Chapter 5

the mission

Three figures skulked through the shadows of the forest. The one in the lead, unsheathed his sword, and stood in such a stance as to be prepared. The two behind him did the same. The one got their fists ready, the other held out a shotgun.

About three hundred beast-like creatures emerged from the trees. The man with the sword quickly ran into the horde and began slashing at the creatures. He kept slashing, as though some sort of demon had possessed him.

The female had taken some what of a defensive stance, moving forwards to attack, then retreating back a few feet, and repeating the same pattern.

The man with the shotgun had climbed into a tree, and began picking off many of the creatures. Blood and flesh were ripped apart as many were killed.

At last it seemed that the creatures were all littering the ground with their dead bodies.

"Taran, does this seem like a coincidence? I mean, sure we fought some monsters on our way here, but never that many." the girl said.

"Misty's right Taran. Over two hundred monsters just coming out of nowhere is just slightly strange."

"Armando, I realized that too. Either we picked the wrong spot in the forest to be, or someone knew we were heading to Brantin," Taran told the two.

"Nevertheless, we have to get there and find our contact. If we don't, we're screwed," Misty concluded.

"Well lets go," Armando said.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So those fools, think they're going to find anything here do they?" Raiko asked.

"Not a chance Raiko. We've demolished this place completely. All that they're going to find is maybe a nice, smoldering rock." Noira let out a laugh after she said those words. Raiko looked around, hoping that Sikaru would be here soon.

"Oh great, more rain," Noira said as another downpour started.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Is that all it does here?" Misty complained wiping rain from her eyes.

"Is that all what does here?" Taran asked. "If you mean the rain, pretty much all nonstop downpours, so get used to it."

"Just because you don't get effected by the outside world, doesn't mean the rest of us are completely hollow you ass! Watch your ass, or it'll be the next thing your face sees!"

"Misty watch it goddammit! We don't need you stirring up a conflict. And I for one, don't want to get attacked by something because you can't shut your yap! So shut it!" Armando said. His knuckles were turning white from holding the gun too tightly.

"Armando, shut it," Taran hissed at him. "I think something's comin'!"

----------------------------------------------------------

Noira walked through the forest. As she moved, the clutter on the ground lifted up and flew forwards out of sight. A shudder in the bushes put her on the alert. One of the Mist Spawn that was created jumped out in front of her. Before it even had a chance to attack, it was decimated by a large icicle that struck it through its body.

She finally approached a cliff. And with a swish of her cloak, the clutter that had flown away had returned to make a bridge across the canyon. As she looked down she felt a slight wave of nausea fell over her.

"Vertigo! It's Noira! You better stop with the mind games or I'll permanently rearrange your face!" Noira yelled. Almost instantly her head became clear, and she crossed the canyon.

"Sorry about that," replied a misty-like voice. "Can't be too careful with the Night Hawks snooping around." A woman then appeared. She wore a white cloak and hood, with strange black markings all over it. There was a strange mark on her hand that was glowing mysteriously.

"Vertigo, it seems it is time to head back."

"What? Oh, my hand. Yeah, I guess I should. But I should warn you. There are three people from the Night Hawks in the woods. I sent my Mist Spawn after them, but they defeated them all." Vertigo explained to Noira.

"Yes, they may be powerful, but they have never seen Black Magic like this before. They are just mere stepping stones in our plot."

"If you say so Noira. But you know what happened to HER. She went too far with her powers. You did her a favor. But that favor may come back and bite you in the ass." With a swish of her cloak, Vertigo disappeared.

"You can only wish to have the powers I have," Noira whispered to herself.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Misty, Armando, get into formation." The three immediately stepped into a formation they knew well and used often. Taran looked to the front, Misty to the left and back, Armando to the right and back.

"Well, well, well. Three little birds surrounded by which they cannot see," an evil voice had said.

"Don't talk about the Night Hawks, Noira! Come out where we can see you so we can beat you again!" Taran had yelled.

"You, defeat me?! Your lie is laughable! One lucky slash from your sword, and you believe you win? Taran, it's not good to lie.

If you want, I'll end your suffering here and now!" after a second that seemed like a day, Noira had appeared, ready to fight. Her crude weapon was held at her side, glowing almost as if it was thirsting for the blood of human life.

Taran launched himself into an attack of quick vertical slashes. She dodged these easily, and slashed him with her staff.

"Taran!" Misty noticed that he was bleeding from his arm quite horribly. She closed her eyes for a second. Then she looked at Taran and yelled: "Chakra!" Light surrounded Taran, and his wound was healed instantly.

"Misty, you better take Taran out of there! He can't go on much longer!" Although it didn't look it, Taran was growing tired. But Noira was quick enough to notice.

Noira quickly leaped into the air and chanted an incantation; "Winds that rage across the desolate plains of the Netherworld, join together in a violent vortex! INFEST!" A purple shadow rose from the ground and hit Taran in the chest, knocking him back about 10 feet.

"Armando, take care of him!" And with that Misty ran to where Noira once stood. She leaped into the air, a delivered a devastating kick into the woman's face, knocking her to the ground. Misty followed her down. She had reached the ground before Noira, and prepared to attack her with an uppercut. Just as Noira was about to reach the ground, Misty's fist hit her with such a force, she was knocked into the air once again.

"Armando, you gotta blast her! Then we can win again!" Misty shouted. Armando inserted a glowing crystal into the side of his shotgun, and it began to glow. "ENERGY BLAST!" A ball of pure energy was fired from the end of the barrel of his shotgun. The force knocked Noira through the rubble of the once proud city Brantin. She finally came to a stop after demolishing a once standing, yet crumbling wall.

