If you have a penchant for those brave, just, and kind characters, then Nara is not for you. She's everything that type of protagonist lacks: ambitious, cynical, manipulative, distrustful, and treacherous; those are some of the adjectives that descr...
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Uncertainty and curiosity were displayed by the warriors who murmured amongst themselves as to the possible reasons behind their summoning in the early hours of the morning.
Annoyance and weariness were evident on Nara's face. She already had a terrible sleep quality, but the symptoms of her insomnia were getting worse as she was in a continuous state of alertness. To make matters worse, next to her was a brat who couldn't keep quiet, thus aggravating her headache.
"Hey, do you know why-"
"No," Nara interrupted him.
Baldomar, standing to her left, let out a vigorous laugh. Fortunately, before the brat could protest, two men stepped onto the platform in front, plunging the camp into abysmal silence. One of them carried a huge sword on his back. His short dark hair, athletic build and imposing presence were distinctive.
This man was the one who had earned the title of the most powerful warrior in the kingdom, Commander Hybris.
"I'll be quick," Hybris announced solemnly. "The reason you've been summoned here is to inform you that the First Defence has been breached."
The warriors were incredulous and bewildered at the news. Then Verrater, the commander's reputed right-hand man, stepped forward.
"We understand your confusion, but we have already verified the authenticity of the news," he declared with a somber countenance.
Nara yawned, massaging her throbbing temple. Honestly, whether the kingdom fell or not was none of her business. She wasn't bound anywhere, she didn't owe her allegiance to anyone either, and she could stay or leave whenever she pleased. The only reason she was on this battlefield was because of a deal she had made weeks ago.
"However, to break through our defenses so quickly is unusual," Verrater hinted as his gaze scanned the crowd for someone. "That's how we discovered that there is a traitor in our midst," he finally declared, surprising everyone. "The mole... is you, Corporal Nara."
Baldomar and the brat reacted with swiftness, subduing Nara in a matter of seconds. The warriors moved away, opening a circle in the middle. Verrater then handed out instructions to tie up the traitor and throw her into the commander's tent, where she would be severely tortured. Nara resisted fiercely when she felt the bindings being tightened on her wrists and ankles, to the point that her reaction surprised Hybris.
Moments later, Nara was chained to a chair in the middle of the tent, surrounded by armed guards. Her uniform was a mess, and there were several cuts and scrapes all over her body.
Hybris, followed by Verrater, entered the tent and stopped in front of her. The brat, as Nara had nicknamed him, came in with her bag and threw it in front of her. The contents were scattered on the floor: maps with marked escape routes, clothes, supplies, and other tools to facilitate her escape.
