Kelevandros quickly caught up to Katula, and realized she was going a lot
slower than even she should go. He looked over at her and saw with a flash
of panic that she was limping dramatically with a thick arrow shaft
protruding out of her right side. Katula staggered, and Kelevandros picked
her up before she managed to faint. Kelevandros started looking frantically
around for a place to hide, and decided that orcs were weak-minded enough
to never look up. With a grin he hoisted himself and Katula into the
nearest tree he could manage.
Kelevandros sat crouched in the tree, managing barely to hold Katula up and keeping her from groaning and giving away their position. He was right, when the orcs were finally in sight; they actually walked right under where he and Katula were hidden. Kelevandros heaved a sigh of relief as he heard the distant call of the Orc war trumpet and the orcs ran back the way they had come.
The duo descended to the ground, or Kelevandros lifted Katula gingerly from the tree and placed her on the ground. Katula sat up with a moan and managed to say, "They got me, huh?" Kelevandros nodded grimly. Katula sighed and said, "Well, I've had worse than this, did your brother ever tell you about how I once had a slab of concrete stuck through both of my legs?" Kelevandros nodded again, with a little tear in the corner of his eye.
"Well, this has definitely got to go," Katula said pointing to the arrow in her side. "Of course," Kelevandros said, and he reached over a pulled the arrow out cleanly. Katula bit her lip and managed not to yell while he did this. "Now, hold still," Kelevandros said as he placed his hands next to the wound, "This might feel a little funny." Katula nodded, she had been healed before by Vijayendra, but she had been knocked out at the time.
Katula's teeth clenched as a tingling feeling started at her wound, and spread through her whole body. As the feeling stopped, she looked back down at her wound, or rather, the lack of one. "Thank you..." She said as she looked at Kelevandros, who in turn was looking at her very strangely, "What is it?" "Well," Kelevandros began, "Healing takes a lot out of the person being healed, especially a human such as yourself," Katula snorted, but he continued, "whenever a human is healed, he or she is usually asleep for several hours afterwards." Katula looked a little confused, "So... what's your point?" "The point is, the only kinds of people that can go through a healing unfazed are drakes, shadowfolk, and... Elves."
Katula's face paled as what Kelevandros had said finally began to sink in, "You mean I'm part elf? That's impossible! My mother was an amazon sorceress, but she was still a human!" "I know that," Kelevandros said, "But what about your father?" Katula looked at Kelevandros with a mix of anger and pain, "M... my father? I have no father! As far as I am concerned, he's dead to me!!! My mother told me all I needed to know, and I will have nothing to do with him." Kelevandros looked thoughtful for a moment, "Fine, we'll not talk about it any longer, shall we go?" He stood up and held out his hand to Katula, who grabbed it and stood up and quickly began her way across the forest, with Kelevandros following behind.
After the day had drawn to a close, Kelevandros and Katula set up camp in a small clearing in the forest. Katula started a fire, and sat down as Kelevandros sat down across from her and began pulling some dried meat out of his pack. He looked down into his pack, "Well, by the looks of it, we have enough left for another two weeks, we should have Beryl dead and buried by that time, don't you think?" Katula only stared at the fire in front of her and said nothing.
Kelevandros looked across the fire at Katula, and knew that the flames in her eyes weren't just the fire's reflection, but the anger she kept welled up inside her. He sighed, "Katula, Vijayendra-" "Good night!" Katula said quickly as she stood and walked to the edge of the camp to lie down and sleep.
Kelevandros, however, didn't want to sleep a wink. He could sense another elf in the area, a dark one. The elf had been trailing the duo for almost a week now, and Kelevandros hadn't slept in that time. He suppressed a yawn, but no matter how he tried to fight it, his eyes slowly slid shut and he began to sleep peacefully.
"Katula..." Katula awoke with a start. Who was that? She wondered as she glanced at Kelevandros's sleeping form across the now-dark fire. I must have been dreaming, she thought. "Katula..." She sprung up and grabbed her spear, "Show yourself!" She demanded angrily. "Katula..." This time it seemed further away. "Katula..." Katula glanced at Kelevandros again before running into the forest in the direction of the voice.