"DRAIN" Noira had cast a black magic spell that stole the energy of her target and transferred it to her, renewing her strength. Armando fell to the ground, as he was Noira's target.

"Armando!" It seemed that Taran was able to fight once again. "Misty, help him somehow, then help me with this bitch!"

"Yessir!" Misty said hastily as she ran to help Armando.

In the meanwhile, Taran was busy slashing his sword at the ever-nimble Noira. This one won't be easy to get rid of. Call the Spawns of the Mist!

Noira understood the disembodied voice as her master's and did as she was told. Almost like time and space had ripped apart, out of a hole of nothingness two extremely large creatures had appeared. The first was a Hydra-like beast. With five heads snaping their jaws ferociously, clenching and unclenching their two large clawed hands. The worst was its ability to move. It had the lower body of a snake, which allowed it to move extremely fast. The second creature was just as frightening. Although it had only one head, it had four faces on each side. An angry face for pure physical aggression. A calm face for the ability of curative magic. A face somewhat like the curative face, only a dark blue, physical magic. The last head seemed to only serve for a decorative look.

"Misty, take the one with the four faces. It's too bulky, so you should be able to outmaneuver it. But fight only after you get Armando to safety. I'll take the other one!" Misty nodded to show she understood. She dragged her unconcious comrade to somewhere with shelter from the eternal rainfall.

Taran leaped into battle with the two beasts waiting for Misty to return. The snake-like Hydra was fast, but Taran expected it. He began his flurry of slashes that only a suicidal maniac would dare run into. The Mist Spawn must have had a powerful protective armor, as Taran barely nicked the thing. Just as the four faced creature was about to slash with its sword, Misty came running at it with a well timed roundhouse kick. It fell to the ground, but it wasn't even close to defeating it.

Taran on the other hand was getting extremely hurt. Misty noticed, and was ready to cast Chakra, but Taran gave her a look saying "don't". Coloured lines began to swirl around Taran, green, red and purple, until finally he yelled; "MINUS STRIKE!" with his powered sword, he dealt damage to the beast, which took away as much power from it, that it did to him. Misty delivered punch after punch, kick after kick to her enemy. When she thought it was about dead, it cast the spell "Cure" on itself. Then it countered with the Black Magic spell "Thunder". The two beasts eventually backed Taran and Misty into a dead end of the still smoldering city. Just as the two friends were ready to have their lives taken away from them, two balls of energy destroyed the Hydra- like beast. Two more grabbed the attention of the four faced beast and it ran towards the source of the attack.

"Well, it seems Armando is awake again," Misty mused.

"Yeah, but when it finds him, there's gonna be hell to pay. We gotta go help him!" Taran ordered. The two fighters ran after the beast, but had completely forgot about Noira. Using the armored wings on her, she flew over head of them to block their path. Misty delivered a quick upward kick, and Noira fell. Armando's taunts could be heard: "C'mere ugly! Yeah you!"

He was firing many shells at the monster which seemed to be dying.

One swift slash from Taran, and the monsters head fell to the ground, leaving a trail of blue blood.

"Quick, we have to check the city for survivors!" Misty cried. The three comrades didn't find anyone living in what used to be the main part of the city.

"H, help me!" They stopped in their tracks. Someone was still alive. A little boy lying on the ground, nearly dead.

"Hey listen buddy. We'll help you," Taran said trying to comfort the child. But his efforts seemed to be in vain, as the child seemed to lose a little bit more of his life every second. Misty performed the "Chakra" spell, but it was a wasted casting, as Noira's figure loomed in front of them.

"Well, it seems I am the victor of this batttle." She closed her eyes, and coloured waves began to radiate from her.

"SEIKEN!" A blinding flash illuminated the spot of her enemies. She decided she had better leave them to die, as her orders were to stop the Night Hawks, and return to Raiko. In a wisp of smoke, she vanished.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Diana, please stop worrying. Taran, Misty and Armando, are the best we have," a man said to the tactician who was pacing around the room like a tiger in a cage.

"I know, but they've never been gone this long before. The last message we received, was when they had reached Iraliec, two weeks ago!" Diana said with a worried tone in her voice.

"Yes, but remember, Brantin is far from the port. It would take them a long time to get there and with the eternal rain, things would be quite difficult."

"Yes, that's true. Well I must be on my way to headquarters. I have to make up a plan to use if those three don't come back."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rain was still falling, and it had the three warriors soaked to the bone, who were still unconscious. A mysterious woman was walking towards the bodies.

"Are these them?"

"Yes Sikaru. It was Noira who took care of them," Raiko explained. Sikaru ran a hand through her blueish hair, wringing out some of the water. Her green robe was completely soaked, and not to mention, she was completly frustrated at the fact that it rained constantly.

"We'll bring them with us. Surely the Night Hawks will send people to rescue their teammates. We'll dispose of them quickly, and then the Mist will lead to the war between Catrato and Timar."

"Master, I don't understand. How will this lead to the war," Raiko asked.

"Simple. I will manipulate the president of Castrato into thinking that Timar has been killing people left right and center. Billney, and where we stand, Brantin, are done for."

"But, Sikaru, why would Timar destroy one of its own cities?"

"Ah, yes. Timar's instigation. Men and women will rise up, thinking Castrato destroyed Brantin, bringing anguish and suffering. Do you understand?" Raiko and Noira nodded.

They each grabbed a body, and disappeared.