of the hospital called out, "There's more wounded that we've found Master Minwu! We need your help! We need your expertise!"

The elderly man called back, "Okay, be there in a shake!" He turned back to Altadys, a sorry look in his eyes. Standing he said, "I have to tend to the other wounded. We're going to need every soldier we can get if we want to win this war. And that includes you. If you wish to go see the princess, simply head toward the large tent in the middle and tell the guards that Minwu the Priest sent you. They will let you in. Safe travels Altadys."

The raptoran was silent. It looked like Altadys didn't have a choice. The Elder's story, and kindness, seemed genuine. Maybe the best way to face the situation was to go with it and meet this princess. Alta got up and would make her way towards the Princess's test.

Altadys stood from the medical bed, walking toward the entrance. Along the left and right gave her glimpses of wounded, some with missing limbs, some with heavy bandages, and some dead, but not yet noticed. The battle which Minwu had been talking about must have been very fierce to create this many wounded. And this was likely not all of them.

However, Altadys walked through the door and looked to see the community of Pherae. It had been simply set up in a hurried rush so it seemed. There were many tents gathered close together, encompassed by a shoddy wooden fence. Some of the tents were open to reveal a fire pit with an anvil and some poorly made swords and axes. Another revealed leather studded armour, with one breastplate. Some were simply residential, with people living inside them on cots. The world which these people were in was one of simplicity. And distress, so it seemed.

One large tent in the middle of the city was surrounded by a finer fence. It was closed, and there stood two guards, one wearing a helmet covering his face, and another who looked like he shouldn't still be wearing his breastplate and wielding his spear. The old one calls out in a weak bark, "What business have you here?"

When you explain that Minwu sent you, the one wearing the helmet snorts.

"Yeah right, she's probably lying Jim. She was probably sent by Kylar to assassinate the princess." His voice, surprisingly, sounds young, around the age of 12.

The old man whacks him in the back of his head. "You idiot, Minwu can see the truth. He wouldn't let her come by if she was an assassin. Go ahead woman."

Walking inside the tent, there is a woman ahead of you, dressed in elegant, if slightly stained gowns. "What is you business here woman? I am very busy with the rebellion. Speak now." Her voice has a musical sound to it, lightening your spirit. This must be the princess.

Altadys recollected the elder's words upon looking at Pharae. It was like he had said, Nergal's usurp in Fynn had left many in a rough predicament. That one part was true. And it seemed that the raptoran was going to take part in it as well. She felt a little pity.

Entering the tent, Altadis met a woman dressed in elegant clothing, who seemed to be the princess by the sound of her words and precious voice. If that wasn't regal, what was?

Altadys prostrated before the woman, "I...I was sent by Minwu the Priest."

"Oh."

The princess let that one syllable escape her mouth, then was shocked into silence. The princess stared at Altadys for a long time, seeming to have many thoughts going on inside her head.

"Then you must be... It must be true... But I never... It must..."

She stuttered for a long time. Then, gathering herself, she closes her eyes, and then looks at Altadys closely.

"Okay, warrior of light, if Minwu sent you, then you know what just happened. And so then I ask you to do a preliminary mission."

"You see, my father was the last one to be in the courtroom... but he knew everything about the castle. And so I wonder if somehow he had been able to elude them. Please... in order to join this army, I have one request. Please... find evidence of my father... either his death, or his life.

I normally would request a large group to go... but Nergal has made sure his son Kylar has strong security. And it's easy to get one soldier in than a large one. Some soldiers might still be loyal... But it might be difficult to find out which. But you have my faith Altadys. Do you wish to join this army, and finish this war, so that you may return to your previous life... whatever it was?

The shock of seeing Altadys as "the Hero" must've been big. While bowing to the princess, even the raptoran felt awkward by the silence, and the stammering of words after that. It was most likely an unexpected sight; but ultimately, the princess placed her trust in Altadys. When she was asked to look for the previous King and to join the war, Altadys took a while to answer. If she said "yes", she was about to expose herself to danger, but at the same time, it seemed like the only option available.

Also, seeing the injured made her feel a little sympathy, "I will help."

"Brave hero, your quest shall begin shortly then. It is nearing nightfall, and if you travel then, and stop at the town of Ostia, near Fynn, then you can rest there for the day, and begin the final stretch as night approaches. The trek to Ostia should not be difficult... however, the trip to Fynn may be so. But you are the hero... so this will turn out favourably. You may take your leave." The princess said with authority, but still relief that the rebel army was finally getting help.