I'm having fun actually putting all of my story ideas to text lately and posting them here, so here's another... this one's a little different than some of my previous ideas. It tries to follow characters built for a Medieval world but in the modern times. I thought it would be interesting to see how character I originally created for this Medieval-Fantasy realm would work if adapted to a modern world story. I'd like to hear what other people think on the adaptation. This was all I was able to come up with on it so far... just a little introduction to the 2 primary characters of the story. Maybe I'll continue this if people think I have something good going.

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All of the most prestigious noble houses in the country were located in the thriving town of Branshire. One such house was the House Wellington, which enjoyed an illustrious 500-year history of prestige. The house first came into existence at the end of the middle ages when a poor girl with great ambition did the unthinkable, creating history and fame that has lasted ever since.

In modern times, House Wellington was mostly just known for having the most magnificent garden in the country. The lady of the house, Belle, made every little decision on what went into the garden and its arrangement. She set rigorous schedules for watering, pruning, and other care to be followed by the gardening staff.

On one pleasant afternoon, Lady Belle was in the dining room, peacefully sipping her tea when her butler approached. Belle was a woman of average height and slightly above-average figure. She had long, flaming orange hair and emerald green eyes. She dressed in long, white robes with green trim and design work.

“You have a guest, m’lady,” her butler said to her.

She turned her head towards him, looking up at him as she inquired, “Oh, who is it?”

“Dame Calista,” was the reply.

A look of excitement took over the lady’s face. “Sister has returned? Oh, do please escort her here, Stewart.”

The butler bowed and replied, “As you wish, m’lady.”

A brief moment later, the butler returned, accompanied by a young woman wearing silver armor (gauntlets, arm guards, shoulder guards, a chest piece that started at the breasts leaving the very tops exposed, lower body armor that flowed outward like a skirt, and greaves that lay over the tops of her white boots). The woman bore many physical similarities to Belle. Her hair was lighter, more of a blond color with an orange tint. Her eyes were hazel, but leaned towards the greenish side. Her facial expressions and overall demeanor were more stern than the warm and friendly feeling that Belle gave off.

Belle smiled warmly at her dear sister. “It is good to see you again, dear sister. Are you well?”

Calista nodded in response. “I am fine. Thank you for asking,” she said. She spoke plain and proper, her tone not seeming to express the feelings of joy that her sister’s did.

Belle’s attention was then caught by the cape Calista wore. It was white on the outside, green on the inside, but currently very dirty and tattered. She frowned slightly upon noticing this. “Oh my, your cape is a mess. Here, give it and I’ll have the servants fix it up for you.”

Calista shook her head. “No, that’s all right. I can’t stay for very long.”

Lady Belle tilted her head slightly in an inquisitive manner. “Out on another adventure so soon? Will you not at least have a cup of tea with me?” she invited.

“My work is on-going. You know that.”

“You don’t need to try so hard, sister,” Belle told her. “We don’t desperately need knights in this day and age. You should relax some. There is a thing called the police that will protect the town’s people.”

Calista clenched her fist tightly at this suggestion, though her sister could not see this from where she sat. “The police are greedy and incompetent. Besides, my duties are far more important than petty crimes for the police to handle. I protect the country as a whole.”

“We have a military, you know. You may be more effective than a constable, but not a tank,” Belle pointed out. Her voice was tinged with concern for the wellbeing of her only sister.

“And the military only activates when a long process of government approval has been passed. What about immediate threats?” Calista argued.

“Well, we don’t have too many of those…”

“This is the path I chose. I will uphold my family’s name. I expected you of all people to be more supportive of this,” the knight declared, starting to sound more angry with every response she gave to her sister.

Belle waved a hand a bit, trying to calm Calista down. “Now, now, Cali… you know that I support you in whatever decisions you make. I just don’t want you working yourself sick. I don’t really understand how you find yourself all of these knightly missions to go on. The demand can’t really be that high, can it?”

“The need is there, you just have to look for it. Most turn a blind eye,” Calista informed her.

“Well, I’m glad you at least found the time to stop by and say ‘hello’,” Belle said, her tone lightening again.

Calista’s tone, however, remained serious. “There’s actually something I need from you, Belle.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“I was hoping you could write me a referral to get into Trumandale,” requested the knight.

This struck Belle as an odd request. “A referral? But we are from the same house. I’m surprised you can’t get into Trumandale yourself.”

