Chapter 7

Morbid arrives

The family stood behind their protectors as they left the somewhat safety of the alley and into the streets where blood formed a red carpet up and down the roads, as if leading them to their doom. But Nolan wasn't going directly towards the castle because he knew a secret way that would be safer than just walking through the battle field itself and risking certain death.

They headed down streets littered with dead bodies and fallen parts of buildings. The city looked dreadful with no peace existing in it, but just weeks ago it had been the home place of citizens enjoying a celebration with family and friends. During that time Xeon was covered in lights and tapestries, fellowship was part of life then, everyone met newcomers and made them feel welcome. Now those same people had either found refuge behind the thick walls of the castle or died amongst the fighting.

"Why aren't we heading for the castle?" Asked the man, covering his wife and child with his body, willing to protect them no matter what.

Adam turned and said, "We can't go directly towards the castle, it's too dangerous. The safest way would be to head around the battle area, which is now centered near the castle, and enter a secret passageway that goes right underground and into the castle itself."

The woman nodded when Adam spoke of the safe way.

Adam turned back around and they snuck through another alleyway onto another street where they found a contingent of enemy soldiers patrolling the area. Adam told his companions to remain hidden as he sprinted up behind the patrol.

With quick movements he flew through the air at a support column of a shop and wall-jumped up higher at the heels of a soldier that was associated with the convoy. He then kicked the soldier in the back of his head, with the right amount of force enough to kill him. He landed viciously and pulled a dagger out from his belt speedily and stabbed the next soldier in the back as he turned, alerted by the commotion. With inhuman speed Adam spun around and slid his leg out in front of him, tripping another soldier and stabbed him with a second dagger before he hit the ground.

The other soldiers were ready by then and now ran to intercept the intruder. The first warrior was punched in the neck, which was snapped with a loud pop. The one after that held a battle axe, similar to Trey's, and went to swing it at Adam, but he was to slow and Adam was able to grab the hilt of the axe, snatched it from the man and spun furiously with the axe held out. The soldier fell with an axe blade embedded in his stomach.

The handle had broken off, but Adam was able to use it as a weapon and quickly killed the last soldier by stabbing his throat with the shattered, serrated end of it. The soldier fell to the ground as Adam turned around motioning his teammates to move out.

Nolan, and Austin walked out onto the road unaffected by the attack, however, the family gazed with amazement mixed with fear at Adam as they passed him. They didn't make it far when they heard an ear piercing roar that blocked out all other noise and caused the activity in the city to seemingly cease.

Adam looked to the south to see a black dragon hovering above the skyline, his enormously sized wings beating with the sound of a thunderhead. Arnes is very large, and thickly-built with a massive chest and a long sinuous neck. His hide is a rich, lustrous black with large scales that are supple yet hard as rock. A crest made of peaked bone spikes ran from his head down his back and ended, in bristled spikes, on the tip of his tail. Its fangs shine a coppery-red when reflected by light. Deep inside his mouth a constant light emits a faint glow. His serpentine face was cruel and callous. Arnes was a symbol of evil and corruption. He only arrives at a battle that he is certain he can win.

Adam didn't waste any time, he had to move forward and take out any patrolling soldiers up ahead as Nolan and Austin guarded the family. "Okay, I'll go up ahead and wipe out any awaiting forces, ya'll remain here and slowly escort the family forward."

The streets grew emptier and emptier as Adam moved towards the front of the castle, he kept an eye on the shadows, wary that some unknown enemy could be waiting for him, and on the giant form of Arnes, who, for half an hour, remained above the city, most likely wanting to scare the soldiers of Xeon into surrendering. His wings gave a continuous yet rhythmic beat that Adam soon got used to.

The sounds of battle echoed across the almost barren city, betraying the presence of enemy soldiers. Adam jumped into the shadows as a group of Aroughian soldiers walked into view, each holding a spear in their hands, and wearing their shiny armor and black tunics. From his vantage point atop a tavern he could count an amount of ten soldiers.

Luckily they weren't close together. In their scattered formation Adam could easily Take them all out, but they all seemed very alert as if they came across a stray Xeonian soldier recently. Adam waited till they almost passed by and attacked the farthest soldier from his group.

With a quick swipe of his hand a hidden blade shot out of his right handed sleeve and whizzed through the air limited by the length of the rope it was tied to, and plunged into the man's neck and out the other side. Adam pulled on the rope and lifted the man into the air where he gurgled the blood now filling his throat and died, hung by the neck from the lamp post of the tavern.

The other soldiers turned around to find that a puddle of blood had replaced their comrade. They were not stunned by the sight and eventually saw the limp corpse hanging by a small harpoon attached with a rope. It wasn't long before they heard a struggle behind them and rotated to find their leader on the ground, his own spear sprouting from his chest.

Their voices filled the air as fright filled their hearts, their hands quivered as they held their spears at the ready. One began to banter about a killer ghost seeking revenge for the death going on.

Adam quieted him with his bow and arrow. The soldier turned pale and collapsed before the eyes of his fellow companions with and arrow burrowed deep in his back.

"We're under attack!" One man screamed.

The others held still and glanced nervously around the surrounding buildings. Fear was evident in their faces, and their knees which shook tremendously, threatening to collapse any moment.

Adam watched from the foggy window of the tavern, he had entered it through a roof hatch and had stood their the next few minutes waiting to see what the soldiers would do. It was somewhat amusing to him to see the men cowering in fear, well that is all except one.

One of the soldiers wasn't shacking with abhorrence but stood firm and confident, he was also the only soldier that held an axe, while his comrades wielded spears. The axe even had a set of inscriptions Adam thought seemed familiar to him.

He smiled and jumped through the window, shattering the grass and braking the frame, and landed on the street, surprising the soldiers. The one with the axe, however, suddenly seemed to relax.

Okay, thought Adam, lets dance.

He ducked down as a sword was slung over his head, he leaned back and dodged another sword and then punched one soldier in the chest. With the two soldiers on either side of him he had to switch fighting methods: close combat.

He fought with a mixture of punches, kicks and dodges. He suffered no hits as his opponents grew bruises all over. He finally got past their swords and knocked them out of their hands. Before they could react Adam jumped into the air and tilted his body horizontally and grabbed the head of one soldier with his hands and the other with his feet. As he fell he twisted his body dramatically, snapping both the soldier's necks. He landed on his hands and feet as the corpses fell to the floor.

The other soldier with the axe stood still as Adam straightened his body and poised vertically, staring intently at the man.

"Now why did you do that?" Said the man, sheathing his axe.

"Look at me, I'm an assassin." Said Adam, holding out his hands. "Trey."

The man removed his helm and threw it the cobblestone road, the blood from the mangled bodies streaming between the webbed cracks of the street.

"What were you doing with the Aroughian soldiers?" Adam asked, curiously.

"Under cover." Trey said with a smirk on his face.