Author's note: This is an original story with original characters (not sure about the title though) so review and tell me what you think, because I might publish a novel in that near future with some of the themes in here.
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A relentless and furious concerto resonated within the hearts of those who hearkened, it tones and notes, harsh and unforgiving, erupted from the mouth of a solitary figure. He stood roughly six foot donned with a black cloak. Underneath he was clad with a pitched black armor which seemed to absorb all light, it obscurity as great as the void, but within the confines of solitary darkness crimson markings and runes were visible, and his eyes twin orbs of piercing blood red shone forth from the abyss with the intensity of the sun as he watched the dancing female before him impassively.
Her movements synchronizing with his song were beautiful and terrible to behold, as they were forceful and brutal containing an underlying tone of grace, subtle and disregarded. She to wore a black cloak and beneath it a crimson form fitting armor that exposed her arms, thighs, and stomach, which served only to enhance and intensify her feminine charm as they hugged her curves tightly displaying and flaunting her beauty. Her long red hair billowed about with her cloak heightening the ferocity and splendor of the dance along with the crimson aesthetic fans which adorned her hands. Blades spouting from the spine of the fans.
The tempo was then magnified. It's raging and piercing tone tearing asunder all comfort and warmth, as a sea of turbulent noises wiggled its way through the defenses of the people causing discord and despondence within. The dancer moving in sync with the music gained a certain edge and deadliness, for her movements no longer resembled those of a mere dancer but rather of a natural trained killer. For her moves could now no doubt be used to end a life if need be.
Therefore those who hearkened and witnessed such a grand scene, perceived a perpetual war of unknown and mysterious powers raging against each other with an endless wrath and fury that could not be appeased. Yet amid the confusion a soft melody drifted across the area, it nature though gentle and yielding could not be quenched, as its docile tones began swirling around their hearts. And in the midst of the chaos a spark of relief, small and unnoticeable, began to grow. Once again the dancer followed through with the music and overlaid her movements with a patina of peacefulness which subconsciously evoked a soothing atmosphere.
The tunes melded at times and at others fought for the mastery, each struggling against the other with a different power and profundity, slowly but surely the delicate melody increased in intensity and the ferocious and violent tune began to recede, its chaos forgotten as a whisper amidst a sea of sounds. Feeling the shift in the sonata the dancer's movements mellowed down, losing its fierce and aggressive qualities in order to make way for the final piece of the symphony. To those who observed, a certain cheeriness and tenderness washed over them, one that was in accordance with both the singer and dancer.
It was at such a time that the singer and dancer truly became one. To the audience it seemed as if the singer was guiding the gorgeous movements of the dancer through the utterance of notes and pitches incomparable in both loveliness and magnificence. And as the dancer bent to the will of the singer, likewise the air itself bent to the will of the dancer, granting her with grace and fluidity that could only be described as perfection in and of itself.
A few moments later both the singer and dancer had reached the climax of their parts and in a sudden fashion the music and dancing had ceased. Both participants then turned towards the audience and gave a curt bow signifying the end of the grand show as loud cheers and applause erupted throughout the city square; many of the people in tears never having witness such a beautiful thing, for to them it seemed to be a presentation of beauty incarnate. A presentation worthy only of the gods, as its splendor was too much for the human mind to comprehend.
The duo upon finishing their presentation quickly left the city square turning a corner into an ally in order to avoid the crowd as well as the city watch. Their bodies then began dissipating more and more with each step they took, and moments before they vanished the man looked over his shoulder, eyes locking on to a lonely figure standing on one of the numerous rooftops and with a monotone drawl the words, "Mission accomplished" left his mouth, lingering in the air even after their forms had disappeared.
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Kiya's gaze shifted towards her male partner as she voiced her ponderings, "Is this what you really want, sacrificing your own life everyday for a bunch of people who will never acknowledge you?"
"If I said yes would you still be able to follow me as you have until now?" Xargin replied coolly, watching the dying embers of their camp fire as it held a sort of semblance to his own humanity.
"I owe my life to you, Xargin." Kiya answered, "But is this really what you want?" She questioned once again eyes focusing on her partners face searching for any hints of emotion.
A sigh escaped passed Xargin's lips, "It's not about what I want, but rather it's about my purpose."
Kiya's eyes lowered a bit, downcast, "Purpose", she repeated the word; a hollow feeling made its way into her stomach for the man beside her seemed so broken, so lost. He was a man who could only continue on with the multitude of emotional masks that he had set in place, shielding his true self form the world with a veneer of aloofness and detachment. Xargin had saved her life and she'd be damned if she didn't try to save him.
"Not having a purpose in life is the same as being dead." He paused for a bit looking deep into Kiya's eyes before he continued, "It may not have been what I have always aspired to do, but it was the purpose given to me since birth and it is because of this purpose I exist."
"Since birth, what do you mean by that?" the words had escaped past her lips before her mind had even registered what she had just said. She quickly brought her hands up to her lips and mentally started berating herself. Xargin had never been one to talk about his past, and she could only believe that it held many painful memories for whenever the subject had come up Xargin became exceptionally cold.
Seeing her discomfort Xargin stood up and with a wave of his hand dismissed her blunder, "You've been with me long enough, I believe that it's time you've learned a little of my past." Xargin's eyes then unfocused and misted over as memories long forgotten once again floated back.