“You have a lot more pull than I do, being the actual head of the house,” Calista reminded her.

“I suppose that makes sense… but what about the knights’ corps?” Belle asked. She would have expected Calista to go there first as the most logical place to gain permission for knightly duties.

Calista looked away, a bit nervously. “This uh… isn’t exactly official business…”’

“Oh my… are you getting yourself into trouble again? Whatever am I going to do with you?” The way Belle said it almost sounded as though she was teasing her sister.

Calista looked directly at Belle, a bit of anger showing as she slammed her fists down onto the table. “Please, take me seriously for once! This could be my chance to prove my worth as a knight of the House Wellington.”

Belle’s expression turned to a more concerned one in contrast to the light-hearted one of earlier. “Oh… so you want to impress the other knights so they’ll finally respect you. Are they treating my poor little sister like she doesn’t belong?”

“Y-yes… that’s kind of it…”

“Well don’t you worry. Big sis will take care of everything. I’ll get right to work on that referral for you,” she said. She then got out a pen and paper and began writing. After she was done, she signed the piece of paper and showed it to her sister. “There. How’s this?”

Calista took a moment to look it over and then looked back up to her sister. “Ah, perfect! Thank you so much,” she said grateful.

Belle then handed her sister a small plastic box. “And here, take this as well.”

Calista looked at the box, questioningly. “What’s this?”

“Just some potent herbs and remedies,” Belle explained. “I can’t be there to treat your wounds personally, so this will help you do it yourself.”

“You are too kind, sister.”

Belle smiled again. “Nothing’s too kind for you, Cali. I wish you luck and pray for your success.”

Calista nodded and quickly headed off.

Once Calista was gone, Belle began to comment to herself, “Poor girl… she isn’t even really in the knights’ corps. I wonder if we even have a knights’ corps…” She sighed before resuming her internal monologue. “I can’t imagine why she feels the need to deceive me. I know she’s had her heart set on being a knight like her ancestors ever since she was a little kid… I hope she doesn’t become heartbroken.”

Belle took another sip of her tea. She scrunched her face up as it hit her tongue. “Oops, looks like I let my tea go cold. Stewart, could you have this warmed, please?”

I like this, it reads like a book. It draws you in to the characters and surroundings but then it leaves you hanging lol, I want more : )  Maybe a complete saga would be nice to read. Who knows maybe you could copyrite it and get it published...

How did I never notice this?  O.o

Seriously Li, I'd love to see some more.  I miss seeing your little tid bits here and there.
Speaking of which, I need to put some time aside to work on my own stories and rp's, don't I?  Oh dear...

Anyways, I concur with the poster above me.  Very well done, and I hope you find the time to give us the privilege of seeing your work again!

Oh hey, there was interest in this? Ok, I'll try and type some more up either later today or sometime in the upcoming week and post the next chapter.

VERY late, but here is some more of the story...

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Calista approached the city of Trumandale. Royal guards kept watch outside the town and stopped her as she neared. “Now what ‘ave we ‘ere? A time-traveler perhaps?” one of the guards remarked mockingly.

“I’m sorry, miss. This isn’t the fifteen century!” the other said to her in an attempt to join in on the teasing. The two laughed together at their jokes.

Calista obviously was not amused and replied in a very cold tone, “I was not aware that the job duties of the royal guards now included making banter. What a disgrace this is to witness.”

The guards’ expressions quickly became cold and stern, not amused by the criticism. “Well I’ll tell you what our duty most certainly is. It’s keeping unwanted people out of the city. So unless you have some business here, I suggest you go play knight elsewhere,” said the first guard to her.

Unfazed, Calista replied, “Actually, I do have business here.” She then pulled out Belle’s referral and handed it to the guards.

The first guard took it and gave it a look over before passing it to his partner. “Lady Isabelle Marie Wellington, eh?”

“Looks authentic enough to me,” remarked the second after having a chance to examine it himself.

The first guard sighed and looked back at Calista. “Fine… you may enter. Just don’t be causing no trouble. A get-up like that is almost begging for some.”

“What I choose to wear is my business. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” She walked pass the guards and headed into town. The last thing Calista was going to do was let some foolish town guards get to her. She had far more important things to focus on.

