Hero: So, King, how we doing today?"

King: I'm alright. A bit sleepy.

Hero: Oh, I hear you, man. Only got 14 hours last night.

King: Umm…10 hours, I think

Hero: Good, good, good. Anyways, I wrote this in a drunken haze, so thanks for fixing it up!

King: …Seriously?

Hero: Oh, yeah! How the hell do you think I came up with Sam Strife?

King: By giving a gun a personality.

Hero: Hey, now let's…No, actually that's fair.

So, after resting for a bit, drinking some water, and going over our mutual hatred for the Triumvirate, Shade and I got to work. I closed my eyes and felt the icy grip of the shadows envelope me, and then, it ceased. When I opened my eyes, I was standing on the outskirts of a large city.

"Indianapolis. Currently, it's under the control of Emperor Commodus and his legions. His Blemmyae have impersonated a number of police officers, allowing him free reign of the city. If we are to cut off his control, we have to rid the city of them as well as keep his forces from causing further harm," Shade said as he walked next to me.

I nodded as I entered what must have been the business district judging by all the large corporate buildings surrounding me. To my right was a massive construction site, and to my left, there appeared to be some sort of protest about...what does that sign say?

'Eating meat might as well make you a cannibal!'

Am I having a stroke? Are they really protesting that in front of a steak house?

"Come, Samuel, we must continue," Shade said before walking ahead. I stared at those idiot protestors for a few more seconds before turning and catching up with Shade.

"Continue to where? Where are we even going?" I asked, falling in stride next to him.

"While Commodus has recently become blind and has lost numerous soldiers, his forces are still exceedingly strong. We cannot take them on by ourselves. In order to face him we must gain allies," he explained.

"Well, I can't exactly call in some reinforcements, so I hope to fuck you have some super friends hiding somewhere," I said as we continued down the busy street.

"Allies can be found anywhere. You simply must know where to look," Shade said cryptically. That almost had me running him through with my sword. After a few minutes he turned to me. "I shall return. I will be looking for potential allies. You should do the same." That sort of ticked me off a little bit.

"Fine, but don't expect any results," I said before Shade vanished, and I trudged down an alley. I looked around, but aside from the occasional homeless person, I found nothing.

This is a huge fucking city, so how the fuck am I supposed to find anyone!?

I turned a corner and collided with someone. We both hit the ground hard, and I rubbed my arm as I looked and saw the young kid looking scared. I got up and helped him to his feet.

"You wanna watch where you're going?" I said, glaring at him.

"Sorry! Sorry! Just...I'm in a hurry!" he said before backing away from me.

"Uh...why are you backing up?" I asked, taking a step towards him.

"Child of Discord!" a loud voice boomed behind me. I hung my head and let out a loud annoyed sigh

"Yeah?" I asked turning to see a large group of men walking towards me. It was clear they were Germani from their size and tattoos.

"Word has spread of your arrival. A bounty has been placed on your head; one we intend to collect," the leader said, drawing a sword. Just then, a truck pulled up, and at least ten more armed Germani hopped out.

"Right..." I said backing up towards the alley I came through, only to turn and see four more Germani "Of course..." I reached for my sword and froze.

Where the fuck is my sword!?

I looked down to see the sword and scabbard gone from my belt!

Where did it go! I had it on me this whole time! Wait a fucking second...

I turned, and sure as shit, the guy that slammed into me was booking it as fast as he could down the street.

He pickpocketed my sword right off of me! That little fucking worm!

"As you can see, we thought of everything. You have no weapon, no means of escape, and are utterly defenseless," he said.

He was right. I was at their mercy, but I noticed something right about then: None of them had made a move towards me yet. I took a cautious step forward, and all of them except the leader backed up a few feet but then regained composure and stepped forward again.n

They're afraid of me!

I grinned and walked towards the leader, his men taking a few steps back as he raised his sword. The tip was angled at my throat a few inches away.

"What? So you're just gonna kill me? Do you know how many have tried? Do you have any idea what my kill count is? I stopped counting after I broke my hundredth neck! I actually enjoy killing. Some may find that wrong or horrifying, but I absolutely love it! I love seeing the horror in ones eyes as I rip their life away from them!" I said with a manic grin.

No, hardly any of that was true. I don't enjoy killing...at least, not the extent that I was saying. There is a certain satisfaction to it, but there is no way in hell I'm admitting that shit to anyone! At any rate, I'm just saying those things to make them wet their pants and maybe back off while I think of an escape plan.

The leader was unfazed, but his lackeys looked like cowering idiots.

The leader growled, "Fools! He has nothing to aid him! Stop cowering and restrain him!"

