Gravity

The guard drew his sword from its sheath as he saw a silhouette approaching in the moonlight. "Halt!" he called out to the person. "Entrance to the castle is prohibited at this time of night. Unless you have something of extreme importance, I suggest you turn away!"

The person however did not cease. They continued to approach, and in doing so, the guard was given a clearer view of who the person approaching was. She was perhaps in her mid to late thirties, dressed in a long and old cloak, pulled tight around her shoulders so that its blackness might help to confine her in the night. Her face was drawn and flat, staring past the guard as though he were irrelevant.

The guard pointed his sword at the woman's chest, though he didn't particularly desire to have to hurt her. "I highly recommend you turn back now," he called out once more. "Or else I'm going to have to make you stop your approach."

"You will do nothing against me," the woman called back. She did not look in his direction. Did not make any movement to show that she in anyway recognized his presence. Merely spoke in response to him.

"By order of the king, I must stop any who approach the castle without permission, at whatever costs I deem necessary. If you push my hand, I will kill you to prevent you from entering the castle."

"I said you will do nothing against me."

The guard lunged forward to strike at the woman as she came within range, but was surprised to find that his sword missed her entirely. He stepped forward to strike again, but his foot made no purchase. He couldn't move at all. He looked down to find himself floating several inches off of the ground. He hadn't felt the movement at all. And as he watched, he was drifting further away. A noise of surprise escaped from his lips as the woman walked underneath him.

"I told you that you would do nothing against me," she repeated. Her hand was outstretched, palms up, as if she were holding him up by the foot. "You should know better than to oppose strange old women who come dressed in black in the middle of night. They often aren't good news."

"I must protect the king."

"I think you will find that difficult in the coming moments."

The guard hit the ground hard, as if he had been hammered down by a thousand weights piled on top of him. It felt as though every bone in his body shattered as he slammed into the ground, breaking the stone and being pushed down and in, like falling on foam. Even if he had the strength and the stability, he could feel that he would not be able to move. He felt heavy. Too heavy. Heavier than he had ever felt.

The woman stepped over his stone grave. "I'll be on my way now, if you don't mind."