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"Mission accomplished?" A well built man asked in a gruff voice, annoyance evident on his face.
"Almost, Zed, the mission is almost accomplished." Replied the second man impassively as he walked past his partner, heading towards a woman who was crouched protectively over what John assumed to be her child.
"Mommy, who are they, why are they here, why are they killing everyone?" said a seven year old Xargin clung to his mother's leg in fright, trying desperately to hide himself from John and his partner.
Xargin's mother ignored him, instead focusing her attention on the two men, "Stay away!" The near hysterical woman shouted as John continued to advance in her direction.
"All witnesses must die." John said, as he disappeared only to reappear right in front of the woman with his sword running through her gut, "And you are of no exception."
John pulled his sword out of the dying woman's body allowing her to collapse as Xargin stood there shocked; refusing to believe in the gruesome image that reality had painted before him.
"Mommy." He called out his voice naught but a slight whisper as he rushed to her side his small frame shaking in fright, "Mommy! Mommy!" He shouted as his mind began to register the fact that his mother was laying in a puddle of her own blood.
"My son." His mother called weakly as the Xargin wrapped his arms around her, cradling her head; she brought her right hand up and tenderly cupped his cheek, "I-"
"Don't speak mommy, save your strength!" He harshly chided his mother, ignoring the tears which gathered in his eyes.
"Haven't I told you how much I hate to see you cry? Your pain becomes my pain." She said as a smile formed on her lips, "The day of my death would have come eventually, but even then I would never have wanted you to cry."
"Please don't leave me mommy." He whispered, as tears uncontrollably flowed down his face, "You promised that we would always be together, that we would be a happy family, you promised."
Xargin's breath then hitched in his throat as he met his mother's gaze so loving and warm at such a time. As if her last moments with him were all that mattered. The pain, anguish, and fear of death were all washed away be his mere presence, "M-my f-foolish little c-child" she said, no longer able to speak properly, as she lifted her head up and kissed him lightly on the forehead, "L-like the r-ray of light…. that b-breaks t-the dawn in m-my darkest hour….y-you'll always be a p-part….. of…… me…..." She said as her hand went limp falling to the side.
"No, no! Mommy!" Watching the life fading from her eyes, fear overwhelmed him as he desperately held onto his mother, "Mommy!"
"R-remember….. I'll always l-love you…. M-my son……" She said her voice trailing off as the light left her eyes dimming before flickering out of existence.
"Mommy?" he asked not quite believing that his mother was dead, "Mommy." he repeated again, this time a bit more forcefully. He reflexively began clenching his hands so hard that his nails pierced his skin causing blood to seep out between his knuckles all the while bowing his head forcing himself not to cry. However something inside snapped and all his frustrations and sorrow burst out from him in a guttural scream. There were no words just the primal hate and pain of a wounded cub finding itself alone in the face of an uncaring and cruel world.
John having enough of the drama decided to end it in the most quick and effective fashion. With a flick of his wrist the boy's head was sent sailing as it was removed from the rest of his body. John walked past the boy's body as it slumped forward falling to the ground, but something that he gleamed from his peripheral vision made him pause for a bit. The boy's head was regenerating at an astounding speed! And in a matter of seconds the head had fully grown back.
"Instant regeneration," John breathed out his eyes widening in shock and amazement as he picked the young boy up placing a seal on his forehead that would render him unconscious until it was removed, "He could prove useful to our cause."
"I hate this job." Zed said finally expressing his annoyance in words as he followed his partner taking careful measured steps behind him, "Those innocent people shouldn't have died, John."
John ignored his partner as he continued on to the center of the city, void of anything save corpses. Once he had reached his destination he set the child down against one of the walls of the many houses. Fey energies then began gathering about him as he walked to the center of the clearing, blue lines and runes of power materializing around him, stretching beyond the outskirts of the city. Then a shift in power occurred and John began emitting an atmosphere of death; one that spread quickly coating the entire village in a patina of gore.
John then uttered a word of power and immediately a faint and uncanny light shone throughout the city, as black tendrils reeking of death and decay erupted from the ground hundreds of them wrapping around each and every corpse that littered the city. Witnessing the completion of the procedure John once again uttered a word of power. The strands of death then started shaking violently; glowing with an otherworldly power and mere seconds later they violently invaded any and all of the orifices that the human body possessed. The bodies then started distorting, their opening stretched to disgusting proportions as hundreds of invaders forced their way into the bodies.
Zed forced himself not to look away for he had seem such a thing done many time, but he could never seem to be able to stomach it unlike his partner who stood by the side watching the workings of his own magic impassively. Hissing could be heard as the superficial wounds of the corpses slowly started to mend themselves, regenerating until not so much as a scar was left on their bodies. Mere seconds later cracks resounded throughout the city, as broken bones repositioned themselves and any appendages that were bent at an unnatural angle were twisted back to their original positions. Dark strands of energy then crawled out from the veins and arteries of the dismembered portion of the bodies, be it severed limbs or missing organs, scurrying about searching for the missing body parts. Once the wisps of energy came across the correct pieces of flesh, they quickly dragged it back to the main mass, reconnecting it before sealing the wounds shut.
