Bismarck's (attempts at) Dailies

The villa was in flames. The walls had been breached on the west side and the gates had been opened. It was already too late. Orianna dismounted and drew her lance, advancing. She was alone. Where was her regiment?

The first opponent presented itself at the breach in the wall. Clad in dark armour, helmed, a lance in hand. Custodian. Oriana gritted her teeth and advanced, electricity crackling along her own weapon. The Custodian turned to her and hefted their weapon in silence. Orianna let out a cry and lunged, and the Custodian fell away into shadows. She staggered to a halt, watching ashes slip away from where her opponent had stood. She looked in the breach.

The gardens had been scorched. The roof of the bath house had collapsed inward and flames licked over the pillars. The manor above was conspicuously dark, smoke rising from within, but no flames visible. She charged upwards with reckless abandon. Two more Custodians greeted her, armed with greatswords. These put up more of a fight. She parried a blow from the first and drove her lance through its shoulder, and it collapsed into shadows like the first. The third lunged and she narrowly dodged the strike. It parried her own blow and took another swing, overextending itself. One well-placed thrust and it fell.

"Mother?!" Orianna shouted, entering the manor. "Father?!" The furniture was smashed and scorched, notched taken out of the walls where blades had struck. "Lydia?!" Orianna went in. A shadow leapt at her and she sent an arc of cyan lightning into it, briefly illuminating the room and annihilating it. "Mother! Father!" She went up the stairs, seeking their bedroom. More shadows moved, forming into armoured opponents, but now they only vaguely represented Custodians. Their armour was cracked and jagged rather than the smooth heavy plate she knew all too well. A bolt destroyed the first, but the second's weapon slashed across her armoured chest and sent her staggering. She caught its next blow with the pole of her spear. Pure white eyes glimmered in its visor, its helm twisted and monstrous in appearance. She pushed it back and tore through its midsection with one strike, her spear burying itself in the wall as the shadow collapsed. She left the spear there and ran to her parent's room, stumbling over fallen debris and landing hard on one knee in the doorway.

Beyond their bed, she could see a single hand lying in a pool of blood.

Orianna awoke with a cry of anguish and bolt upright in bed. It took a long moment for reality to sink it - it had been a dream, nothing more. She was covered in cold sweat, breathing hard as she regained her senses. She looked out the window to see the beginnings of sunrise outside. She let out a deep sigh and lowered her head, letting her long locks of red hair fall around her face. She would speak with an auger today. The dreams were getting more and more disturbing.

"Orianna?" Her mother peered into the room with a worried look on her face. "Are you alright?"
"I'm alright, mother. Just a bad dream." Orianna gave her a relieved smile. Her mother nodded.
"Let us know if there's anything you need. Breakfast is being prepared now."
"Of course, mother. Thank you." Orianna nodded. Her mother stepped away, and Orianna lay back in her bed with another sigh.