Katula ran on through the forest following the voice. "Katula..." Just when she thought she was upon it, the voice came from farther away in another direction. This happened many times, with the mysterious voice leading her on all the while. Katula began to wonder why she kept running toward such an obvious trap, when the forest broke into a huge clearing with a giant boulder rising up in the center.
At the peak of the boulder, Katula could make out an elf clad in black armor standing and staring at her patiently. She hefted her spear and shouted, "Whoever you are, stop toying with me and tell me who you are, coward!"
The elf let out a hearty laugh, then disappeared and reappeared standing right in front of Katula. "Ah, Katula. I was hoping for a warmer reception." Katula ignored that remark and studied him more closely. She could now see his dark brown hair, steel blue eyes, and a strange scar above his left eye. She also noticed his gauntlets were clawed, and he had a black sword on his back. "Well, you have not earned it."
" I supposed I haven't," the elf said, "But all that aside Katula-" "How do you know my name?" Katula questioned. "Well, I have been following you for some time now..." He began. Katula glared, "I know, a week, don't think I haven't noticed." He let out another laugh, "No Katula, much longer than that. I have watched you grow from a confused girl into a master assassin, and I must say I was very pleased. Which is why I recommended you to Balkoth." Katula almost smiled, "Thank you... but what connection have you to Balkoth?"
The dark elf smiled, "You can't honestly think you're his only assassin. He has a whole assassin network running day and night to do his dirty work. But, if he ever needs something challenging done, he goes to a higher authority. He personal assassin, me." That said, he began to laugh evilly.
Katula finally realized what he meant by "something challenging" and turned to run back to her camp, but she was stopped by the elf. "Now now, Katula, you can't think of leaving. You have played the fly to my spider and must pay for your foolishness." The dark elf began flexing his gauntlets anxiously.
Katula began to back away, "But... why would Balkoth want me dead?" He grinned, "After your shameful failure with Beow's elimination, is appears you have switched sides. Now, Balkoth sees you as a loose end, and loose ends must be cut." With that, the dark elf lunged, gauntlets drawn.
Kelevandros sat crouched in the tree, managing barely to hold Katula up and keeping her from groaning and giving away their position. He was right, when the orcs were finally in sight; they actually walked right under where he and Katula were hidden. Kelevandros heaved a sigh of relief as he heard the distant call of the Orc war trumpet and the orcs ran back the way they had come.
The duo descended to the ground, or Kelevandros lifted Katula gingerly from the tree and placed her on the ground. Katula sat up with a moan and managed to say, "They got me, huh?" Kelevandros nodded grimly. Katula sighed and said, "Well, I've had worse than this, did your brother ever tell you about how I once had a slab of concrete stuck through both of my legs?" Kelevandros nodded again, with a little tear in the corner of his eye.
"Well, this has definitely got to go," Katula said pointing to the arrow in her side. "Of course," Kelevandros said, and he reached over a pulled the arrow out cleanly. Katula bit her lip and managed not to yell while he did this. "Now, hold still," Kelevandros said as he placed his hands next to the wound, "This might feel a little funny." Katula nodded, she had been healed before by Vijayendra, but she had been knocked out at the time.
Katula's teeth clenched as a tingling feeling started at her wound, and spread through her whole body. As the feeling stopped, she looked back down at her wound, or rather, the lack of one. "Thank you..." She said as she looked at Kelevandros, who in turn was looking at her very strangely, "What is it?" "Well," Kelevandros began, "Healing takes a lot out of the person being healed, especially a human such as yourself," Katula snorted, but he continued, "whenever a human is healed, he or she is usually asleep for several hours afterwards." Katula looked a little confused, "So... what's your point?" "The point is, the only kinds of people that can go through a healing unfazed are drakes, shadowfolk, and... Elves."