"Zed." John called as he glanced towards his partner, his eyes sending the silent message. With a curt nod Zed stretched out his right hand, palm facing outwards, as he channeled mystical energies into his fingers. Blood all over the city started vibrating as an unseen force beckoned to it, willing the liquids to submit. Zed then turned his hand so that his palm was facing upwards and slowly a wave of blood washed over the streets and houses creeping through any cracks and openings that would create the shortest path to the epicenter, the location from which the magic was generated. His right hand jerked a bit and with a sudden sweeping motion, the blood shot into the sky before arching and falling down in a torrent of rain. Zed's magic, granting him with sovereignty over all fluids, allowed him to guide the rain of blood and with meticulous and precise calculations each and every drop of blood fell in accordance to Zed's will.
Once the downpour had ceased the motive behind Zed's actions became apparent as the collective blood of the several thousand people that they had slain this day had taken the shape of a huge pentagram as well as numerous runes which decorated the area. After Zed had finished his role John closed his eyes concentrating and willing massive amounts of magical energy to be transferred from his body into the mystical symbol of blood. A translucent substance then began swirling around him growing until it was about fifteen feet wide and thirty feet tall. Suddenly his eyes snapped opened, a blackish mist emitting from them, as the mana surrounding him suddenly swelled, compacting until it had become a ball. Then the blood, of which the pentagram and runes were composed, began bubbling and evaporating as John's power coursed through it. The blackish mist which gathered around his eyes quickly expanded, flooding the whole area engulfing it in a shroud of darkness which quickly encompassed the city.
Threads of perpetual darkness shot forth within the mist entangling the all carcasses in cocoons which pulsed with an eerie red light. John then set his hands in a position before his chest in such a way so that all his finger interlaced with each other apart from his fore and middle fingers which where pointing up and touching at the tips. His hands then began to glow as a surge of magical power flowed through them gathering to a point that strong winds began emanating from his body, causing small stones, pebbles, and dust to be pushed away. Once the magic gathered had reached the appropriate amount for the spell, John slammed both his hands onto the floor and immediately the black mist had vanished along with all the cocoons.
Slowly the bodies of the dead began twitching, a red light shining in their eyes. Low moans could be heard as the dead began rising, standing up on wobbly legs. Slowly but surely their movements became more natural, their pale complexion fading away as color once again found its way to their faces. John then turned around and was about to pick up the boy before his partner interrupted him, "To what extent must we must the people of this world sacrifice in order for us to achieve our goals?" Zed asked.
John simply walked passed his partner and picked up the boy, "Don't dwell on it Zed, we did what was necessary." he said before he melted away into the darkness.
Zed stayed there for a few moments pondering over the words of his partner before he heard the voice of a little boy, "Mister are you ok?" the boy asked as he saw the strange look on the man's face.
Zed closed his eyes willing himself to calm down as he said, "John Zak, a necromancer who can emulate the souls of the dead with a fragment of his own, in doing so it is impossible for anyone save the caster to tell between the living and the reanimated."
"Um, mister is something wrong?" the boy asked worry etched on his features.
"No, nothing's wrong." Zed replied as he moved his hand to pat the boy on the head, but before his hand could make contact with the lad's head a young lady cried out, "Jimmy you need to come home right now, moms been looking everywhere for you."
"Aw man." The boy said dejectedly as he was dragged away by his sister.
A sigh escaped passed Zed's lips as he turned around repeating the words of his partner, "We did what was necessary, huh." Zed then raised his head, his eyes staring at the sky as if consulting some unknown deity, "If it's like that then what separates us from our enemies?"
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"From that day on I was trained to be an emotionless weapon by their organization, a weapon used only for the greater good." Xargin said as his eyes once again focused on his female companion.
"But why would you want to live the purpose that they, the people who killed your mother, gave you?" Kiya asked with confusion written all over her face as she tried to grasp Xargin's way of thinking.
"Kiya, it may be true that the people who killed my mother gave me this purpose," Xargin replied, "but if you take a closer look at reality, you'll see that it was only in a physical sense, because fate was actually the one who bestowed this purpose upon me."
"A physical sense, fate?" Kiya asked as she gave him a questioning look.
"I was the only one who survived the massacre of Xonan because fate had granted me the gift of regeneration. It was because of this factor that John had decided that I was of more use to the organization alive then dead." Xargin explained as he took off leaving Kiya alone in the clearing, but after taking a few steps he began speaking, "They may have killed my mother but in the end she was just another victim to the cruel reality of this world, another sacrifice for the greater good, just as I am."
Kiya watched the retreating figure of her partner wondering just what kind of life he had lived to be able to simply dismiss the death of his mother so easily, but right before Xargin was out of earshot an unknown urge built up inside of her until it erupted forth in a fury causing Kiya to cry out his name, "Xargin!", she nearly shouted.
Xargin stopped walking, "What?" He asked without turning around to acknowledge her presence.
Kiya froze up not knowing exactly why she had just done that, but did she know that she needed to remove the awkward atmosphere that she created, so she decided to throw him off, "You aren't going to sleep." She stated plain and simple.
"What about it, it's not like I ever do." Xargin replied as he turned around facing his female companion curiosity stirring within him.
"Well that's just it, you're always training or taking missions, you never seem relax or indulge in the comforts of rest." Kiya said voicing her concerns.
"Of course not, with my regenerative abilities rest and relaxation are nothing more than a waste of time and as for comfort." Xargin paused for a bit, "There are times when I cannot tell the difference between comfort and pain." With those final words Xargin left Kiya alone in the clearing.
