Prologue

Two dark figures appear out of the trees surrounding the extravagant palace of Lupin the Third.

"You guys lost or something?" The guard says, after he notices them. As they don't say anything back, he repeats himself. "Are you lost?" Getting a little worried, He wakes his friend, who was going to go on watch in another hour.

"Wha?-What is it?"

"Probley nuthin' but these two aren't sayin' nuthin'" He spoke in a barely understandable form of English.

"So kill them." The other guard said, quite a bit more than half asleep.

"Aright" He got up and drew his sword, then decided to ask the question one more time.

"Are you lost?" He said to the pair, which was now within 20 feet of him. Seeing as how there was no response, he drew his sword and yelled. Hoping to arise and alert the other guards.

"INTRUDERS! INTRUDERS!" His partner woke most of the way up when he heard him.

As he stood there, sword in hand. A slight buzzing sound came from one of the trees nearby. No time to react, the arrow hit his neck. Blood freely flowing from the wound, he fell to the ground dead, clutching his sword in one hand, the arrow in the other.

Three more of these arrows flew from the same tree. Each hitting the seemingly intended target.

As figure dropped from the tree and caught up with the other two, they spoke, the archer first.

"That's down to 16. I guess the rest are inside." It was a woman's voice.

"It seems so" The left of the other two spoke in a very deep, very coarse voice.

"We goin' in or what?" He spoke with the enthusiasm of a child bound for a candy shop.

They continued to the locked gate where one of the two swordsmen drew his sword and cut a hole in the fence large enough for them to walk through comfortably.

A guard they saw ran towards the door screaming wildly. He didn't get far, as one of them jumped in his way and promptly severed his head.

"Five down" In the same childish enthusiastic voice.

They walked towards the door, only to be met by a shower of flaming arrows from the roof. All of which bounced off their helmet, shoulder armor or shield. The female archer swiftly returned fire, picking all four of them off with ease.

"Nine down. I still haven't killed anyone!"

"Calm down, Z'amour!" The female spoke.

They continued to walk to the barred door, which also was no match for the saber of Z'amour.

As they walked inside, they were met with seven guards surrounding the door.

The female stayed outside for the battle, which was surprisingly quick.

"Feria! It's safe."

"Thank you, Taolar. You too, Z'amour." They continued walking through the dark corridors and up the marble stairs until they were met by the other four guards. Unfortunately for them, they were on the other side of the hall. Easy targets for Feria. As she drew her bow, two of them vanished, leaving the others behind for the archer to finish. The three proceeded down the hall, over the corpses and into the main chamber. They quickly passed through the leftward door marked 'Xanthe'

The two disappearing guards from before stood by her bed, one on each side.

The young brunette dressed in gold had heard the door open, and was now sitting up screaming.

Feria futilely fired an arrow straight at her head, which was caught by the one on the right.

Taolar and Z'amour quickly attacked their corresponding guard. Taolar, the left. Z'amour, the right. Feria backed into the door while continuing to fire arrows, which the guards somehow managed to catch every time. Taolar and Z'amour kept trying to fight their way to Xanthe with no luck.

Finally, as the two broke through in unison, they both got swords stuck in their arm.

Working through the pain, they fell, holding their swords out, hoping to get a bit of Xanthe, with no luck. Feria finally shot an arrow at each of the guards. Hitting both times. Then proceeded to take aim at the head of the young girl still screaming, seated on the bed. The arrow she fired had the names "Taolar, Z'amour and Feria" inscribed near the fletching for recognition.