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The sharp crushing of dried leaves masked the deep breathing of the young boy as he ran through the forest. His hair curled slightly, but was cut close to his head so it could be pushed back by hand. His eyes were a simple amber color, and his cheeks were slightly pale in contrast to his dark hair and clothing.

The boy closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. His heart was beating rapidly as he looked over his shoulder at the girl behind him.

An overused short sword was gripped tightly in his right arm while in his left was the hand of the girl. Her hair was blond and ran down her back in a braid. Her nose curved slightly towards the left, but her beauty was still unmatched.

The boy and the girl ran through the forest as the sun rose higher in the sky, it was almost noon and the two had been running since dawn. They were running from the king's hounds. The boy had taken the girl from the castle at her request; she did not want to marry the man her father had chosen. She loved the boy that held her hand tightly as they ran through the forest.

The feral gnash of teeth and brutal crash of trees and underbrush being trampled followed the young couple as they weaved in between trees and pushed the thick brush aside. The boy lived in a modest fortress built from wood and stone. They would be safe from the beasts that chased them once inside, at least for a moment.

The small fortress could be seen through the trees as the forest thinned out into woods. The doors of the fort were open and the boy ran through them, pulling the girl in as he turned to look out at the tall trees.

"Stay back Anja, I'll protect you." The young boy spoke quietly as he smiled at the princess. He left Anja in the fortress as he closed the doors and ventured into the woods that surrounded him.

"Stay safe Damjan!" The princess shouted as the fortress sealed her away from the danger on the other side of the thin wooden walls.

Damjan pushed through the underbrush as he walked farther away from his fortress. He could hear the cruel sound off beasts and monsters of all kinds plowing through the forest, knocking over trees and tearing the ground apart. The sky clouded over and the forest was thrust into shadow.

"Even if it costs me my life, I will protect Anja from you beasts. She won't go back, she loves me!" Damjan unsheathed his humble blade and thrust it at the nearest monster. A demon wolf fell to the ground as he pulled his sword from the dying beast's chest.
  Damjan raised his sword high above his head and brought it down on the neck of an oncoming beast. Sword met flesh and tore into muscle and skin. He pulled his blade from the beast's neck and thrust it into the chest of another demon wolf as it jumped over the body of the partially beheaded beast.
  Damjan grabbed the hilt of his sword with both hands and pulled it out while twisting the blade. The demon fell to the ground and spewed blood all over the forest floor.

A slew of horrific beasts converged on Damjan; all of them met their end as Damjan felled each of them with his bloodthirsty sword. The longer he battled the more the beasts began to hesitate. He was a frightening sight, drenched in blood and heaving air in and out of his lungs as his chest rose and fell with the effort.

"It seems that's the last of them, for today." Damjan wiped his blade on the only clean part of his shirt. He stepped over the pile of bodies and began his walk back to the fortress.

"You're back!" Anja threw her arms around Damjan as he opened the wooden gates of his fort. Her eyes were red and she took shallow breaths.

"Have you been crying my love?" Damjan wiped away her tears as they began to fall.

"I didn't know if you were alright. I was worried. But now that I see you're safe I'm happy." Anja kissed Damjan's cheek and they stood there as the sun peeked through the clouds and bathed the scene in golden light.

"Come inside. We will be safe for the night." Damjan grabbed Anja's hand and led her into the heart of the fortress. The sun began to fall over the horizon as the day wore on. Damjan and Anja sat together and looked out the window and watched the sun set.

The dying light spread colors across the sky in perfect shades of blue, yellow, and red. The colors warped and swirled as the sun dropped lower and lower in the late afternoon sky.

As day gave way to night the couple watched in silence and held each other as young people in love do. Anja closed her eyes and listened to the sound of Damjan's heart beating softly.

The sight of two children in love would calm even the most enraged beast, if only Damjan was willing to share his love with the world. Instead he warred each day with the monsters that attacked his imagination.

The stars began to shine as night completely took over and day vanished. The moon shone bright and watched over the boy as he walked through the woods. He looked over his shoulder at his modest fortress; a pile of large rocks and sticks, surrounding a single empty bench.

"Damjan, where are you? It's time to come in." his mother shouted from the front porch of their house. The front door was open and the yard was bathed in electric light.

"I'm coming mom." Damjan turned away from his fortress and ran home. He would return to his place of adventure the next day. He would save the princess and watch as the sun set. He would sit on the bench with no one, but not alone.