"What inhuman things were done to you to make you like this?" Kiya said barely above a whisper as she watched Xargin, who was probably the most intimidating human on the planet, vanish into the night. While she was still pondering over this matter a squirrel ran across the camp and jumped onto a platter of food picking up a scrap of food while knocking down a pitcher of water before scurrying away. The water in turn seeped into the dying cinders of the camp fire, extinguishing the embers.
"Is this an omen, a forewarning of the outcome of Xargin's humanity?" Kiya asked herself aloud, but even as the words came out of her mouth she shook her head dismissing such pessimistic thoughts as many winds gathered within her palms. "No," Kiya said with fierce determination as she brought her hands to the charred remains of the campfire allowing the winds to encircle the ashes, reigniting the flames, "I will save him."
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Kiya was lifted from her slumber by the faint rays of light that shone in through the slight opening of her tent. Sitting up she stretched her arms to relieve the tension in her muscles which had been acquired from sleeping with her armor on. Once the muscles in her body were relaxed Kiya quickly folded her blanket and made her bed. When Kiya had stepped out of her tent she made her way to the nearest tree. On it was a rune that emitted a bluish glow. Kiya then set her hand on the symbol and small but noticeable ripples spread intermittently across the surface of the tree, originating from the center of her palm. Once Kiya had entered the correct sequence of mana into the icon the space time around the tent began distorting as it collapsed on itself. Kiya not bothering to wait for the completion of the magic spell simply walked away. After all, once the progression of space time sealing had begun the rune would automatically guide it through the rest of the process.
When Kiya had arrived at the clearing she saw Xargin standing with his eyes closed his breath deep and slow. He held his sword before his chest with the blade pointing towards the ground. Overall he seemed to be in a state of meditation.
Xargin upon sensing Kiya decided to acknowledge her presence, "Kiya, are you absolutely ready for this mission?" Xargin asked as he turned his head in her general direction her waiting for her response.
"I guess so, why?" Kiya questioned confusion written all over her face. The last time Xargin had asked her that question was right before the assassination of Killeen, the leader of the legendary criminal organization, Prometheus. He had killed and impersonated the King of Thisus and with his organization pulling strings from behind the shadows, he had complete control of the country. At the time Xargin had made plans to kill Killeen and disband Prometheus, the mission had almost gotten the both of the killed. That was over a year ago.
This time, however the mission was a fairly simple one. All they had to do was protect a shipment of gold, not a fairly large amount by any standard, probably enough to attract some thugs and bandits but other than that she couldn't think of anyone else who would be interested in such a small shipment of gold, so she could only wonder why Xargin was so concerned over such a mission.
"I just have a hunch that things aren't going to be as simple as they seem to be." Xargin replied as his gaze hardened. A tense silence passed between the two.
Kiya in all the time that she had known Xargin had learned to never doubt nor question his instincts. Thus if Xargin was this weary then that would mean that difficult times were ahead.
After moments of silence, which was commonplace amongst the two, the sound of many hooves clattering upon the smooth pebbles which littered the road could be heard from the distance.
"They're here." Kiya declared, stating the obvious fact, as they patiently waited beside the road for the caravan to arrive.
When the caravan had finally arrived at the designated location Xargin took note of the ten people that were hidden in one of the several compartments. Xargin could tell that they were suppressing their aura allowing only minute amounts to be released. Most people would be unable to detect such faint traces of mana, but Xargin was trained to the point of perfection in all aspects of combat. Even so it was difficult for Xargin to pinpoint their exact location.
Xargin's eyes narrowed in suspicion. It was very unlikely for mercenaries to train themselves in the aspect of stealth. So the ten people that hid themselves were probably assassins. To hire an assassin of such high caliber from the Assassins Guild was quite expensive. To hire ten of them. The cost defiantly wasn't worth it for such a small shipment of gold.
"Kiya." Xargin said as his gaze fell upon the caravan. Kiya answered with a simple nod signifying that she had received the message. After two years of partnership with Xargin she could effectively read Xargin's body language and she herself had also grow use to using the subtle movements for silent communication.
"Greetings," A man called out as he began to dismount his horse, his breath reeking of alcohol. Drunkard was the single word that passed through both Xargin's and Kiya's minds. As their employer approached them, two mercenaries followed behind him protecting him from any potential threats. Xargin however, ignored the hired swords instead focusing all of his attention on the man before him.
Any single man who was willing to hire ten members of the Assassins Guild for such a simple mission warranted much suspicion. Thus Xargin took in the man's features, burning the man's face into his mind for future reference. Black spiky hair, black eyes, an angular face with cheek bones positioned slightly above the norm, scar on the right side of his cheek. After a few seconds of scrutinizing this man Xargin saw something familiar. Xargin paused for a bit. His facial structure had changed a bit, but Xargin was able to recognize the look in his eyes. For the eyes always gave the measure of a true warrior. They were windows to the soul – and now more than ever Xargin realized that truer words have never been spoken. "I assume that you are the two mercenaries from the-" He said only for Xargin to interrupt him.
"Zed Thisus." Xargin stated plain and simple. Kiya had to stifle a gasp as she remained impassive, being professional enough to resist the reflexive clenching of her fists and teeth in order to hide her rage. Anger began bubbling inside of her for this man was one of the many who were responsible for Xargin's tragic history.
