A/N: This story takes place on an alternate version of Earth where instead of Technology, we have Magic. History is the same however.

Chapter One

The light from the quarter moon filtered down between the closely set, two-story houses. Though calling them houses would be a bit much. This was the Low Quarter of the city, where the poor lived. And crime was rampant. And the figure walking down the winding, narrow streets was extremely out of place.

A young woman with auburn hair that ran to the bottom of her shoulder blades, and wore an emerald green dress with golden swirls, quietly wandered around, an air headed look on her face, unaware of the two raggedy-looking men following her. One of the thieves slipped down an alley when the woman turned left, and cut her off. Frightened, the woman turned and found the other one standing behind her, wielding a broken club. She faced the first thief, who drew a rusty dagger. The one with the dagger gave her a toothless grin and licked his lips.

“Just follow us missy, and do what we say, and you can go home,” he croaked. Then they both pounced

And flew back. They shook their heads, and gazed with stunned surprise at the bubble of impenetrable golden light that surrounded her. Then, as she smiled arrogantly down at them, their jaws dropped as they realized who she was.

“My…My Lady! Forgive us, please. We didn’t know it was you!” the one with the club begged. But the woman simply exhaled loudly.

“It doesn’t matter. With you two gone, these streets will be that much safer. Take them away.”

Two men in plate armor stepped out of a doorway, bowed to the woman, and dragged the two would-be thieves away. The woman continued her stroll, but no one else challenged her. So she headed toward the largest building in the Low Quarter. It was a large building, exuding age and holiness. When she finished a prayer under her breath, she looked over her shoulder to find a Mayoral Messenger running up to her. She smiled gently. This particular messenger was a boy of ten, whom she had saved from the life of thievery, and helped him receive his position. The messenger was barely able to speak, so she waited until he caught his breath.

“Grand Marshal! We’ve received word that an assassination order has been placed for your death. The Mayor advises caution. We, the city that is, can’t afford to lose its greatest defender,” he reported. The woman smiled again, shook her head.

Go rest at the temple. Tell the Order that said so,” she gently ordered him.

The boy grinned, and entered the temple, so tired he forgot to thank her. The woman decided that her duty was done, and headed for home.
Celise Marcella Allenar, Grand Marshal of National Defense, and High Commander of the newly restored Order of the Silver Shield had lived in New York City her entire life. She even helped with the rebuilding of the city when it was destroyed, five years ago when she was only 16. Since then, after receiving her status as a Paladin, she had searched endlessly for the one responsible for that devastating attack, as well as those she'd lost. During that attack, she had lost her older sister, her parents, and her fiancée. But so far, she had been unsuccessful. She’d even asked for help from the Council Arcanum, but they had turned her down. It was beginning to look like a hopeless cause.

Celise was so caught up in her thoughts that she almost passed the turnoff into the Middle Quarter. The Mayor of New York had offered her quarters in the Keep, or a house in the High Quarter, but she had turned them down, preferring to build a house over the spot where her father’s smithy once stood. She unlocked her door, climbed up the stairs to her bedroom, and changed into a lavender nightdress.

She had just lain down to sleep when somebody landed on her bed, and placed a dagger against her throat. Her attacker lit a torch, and Celise heard the dagger drop to the ground.

“Oh my God, Celise?!”

The attacker was a woman with tan hair cut at her shoulders, whose tight fitting, long sleeve tunic, and tied leather hose matched her hair perfectly. On her head she wore a matching beret with on off-white feather, and her piercing, glacial-blue eyes matched Celise’s. And apparently, the woman knew her personally.

Celise used her attacker’s hesitation to throw the woman off the bed, and leap to her feet, combat ready.

“Who the hell are you,” she asked furiously. She was a very calm person until you pissed her off.

She was finally able to get a good look at her attacker. The woman’s lithe, athletic form was perfect for stealth ad agility. She carried two curved, vicious looking daggers, both of them made of a dark metal that blended into the shadows. There was no doubting that this woman was a Rogue. And there was something strangely familiar about this woman, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

“I’ll ask you one last time. Who are you, and what do you want?” Celise’s voice was getting dangerously low. She felt a great rising power from within her, telling her to fight, but she held it in for the moment.

“My name is Shadow, Assassin Second Class, Charleston Assassin’s Guild.

I was sent by an unnamed client to that wanted New York’s head defender out of the picture. But I just realized that I can’t do it. My apologies Celise”
The rogue tried to flee, but Celise had been anticipating that, and was a step ahead. She threw out her hand, and chains of golden light flew from her hand, and wrapped themselves around Shadow’s legs, causing her to fall hard to the ground. Celise placed her foot at the small of her back, making sure she didn’t move.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think you’ll be going anywhere toni-“ Celise was cut off as Shadow rolled over, knocking her to the ground. She swung her daggers downward, and sliced through the chain. There was only one thing that could do that. Celise leaped to her feet, and called on that power inside.

Shadow covered her eyes as a blinding ring of golden light appeared at Celise’s feet, and began moving toward her head. Everywhere the ring passed, her nightdress was replaced with powder-white plate armor, every plate edged in gold. When ring vanished, Celise wore that plate over her torso, and her feet. Her arms and legs were covered in chain mail, colored the same as the plate, and she wore a belt with a cloth skirt that went down to her left ankle. She wore no helmet, only a white circlet as well as a pair of green tinted reading glasses. On her back was an azure cape that flowed down to the floor, and an enormous greatsword. Celise grabbed her hair, twisted it, and a piece of white cloth appeared, holding her hair into a ponytail. She drew her sword with one hand, and pointed it at Shadow.

“Obsidian. You dare to bring that in here? I should smite you where you stand.” Celise’s voice failed to hide the disgust. Obsidian was considered an evil metal, because it absorbed Holy Light, which meant that Shadow was a very exceptional Rogue.

“You won’t do that Celise. It would go against everything you stand for as a Paladin.” Shadow replied. She seemed confident, but her voice displayed fear.

“Besides, I have to go.” Shadow threw something to the ground, and black, acrid smoke filled the room. Celise waved her hand, Cleansing the room, only to find it empty.

“Damnit.” She knew she wasn’t going to get much sleep tonight.