CHAPTER1
    Macerian ran through the over growth of the forest. Twice he had tripped and nearly fell again. He thought this way would be quicker. The limbs and thorny branches whipped him continuously. His arms and face attested to that fact. Blood trickled from minor scrapes on his arms and face. He tripped once more falling face first to the ground. Macerian gathered himself and returned to his trek. He saw the forest thinning all that was left was a small brook. Then he’d come out the treeline behind his adversaries skirmish line. He wanted to beat Gunther and Cyrus to the battle. High Lord Regus was testing all they’d been taught through out the past six months. The school High Lord Regus sponsored each year taught the basics in being a soldier, field craft, tactics, logistics, and weapons usage. Those student that scored in the top one percent were guaranteed a spot in the Order of Tules, a unit of esteemed squires to the elite Order of Crimson Knights. The two year duty gave those squires preference when the books where opened to be petitioned as a knight. The petitoner could be sponsored by the knight they squired or by any knight. Macerian wanted to be a knight of DeMara more than anything in the world. He sloshed through the brook’s cold water and continued his run.