A thoughtful look then crossed Zed's face, "Oh, I didn't think that I was famous enough for people to know my name just by looking at my face." He said as a playful smile graced his features, amusement dancing beneath his eyes "Well is it the ladies who have been talking about me after all I'm quite the looker."
"Don't flatter yourself, Zed." Xargin replied as he kept his voice even allowing no traces of emotion to be found, "Or should I say former partner and sensei."
"Xargin?" Zed's eyes widened in surprise regret marring his face briefly before he narrowed his eyes tensing his muscles ready to fight. Seeing that Zed had marked this man as a threat the two guards instinctively brought their hands to the hilts of their swords and as one they began drawing their blades. Six inches of steel were bared before Xargin spoke.
"Relax." Xargin said in a commanding tone that held such authority that the two mercenaries behind Zed actually complied. Shocked by the power that his simple words had over their actions they forgot about their blades leaving them as they were partially drawn, "I hold no ill will for you."
Zed relaxed his muscles but he was still mentally alert, ready to act at a moment's notice. When Xargin had destroyed the organization Zed had already left for about a year, so the motives behind Xargin's actions were unclear to him. Thus Zed could only ask the simple question, "Why?"
"The reasons behind my actions are irrelevant. Suffice it to say that it was necessary."
"That not very reassuring Xargin," Zed said scoffing. He shouldn't have even bothered to ask. "For all I know you could be after my head."
"If I wanted to kill you do you really think that you would stand a chance?" Xargin countered as he took a step forward only for the two mercenaries to draw their blades positioning themselves between Xargin and Zed, "Or…" Xargin left the rest unsaid as his gaze fell upon the caravan in which the assassins resided.
Zed clenched his fists; he was treading on dangerous territory now. If Xargin had sensed the assassins then surely he would be suspicious. And all Xargin had to do was to state his suspicions and this mission... No the entire world would be at stake.
"Seems like I stumbled upon a secret of yours, so how about this." Xargin proposed, "Stay out of my business and I'll stay out of yours."
Zed sighed, no longer able to come up with an argument, "Gouzu, Kyouko stand down." Upon hearing their employer's command the two directed a slight nod to the other before stepping back and sheathing their blades.
"Alright I'll trust you" Zed said as he mounted his horse, "For now." He mumbled the last part under his breath.
"Alright men lets go." Zed shouted as he began leading the caravans, Xargin and Kiya following behind with Gouzu and Kyouko. When Zed was sure that he was ahead and that no one could hear or see him he took a swig out of a wine bottle as tears gathered in his eyes threatening to fall down, as he muttered the words, "Xargin, I'm sorry."
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"Nebal, home to merchants and travelers alike!" Zed announced with an excited voice as a robust town that glowed brightly with an otherworldly blue came into view. The town if it could be called that was vast; its boarders were almost as large as many of the cities that existed across the continent, that is if you were only counting its land mass. Multitudes of armadas, which rested in the Tiberius Sea, linked together by chains and bridges composed the other half of Nebal.
The most stunning aspect of Nebal however was probably the fact that four giant crystalline statues, guardians, hovered a few hundred feet above at the four corners of Nebal, two floating above land and two floating above the sea. Between the crystalline constructions a huge island comparable to Nebal in size was present being sustained in the air by nothing more than the very substance that made Nebal into what it was today, the greatest godsend in the history of trading and marketing, Mana.
"You know." Kiya began curiosity getting the better of her, "How is it that Nebal can afford to sustain all that?" She asked no one in particular as her hand made a sweeping motion gesturing to the giant land mass of an island as well as the thousands of other smaller pieces of land that hovered below it, each at varying altitudes.
"Nebal was located on one of the few key points on the globe in which it was possible to extract mana" Zed said going into what many would refer to as "lecture mode", "because of such Nebal is blessed with an unfathomable amount of mana. Taking advantage of this the founder of Nebal declared it as a trade center, opposed to the military establishments that were normally built on such places-"
Xargin ignored the idle chatter as he felt something. As he focused a bit more his eyes widened slightly, it was her presence, the presence of the one that he had left alive all those years ago, the one that he had left in tears, in sorrow, in hatred… and now more than ever was the time to deal with her.
"She's here." Xargin said as he began taking longer strides intent on separating himself from the rest of Zed's bodyguards.
After spending so much time with Xargin, Kiya could tell when Xargin didn't want to be disturbed thus she cast an illusion on all the members of the caravan, an illusion that would send them into a magic induced sleep. Unfortunately for Kyouko she hadn't spent years with Xargin and thus had no way of reading Xargin's moods, "Xargin where are yo-"
"Don't interfere." Xargin harshly cut in, rudely interrupting Kyouko's question.
"Hey you don't have to be so impolite" Gouzu retorted in Kyouko's defense.
Xargin ignored him, "Whatever happens do not interfere."
"What's up with him?" Kyouko asked Kiya.
Kiya shrugged her shoulders, "I have no idea but for him to be showing this much emotion. It must have something to do with his past."
"His past?" Gouzu asked suddenly interested in the conversation between the two females.
"In the two years that I've known him he only once talked to me about his past, a small part of it." Kiya replied disappointing Gouzu who was curious about the enigma also known as Xargin, "But from what I gleaned in my time together with him I can tell that his past must have been very tragic. Every time the subject comes up he becomes exceptionally cold and distant."
"It's to be expected." Zed spoke from behind the three.