She had ventured to this town in pursuit of a certain man who had recently begun gaining notorious recognition for his crimes against the country. He was a wanted man, but the law didn’t know how to deal with them…or maybe they didn’t want to. The Royal Knights mostly stayed guard at the castle rather than going after random criminals. Still, with the stories Calista had heard, this man could very well turn into a threat to everyone. This was threat she wanted averted. Whether or not she actually gained any recognition for it wasn’t much of a factor for her. She would love to officially be named a knight, but her primary focus was protecting the kingdom.

As she walked along the streets of Trumandale, she caught many the curious stare from the local citizens. She knew she looked out of place in her attire. She didn’t care.

The knight hopeful spotted a bar and decided to head in. She detested the environment of bars and the type of patrons they tended to draw, but she could not deny that they were an excellent place for obtaining information.

As Calista entered the bar, she first took a look around. She was hoping she could spot someone who looked like your typical information broker. She imaged there would be some shady-looking guy…perhaps in a trench coat and hat…far back in the corner with a table to himself. However, in reality, there was no such person in this bar. It was very normal and there weren’t many people there to begin with.

Calista figured she was out of place enough as it is. She would need to at least order a drink before she goes interrogating everyone here. She wasn’t much of a drinker, but she had some class and didn’t mind a good glass of wine with a meal. Well, this time there was no meal, but she still ordered the wine; white. Of course, wine was not exactly something you would expect to be ordered in a place like this. This was no fine dining establishment. It was a wonder they had any at all.

“Don’t see many with your getup around here,” the bartender observed as he handed her the requested drink. “Is there some kinda convention in town I don’t know about?”

Calista shook her head. “Nothing of that sort.”

“Well, what brings you to town then?” the bartender asked in a curious tone.

The woman took a sip of the wine, lightly squishing it around in her mouth a bit to test the quality of it before swallowing. It was not the best wine she had, but it was drinkable. “I’m looking for a certain person. I heard rumors he came to this town.”

The bartender leaned a bit closer, this apparently catching his interest. “Oh? And who might this person be? I pretty much see or hear about everyone who comes here.”

“I don’t know his actual name,” she began, “but people call him ‘The Black Wind’.”

The bartender’s face grew pale at the very mention of this name. “I don’t know what business you have with The Black Wind, but I’d advise you forget it. It’s best to stay away from that man.”

Calista leaned forward and sharply asked, “What do you know?”

“Just that anyone who has a run-in with the guy ends up either cursed or just plain dead,” the bartender explained.

“I can handle myself just fine,” Calista remarked.

The bartender shook his head. “You don’t understand, lady. This guy deals with magic and the darkest kinds.”

Calista scoffed at this. “There’s no such thing as ‘magic’. Any sensible person knows this.”

“Many a traveler has told me the same and all have ended up being made believers…well the ones who actually lived to tell about it anyway,” he remarked.

“Nonsense,” Calista insisted. And people say that I live in a fantasy world, she thought.

Calista had essentially confirmed that her target had been in town. The bartender would not offer up much other information and most of the other patrons of the bar seemed clueless.

This talk of magic did trouble Calista, though. It was an absurd notion as far as she was concerned. Calista was a woman that believed firmly in things that could be proven with cold, hard fact. Magic was something that was completely unscientific. Her sister had a gift for curing even the worst of ailments, but that was not ‘magic’. It was in-depth knowledge of various herbs, medicines, and treatment practices. Belle worked diligently to figure out cures for everything she encountered.

Calista then thought about the herbs her sister had given her for this journey. One might have expected an assortment of cures, but that was never the case. Given a whole grab bag of treatment options, Calista would be lost. She did not understand these items the way her sister did. Fortunately, Belle always seemed to pack the exact treatment she needed. It was if she knew exactly what kind of injury Calista was going to encounter. But even this was not magic. It was part of their sisterly bond. Belle knew her little sister all too well.

Calista decided that she had two goals in mind now. The first was to capture The Black Wind before he caused serious trouble. The second was to dispel this myth of magical practices. Once she finished her drink and gave the bartender a tip, she promptly headed out to search for more leads.

BtotheH : Thanks ^.^

Here's a little more...

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Tracking the trail of the Black Wind proved very difficult for Calista. Most feared him and the few who might actually know any relevant information weren’t talking. It took all of the money she had on her to bribe leads out of people. Finally, she happened to see someone matching the suspect’s description existing a shady-looking building. Part of Calista wanted to investigate the dealings going on inside, but she knew she had a more important objective right now.