"Bad idea. I don't like being restrained. You guys really wanna risk it?" I asked, and the men hesitated. The leader finally had enough and swung his sword. I jumped back and narrowly avoided it. I looked up with a small amount of fear, and that must have been all that was needed because all of the men drew weapons and started towards me.

"Fine! Have it your way!" I said before snapping my finger. Red mist began to seep from the cracks in the ground. The men all halted as the mist took the form of the Phonois. Ten armed with gruesome weapons and looking as murderous as ever. I smiled as I looked at all the men surrounding me. "You really want to try your luck?"

The leader growled before swiping at one of the Phonois and killing it. The others roared and charged forward as my spirits shrieked and advanced to protect me. One of the men tried to slice me in half, but I grabbed his arm and head butt him as hard as I could. My forehead felt sore, but that dude was out cold.

I glanced over and saw the Phonois tearing through the men and crumbling to dust, but they also were doing a good job fighting off the spirits. I was already down three. I growled before kicking one guy in the groin and then grabbing him. I threw him into the street where a passing taxi slammed into him. The car hit the breaks, and he went sprawling onto the road. He may not be dead, but he'll definitely wish he was when he wakes up!

I punched another guy in the nose and threw him into a lamp post. Then, I turned, only to find the last Phonos shriek and explode. The leader grinned as he stepped forward.

"Now you die, Greek!" he said, lifting his sword.

Suddenly something sharp struck him from behind and a point jutted from his chest. He dropped to his knees and fell to the ground in a heap. His remaining men looked confused as his body turned to dust and blew away, leaving behind a sharp javelin.

"I suggest fleeing immediately," the voice of Shade spoke as he appeared behind them wielding a white weapon, a weapon I have seen before.

The same type of weapon that Wolf uses!

A few Germani charged Shade, but in a matter of seconds, he had cut them all down. "Arrogance yields mistakes." he sheath his sword and walked towards me.

"What is that?" I asked Shade as the remaining Germani ran for their lives.

Shade glanced at his sword. "Bone Steel. Traditionally used by some of the Germanic tribes, and their descendants…the Norse, I believe, I came to respect its lethality over the years and decided to use it in my adventures."

"How lethal are we talking here?" I asked curiously.

"Lethal enough to harm even a god if memory serves me correctly. The metal is fashioned from bone and forged with the blood of enemies. Depending on the blood, its lethality varies. Say, for instance, you wish to forge it with the blood of a cyclops, then the weapon will be particularly deadly to a cyclops," Shade explained.

"And...how does it fare against Celestial Bronze? Imperial Gold?" I asked.

"Depending on how well made the weapon is and the strength of the user, it is possible for Bone Steel to break those metals," he said, confirming the last of my suspicions.

"That sword, or at least that type of sword…the guy wielding it broke my gun," I said before telling him about Wolf. Shade nodded but clearly knew something he wasn't telling me.

"I would not think anyone else would use such a weapon as only the Norse warriors used them. This 'Wolf'…Perhaps he took it from a tomb…Or, maybe it was a gift to him, and he honed his skills with it," Shade said. I nodded and eyed Shade.

He knows something. What it is that he knows, I can't tell, but something about him screams that he knows so much more than he lets on.

I sighed, "Don't suppose you have an extra sword? Those Germani pricks don't have one that works for me."

Shade shook his head. "Apologies, I do not have another, and I do not wish to part with this blade. We will find you a suitable weapon after we procure allies."

"Yeah, how's that going by the way?" I asked sarcastically.

"It is actually going very well. I believe I have found someone. Come," he said before walking away. With no room to argue with him I just put my hands in my pockets, kicked some of the remaining dust, and trudged behind Shade.

"This better be good!" I said to him.

Shade looked up at the sky and smiled. I looked up too, and my eyes went wide at the massive metal dragon flying overhead and out of sight.

"I do believe it is."

Hero: *wipes tear* Look at my sweet little cinnamon roll! He grows up so fast!

King: Cinnamon roll?

Hero: Yes! My sweet innocent cinnamon roll!

King: He threw a guy into a car.

Hero: In a cinnamon roll fashion!

King: That's like saying, "He lovingly stabbed him to death."

Hero: …Are you implying...that Sam might not be as innocent as I think?

King: I'm pretty sure "innocent" is an antonym for Sam.

Hero: *gasp!* Sir, name a single time. Just one single time where Sam has ever done anything that may be viewed as less than innocent!

King: Has he stabbed someone to death?

Hero: Uhhhhhh...

King: I rest my case.

Hero: So, he stabbed his brother to death! Hardly evidence.

King: What about torture?

Hero: Does breaking bones count?

King: Yes.

Hero: Yeah, he's done that...innocently

King: I give up

Review guys!