"His past was that tragic?" Gouzu asked as his gaze drifted to his employer.
"Yeah." Zed answered bowing his head slightly to hide the guilt in his eyes, "it wa-"
"Xargin!" A voice rang throughout the clearing interrupting Zed.
"Dear sister." The words rolled off Xargin's tongue without any hint of emotion as a woman seemed simply to phase into existence behind him. Two words flashing through his mind. Too slow.
Everybody tensed as the woman appeared behind Xargin her sword held at his neck. The only thing that had stopped her blade from lopping his head off was the fact that his left hand, which was positioned in front of his right shoulder, had her blade pierced right through it. It was times like these that reminded Kiya of how little she knew about Xargin.
It wasn't uncommon for mercenaries or warriors to train themselves to resist pain; the best could even neglect pain, but to so carelessly allow a blade to run through your hand was an immunity of pain that few could ever hope to achieve.
Suddenly a weight descended upon everyone as the atmosphere soon became so saturated with murderous intent that the members of the caravans that Kiya had put to sleep began rolling around in their sleep wailing at the utter sense of hopelessness that they felt, but Rei paid them no heed instead focusing all her attention on Xargin. The one person who had given her reason to live so long after that fateful day, that reason was revenge.
Neither Xargin nor Rei moved a muscle allowing silence to reign over the area until a cold and icy tone that sent shivers down the onlooker's spines rang throughout the area, "Dear sister if you wish to kill me then you had better come at me with everything that you've got." Xargin said as he quickly pivoted on his right foot bringing up his elbow in an attempt to smash Rei on the side of head. Anticipating this move, Rei tilted her head back narrowly avoiding the blow, but what she didn't anticipate was for Xargin to force his left hand down the remaining length of her blade, taking a hold of the hilt of her sword.
Once he had secured his grip on her sword he pulled her forward, off balance. "Like I said dear sister," Xargin repeated as his fist found its way to her stomach, the blow lifting her feet off the ground, blood erupting from her mouth. "If you wish to kill me," this time the voice came from behind her and before she could even react Xargin's kick to the small of her back sent her sailing through the trees. "Then you had better come at me with everything that you've got." He said as he patiently waited for her assault.
Xargin was not disappointed as seconds later Rei burst forth from the cloud of dust that his last attack had inadvertently caused. Once Rei was within striking range she swung her sword in a horizontal arc in an attempt to sever him in half. In response Xargin nimbly jumped over her blade rotating his body in mid air so that his form was parallel to the ground before lashing out with a kick that connected to the woman's throat, once his foot came in contact with Rei's neck he used it as a springboard to launch himself backwards, spinning in mid air as he did so. Refusing to lose any ground, Rei dug her feet into the dirt, but the earth beneath her gave way allowing her to skid back a good fifty feet. Once she had regained her footing she wanted nothing more than to massage her throat in an attempt to alleviate the pain, but years of experience had taught Rei to never reach for a wound in the midst of battle no matter how painful.
As Xargin landed, Rei's crushed windpipe had already been restored to its previous state, due to her regenerative powers. Xargin paid this no heed however as he quickly flashed towards her, vanishing from view. When Xargin approached Rei quickly calculated the distance between them before sending a thrust right where Xargin's face would inevitably be. During mid-thrust an insane smirk adorned her face as Xargin's head was only about an inch away from her blade. Her smirk widened. One centimeter… One Millimeter… And. Rei's smile vanished completely, as her face was twisted with a look of utter disbelief. He was able to spin right passed my attack even though he propelled himself forward at velocities that dwarfed the speed of light? Her thoughts were interrupted though as her mind registered a brief flash of pain where Xargin's left heel had connected with her head.
Rei's head lurched to the side from the force of Xargin's blow, her hands already set in position to brace herself for her inevitable impact against the trees, but strangely she found that her feet were still rooted in their original position. Odd the force of the blow should have sent me flying at least a few thousand meters. Her thoughts were once again interrupted as Xargin utilizing the momentum that he had gained from his spin kick, dropped low sweeping her legs out from under her. When Rei was completely upside down Xargin sent a blow to her midsection, the sharp edges of his clawed gauntlet digging into her gut.
A pained grunt could be heard as Rei dropped her sword in an attempt to bring her arms in a defensive position but before she could even manage that, Xargin's arms became a blur as thousands of blows rained down upon her stomach. Rei gritted her teeth as she felt her armor being ripped to pieces, many fragments digging into her flesh with the same effect as shrapnel. Even so Xargin was relentless as his fists continued to tear into her stomach, shredding her skin, muscles, and internal organs turning her whole midsection into nothing more than a bloody pulp.
Deciding to put an end this Xargin pulled his left fist back, winds converged around his arm spiraling and whipping about as he lashed out striking her abdomen, twisting his fist into her flesh as he did so. As a result Rei was sent across the entire clearing, spiraling rapidly as she flew through the air. Xargin suddenly appeared before her, midflight, his left hand wrapping around her neck holding her in a chokehold, effectively halting her momentum.
When Xargin noticed that Rei was healing from the wounds that he had inflicted on her he sent a steady stream of mana into her body confusing it, halting the healing processes. Reflexively she quickly brought her hands to her neck struggling to release his hold on her, growling all the while as she heard Xargin's infuriating voice drawling slowly from his lips as the words left his mouth "Is that all you have to offer, I am… disappointed."