"Halt!" Calista called out to the black-clad man. He turned at the voice, as she had hoped. Not only did he wear a black trench coat and fedora, but he also concealed his face with a black masquerade mask. He looked at the knight inquisitively.
"Who the heck are you?" he asked, eying her over.

"I am the one who will bring you in for your crimes," she plainly stated, her shield drawn and ready.

The man laughed at this. "Perhaps you do not know who it is you are dealing with. I, my dear, am the Black Wind…a master of the dark arts."

"I know that you should have spent more time working on your nickname…not that it matters as your need for it has come to an end," Calista replied, unimpressed.

The man’s eyebrows furrowed with annoyance. "Maybe you’ll change your tune when you witness some of my magical abilities."

"Magic?" Calista asked. "If you think I’m volunteering to be sawed in half, you have another thing coming."

"I’m talking about real magic. I cast spells, not perform card tricks!" The Black Wind insisted.

Calista placed her free hand on her hip impatiently. "You must think that because of my attire, my mindset is from the Middle Ages. I know full well that such things do not exist."
The black-clad man chuckled. "Oh? Doesn’t it?" He then clasped together his gloved hands. "Prepare to face my wrath!"

The man quickly moved his hands around while silently mouthing something. Then, there was suddenly a spark of flame that flew towards Calista. She side-stepped the attack and the fireball weakly fell to the ground about five feet behind her, still burning.

Calista made no visible reaction at first but she soon walked over to the flame and stomped it out with her metal boot. What remained were barely noticeable, charred pieces of fabric. She then looked over to the Black Wind. "You truly insult my intelligence. That was probably the worst sleight of hand I have ever seen."

"W-what are you talking about?" he stuttered.

"Clearly you took a lighter or some similar device to a piece of cloth and threw it at me. That was the extent of your ‘magic’," she explained. "Now that you have had your failed attempt to scare me off, I’m taking you in."

The man took a few steps back and then turned to run. Calista quickly gave chase, catching up to the man and ramming into him with her shield, effectively knocking him to the ground. "S-stay away! I’ll curse you!" he warned.

"Do you honestly think I would buy into any of your foolish claims at this point?" she rhetorically asked. Ignoring her target, she grabbed him and lifted him back to his feet. He grabbed her arm, as if trying to free himself, but was unsuccessful. Calista was easily able to haul the man into the nearest police station to turn him over to the authorities.

At first, the police were weary of dealing with the man. They feared his so-called ‘magic’. Once Calista explained the true nature of his tricks, they became more at ease and were willing to take the criminal off her hands.

Calista was about to head back home when she began feeling soreness in her right arm. At first it was a minor irritation, but it soon grew to the point that she could barely hold anything with it. She wondered what could be the issue. She didn’t do anything recently to strain herself. She stopped on a park bench and sat down. She then removed her right gauntlet to inspect her arm further. She could see redness around her bicep area. It looked like a rash, but it did not itch. She poked it, causing herself to grimace. It was very sensitive.

She was not sure what to do. She could not journey far in this condition and she spent all her money, so resting at a hotel was not really an option.

She then thought of Belle’s gift. Perhaps there was something useful in there? She was not too confident, as she did not even know the problem, much less the cure. Still, she was desperate.

In opening the package she received from her sister, Calista only found some green leaves. Should she eat them? She wasn’t sure what they were for. She picked one up, held it to her face, and sniffed it. She pinched the leaf a bit. It was rather thick for a leaf.

She began to tear the leaf in half. As she did this, something oozed out of it. It was a light green substance. An ointment? She wondered. She decided to try to rub it on the red area, trying to gently massage it in, while taking care not to hurt herself too much. Applying even the slightest bit of pressure to the area caused her pain right now.

She waited.

After a few minutes, Calista looked at her arm again. It was no longer red. She tried moving it. It was still a little sore, but not as bad. She decided to give it some more time to rest.

After sitting on the bench for about a half hour, her arm was feeling well enough for her to at least continue travelling. It seemed as though the leaf was what she needed.

I don’t know how she does it, but she always has the answer even when she’s not here....

Calista was still puzzled by how she became afflicted by that soreness, but she figured it was pointless to dwell on it. The important thing was that she had recovered. She could have the arm looked into further once she was home again.