Katula's face paled as what Kelevandros had said finally began to sink in, "You mean I'm part elf? That's impossible! My mother was an amazon sorceress, but she was still a human!" "I know that," Kelevandros said, "But what about your father?" Katula looked at Kelevandros with a mix of anger and pain, "M... my father? I have no father! As far as I am concerned, he's dead to me!!! My mother told me all I needed to know, and I will have nothing to do with him." Kelevandros looked thoughtful for a moment, "Fine, we'll not talk about it any longer, shall we go?" He stood up and held out his hand to Katula, who grabbed it and stood up and quickly began her way across the forest, with Kelevandros following behind.
After the day had drawn to a close, Kelevandros and Katula set up camp in a small clearing in the forest. Katula started a fire, and sat down as Kelevandros sat down across from her and began pulling some dried meat out of his pack. He looked down into his pack, "Well, by the looks of it, we have enough left for another two weeks, we should have Beryl dead and buried by that time, don't you think?" Katula only stared at the fire in front of her and said nothing.
Kelevandros looked across the fire at Katula, and knew that the flames in her eyes weren't just the fire's reflection, but the anger she kept welled up inside her. He sighed, "Katula, Vijayendra-" "Good night!" Katula said quickly as she stood and walked to the edge of the camp to lie down and sleep.
Kelevandros, however, didn't want to sleep a wink. He could sense another elf in the area, a dark one. The elf had been trailing the duo for almost a week now, and Kelevandros hadn't slept in that time. He suppressed a yawn, but no matter how he tried to fight it, his eyes slowly slid shut and he began to sleep peacefully.
"Katula..." Katula awoke with a start. Who was that? She wondered as she glanced at Kelevandros's sleeping form across the now-dark fire. I must have been dreaming, she thought. "Katula..." She sprung up and grabbed her spear, "Show yourself!" She demanded angrily. "Katula..." This time it seemed further away. "Katula..." Katula glanced at Kelevandros again before running into the forest in the direction of the voice.
Katula ran on through the forest following the voice. "Katula..." Just when she thought she was upon it, the voice came from farther away in another direction. This happened many times, with the mysterious voice leading her on all the while. Katula began to wonder why she kept running toward such an obvious trap, when the forest broke into a huge clearing with a giant boulder rising up in the center.
At the peak of the boulder, Katula could make out an elf clad in black armor standing and staring at her patiently. She hefted her spear and shouted, "Whoever you are, stop toying with me and tell me who you are, coward!"
The elf let out a hearty laugh, then disappeared and reappeared standing right in front of Katula. "Ah, Katula. I was hoping for a warmer reception." Katula ignored that remark and studied him more closely. She could now see his dark brown hair, steel blue eyes, and a strange scar above his left eye. She also noticed his gauntlets were clawed, and he had a black sword on his back. "Well, you have not earned it."
" I supposed I haven't," the elf said, "But all that aside Katula-" "How do you know my name?" Katula questioned. "Well, I have been following you for some time now..." He began. Katula glared, "I know, a week, don't think I haven't noticed." He let out another laugh, "No Katula, much longer than that. I have watched you grow from a confused girl into a master assassin, and I must say I was very pleased. Which is why I recommended you to Balkoth." Katula almost smiled, "Thank you... but what connection have you to Balkoth?"
The dark elf smiled, "You can't honestly think you're his only assassin. He has a whole assassin network running day and night to do his dirty work. But, if he ever needs something challenging done, he goes to a higher authority. He personal assassin, me." That said, he began to laugh evilly.
Katula finally realized what he meant by "something challenging" and turned to run back to her camp, but she was stopped by the elf. "Now now, Katula, you can't think of leaving. You have played the fly to my spider and must pay for your foolishness." The dark elf began flexing his gauntlets anxiously.
Katula began to back away, "But... why would Balkoth want me dead?" He grinned, "After your shameful failure with Beow's elimination, is appears you have switched sides. Now, Balkoth sees you as a loose end, and loose ends must be cut." With that, the dark elf lunged, gauntlets drawn.