With minimal effort, Xargin hefted Rei a bit higher before brutally slamming her into the earth. Cracks quickly spread out along the ground from the point of impact as the terrain buckled beneath them, caving in, and forming a crater.
"You lose." Was all Xargin said as he prepared to finish her off, but suddenly his hand simply passed through her neck as if she had become insubstantial like a ghost! Xargin then noticed a cocky smirk forming on her features before her body burst into thousands of ravens which quickly surrounded him, sealing him in a dome of darkness. Their numbers were so great that no light was able to enter. "An illusion?" Xargin asked himself a bit unsure before blinking.
When his eyes flickered open Xargin found himself lying on the floor with Rei kneeling next to his prone figure, her sword running through his chest. "Any last words you murderous fuck?" she snarled her face warped by the hatred that she felt towards him.
"D-dear s-s-sister" Xargin said weakly as he brought his hand up as if to cup her cheek but instead he touched her ear, "Are you deaf?" he asked his voice regaining its commanding tone.
"Wha-?" Rei asked her angry scowl was replaced by a look of confusion.
"I said" The words had barely left Xargin's mouth before he suddenly burst into a black liquid substance that glued her to the ground as she tried to get away. "You lose." even as she heard the voice and looked up to find the origin, four large pillars of stone materialized around her, chains shooting forth from the pillars wrapping around her restricting her movements and disrupting her mana flow. Rei attempted to break the chains only to find that she was paralyzed. "Don't even bother the four pillars and chains are illusionary spells that cause paralysis and mana disruptions, it's not something that you can break out of that easily."
Rei growled viciously at the sound of Xargin's voice, but stopped when she noticed something strange. The landscape hadn't been damaged one bit. No broken trees. No crater. No cracks running along the ground. She then looked up to see Xargin standing in the exact same place that he had been before they had started the fight. Slowly dread began to form in the pit of her stomach as she realized something. Xargin had never fought her. She had been trapped in his illusion since the very beginning!
Seeing that she had finally understood Xargin decided to confirm her suspicions, "So you finally noticed it. In your anger you never realized that you were trapped in an illusion." He started taking strides to approach her. "The second you allowed your emotions to run free you lost. Do you understand that?" Xargin stood before her leaning in placing his mouth next to her ear as if sharing some childish secret, "You never had a chance, dear sis-"
"Don't call me that!" Rei's eyes burned with an unearthly hatred. "We may have had such a bond in the past, but you lost the right to call me that ever since that day, murderer!"
"Is that what you really think?" Xargin said as he drew his sword. Rei seeing this quickly shut her eyes awaiting the inevitable pain, "Foolish sister." She heard him say before the sound of a sword slicing through flesh followed by a thud reached her ears. Strange I don't feel any pain. Rei thought as she opened her eyes curious as to what was going on. Xargin was standing before her with blood on his sword and he was missing an arm?
"What" She began but froze as she saw his severed limb rapidly growing back, "No" she said fear growing inside of her gnawing at her heart as bile rose in the back of her throat, "No...it can't be. No...you...you...you murdered them…we couldn't be…"
"You can deny it all you want dear sister," Xargin said the last two words a bit more forcefully, tiring of her foolishness, "but that won't change the fact that we shared the same regenerative powers a trait that only twins or sibling could possibly possess."
A spark of defiance then flashed through Rei's eyes, anger welling up inside of her, "No...this is impossible . It's just impossible. This is just another of your tricks. You...you're."
"What? A murderer?" Rei thought that Xargin's eyes couldn't get any colder, but somehow he managed it, his voice ringing with the same hint of steel, "The only living family you have left?" he cupped her chin with his gauntlet, "Dear sister." He growled as he forced her to look him in the eyes all the while watching the growing horror veiled behind the anger within her eyes.
"Why?" Rei asked bowing her head admitting defeat, tears leaking from her eyes, "Tell me why." She clenched her fists struggling to restrain her emotions, "We took you in. We showed you our love. Why then brother? Why did you-"
"Why?" Xargin interrupted her as he repeated the same question that he had been asked all his life, "Because Dear sister." A hint of sorrowful reminisce flashing in his eyes before quickly being replaced with the cold emotionless front that he put on, "Some promises must be kept…" Xargin then sheathed his blade, "At all costs."
Bile rose in the back of her throat at Xargin's slight nod, all those lives he took… all because of a promise? Because of a few mere words? "You killed them all" Vehemence flashing in her eyes. How callous could one man be? "for a promise?" she repeated, fury building up within her.
I don't expect you to understa-"
He was cut off by Rei's outburst, "You killed them all!" she shouted, "For a promise? Apparently a few words meant more to you then their lives!"
"Like I said" Xargin repeated, "I don't expect you to understand."
She scoffed, "I understand alr-" Rei froze, words no long able to leave her mouth as Xargin leveled her with a stare. Twin orbs of nothingness gazed at her, but beneath the seemingly endless void, a tiny spark simmered, pain, remorse, and sorrow. It was almost unnoticeable at first, but as she continued to gaze into her brother's eyes an animalistic howl resonated within her, a cry of grief and sorrow, of untold pain and suffering. Rei felt tears come into her eyes as the sound rang in her heart, echoing with a chord that told of a lifetime of pain.
