Coat of Arms

-Prologue-

Nature, with its violence combined with humanity's megalomania, has turned this evergreen forest into a dry wasteland as time went by. The only trees that remained were the ones that were dead, and the only living things that walked on the arid land were the occasional traveler who didn't have the luxury of traveling by air.

Two travelers named Alden and Carisa have decided to make their way through the desert, knowing quite clearly that this wasn't the most comfortable road to tread on. A common goal drives them unfettered from the harshness of the outside world. Carisa was still cranky from sleep deprivation, however.

Nevertheless, the sky was in its ideal state of perfect blue, occupied by some clouds which were neither too thin nor too thick. Nature, still bearing the wrath it has unleashed on the forest, was calm. Just over the horizon they saw, most likely, a band of traders. For an ordinary person, this might not have been a bad omen. However, with the sound of heavy metal treading hastily at the dry soil, Alden knew that this wasn't just an ordinary trading caravan passing through.

"Do we really have to deal with them?" Carisa said, looking at Alden with tired and disapproving eyes. And indeed, she was tired. Three days of travel has taken its toll on her, and being a young woman from a thriving city, she was not used to the breathtaking beauty of the outdoors.

"It seems that way, yes." Alden replied, unfazed from the apparent danger that was ahead of them. "They're just an army of bandits. I think we can take them."

The pair heard gunshots from the horizon. They were loud and the shooting was seemingly endless. The sound of bullets hitting thick metal armor made them completely aware of what was ahead of them.

"Autonomous Cavalry. I don't think I'm going to be much help here." Carisa's heartbeat hastened, which made her attempt at deadpan rather sloppy.

Alden gave her a warm smile, which didn't lessen her anxiety any more than readying his hand cannon did. "Don't worry, I'll handle it." He took his gun from his holster, aiming it at the horizon as if to scan the area.

"Will you be alright?" Carisa, who already grew quite fond of Alden's company, knew that he would be. Perhaps that question was just for the sake of decorum.

"I'll be fine. Just promise me one thing." Alden was ready to go, more or less. He only had one gun, but it wasn't going to be a problem. His only concern was what will happen after the fighting was over.

Alden saw a banner being raised from the heavy metal horde. The image was hard to make out, but he knew what it was from the instant he saw it. The insignia of that banner was something he was all too familiar with.

"And what would that one thing be?"

"Keep your distance."