"No you don't understand" Xargin turned around his cloak billowing behind him as he did so; "you shouldn't, not yet." he began walking towards the caravan leaving her behind, "Not ever I hope." He murmured the last part to himself but Rei heard it all the same.
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The caravan continued to advance slowly, the wagons groaned in protest as the horses continued to tow it through the abusive unpaved road. Fog surrounded them limiting their sight as frigid winds blew passed them, frost gathering on the caravan and people. For the last three days the caravan had proceeded through the Zergath mountain ranges of Kezerroth.
When Zed had first proposed the idea Kyouko and Gouzu immediately objected. Although passing though the Zergath would save weeks of travel time, the climate was harsh and relentless. Normally weather was not something that mercenaries would be concerned about because they could just use a simple magic spell to change the weather conditions into something more favorable, but Zed insisted that they place a seal on themselves that prevented the usage of any mana.
Kiya shifted her cloak slightly, shielding herself from the stinging sensation that the harsh cold wind had provided. She spared a glance to the others wondering how the rest of the group fared, she could easily tell that they were in the same boat as she was, they were cold and tired. Her gaze shifted to Xargin watching him as he stood unflinchingly against the chilling winds seemingly unbothered by the sheet of ice which had gathered on his armor.
Xargin paid little heed to his physical discomfort instead focusing all of his attention on the surrounding areas. The seal that Zed had given them not only cut off their mana supply, but it also made it near impossible for anyone bearing the seal to sense mana. Fortunately Xargin was not just anyone and thus he had sensed a shift in the last wagon. Most likely the assassins had detected something and went to investigate. While in normal circumstances even one assassin of such high caliber would suffice, Xargin knew that Zed was hiding something, something big and thus Xargin knew that he should remain alert.
"Zed" Xargin spoke in a slow monotone drawl, catching the attention of his past partner.
Zed's gaze turned towards the one who had addressed him speaking no words, his eyes asking the unspoken question "What?"
"This mission, what details are you leaving out?" his question came out in a low hushed tone barely sufficient for Zed to hear through the bawling winds. Zed's eyes shifted to the others and when he was sure that they were out of earshot he spoke, "The Star of Heaven." Xargin's eyes widened a bit. The famed Star of Heaven was a gift from the gods themselves, an artifact of untold power, "You are transporting it." At Zed's nod, an indication that he was correct, Xargin continued, "Why?"
Zed sighed, "Because the barrier was breached and thus the location of the artifact was compromised."
"The barrier was breached? Impossible!"
"That what we all thought," another sigh escaped from Zed's lips, "and it appears that we were wrong."
"How?" Xargin inquired.
Zed was about to speak before Xargin's head whipped to the right, his body visibly stiffening.
"One of the assassins have returned" Xargin paused for a bit expanding his senses once more for confirmation, "wounds are severe, most likely the assassin only has minutes if not seconds to live"
"What?" was all Zed was able to ask before he heard a soft thud.
Zed instantly whipped his head around followed by all of the mercenaries. No one made a sound as a figure appeared, the outline of it's from visible through the fog. As it neared it was quite prominent that whoever it was, was limping. Upon closer inspection it could be noted that the figure was a woman, the long blue hair which cascaded down her body the swell of breast on her breastplate and the slim petite build, all a dead giveaway.
"Su-" Zed called out before his eyes widened as the female was finally close enough to be clearly seen. Everyone sans Xargin looked on in horror at the gruesome sight, some of the hired caravan workers even going as far as to regurgitate, not that anyone would blame them for even the mercenaries had to swallow down the bile that rose in the back of their throats.
"Suki!" Zed exclaimed rushing to her side as she fell back her legs too weak to sustain her weight. She had burns all over her body ranging from first to third degree burns, holes of various sizes littering her body; some of them were large enough for a fist to enter. Her left arm was missing; the few strands of loose flesh hanging limply from the wound indicated that her arm was brutally ripped off. Her right arm stilled remained but it was twisted in an unnatural angle and just by looking at it one could tell that all the bones in that arm were shattered. Suki's face fared no better as the lower right side of her face was chard black with parts of it melted off exposing some of her lower jawbone, the sickly white a sharp contrast to the glaring red and revolting black. Her nose was missing a chunk, lips shredded; she was also missing an ear on the left side of her face. Zed paid no heed to the injuries however as he cradled her head protectively desperately trying to shield her from the harsh reality that had befallen her for behind all this was a human, a face, her face, Suki's face. This was Suki. This was his lover.
"Z-ed…" Suki whispered softly her body shuddering in pain as she spoke, "T-they… need…h-help…" she gasped in pain her chest rising before falling once again. It did not resume.
"Suki, your death will not be in vain" Zed whispered to her before he moved in and kissed her, ignoring the coppery taste of blood and the retched stench of burnt flesh.
As Zed rose he once again took notice of her wounds. She had used what little life she had left to call for help and he could only imagine how painful the last moments of her life had been. His fist clenched and he vowed on his life that he would make them pay for what they had done.
Consumed by anger, and drowned by guilt Zed was unaware of his surroundings, even as a felid was cast round the caravans, even as the mountains around them rose up and attempted to consume them, even as Xargin had to pull him up out of the enemies earth based magic spell. Zed was only brought out of his trance when he saw the three men who had so relentlessly hunted Suki down standing before him.
At that moment Zed's gentle and playful attitude was lost to the world, replaced with something much more deadly, the mind-set of a murderer.