---Oops! Apologies to all the anonymous reviewers...I didn't notice that I
had ticked that box. Well...Mousey, Raphael is my fav too...and I believe his
slowly turning insane is a key factor...Thanks for the constructive criticism
though and praises everyone. DF, I'm pretty sure it's grace. Thank you
for pointing that out though. Hopefully you can point out more mistakes.
On the issue of making my chapters longer...oui, certainment. For this
chapter, you are treated to a 16th century car chase. Dedicated to DF
Chapter 10
"Hey! There he is!" shouted someone. Raphael turned his head towards the source of the sound. It was a law enforcer from Rouen. Seemingly, they had managed to track him down. Raphael cursed and muttered to himself, "Took them long enough." Raphael had only made it to Strasbourg, a French town almost at the border of Germany and France. Soul Edge was urging him to slay them all, forcing his hand to stray down to its hilt. Raphael resisted, and barely managed to curb the bloodthirsty instincts.
With one sweep of his eyes, he noticed nine riders. "Raphael Sorel! We know of your sins! Turn yourself in!" the one in front, apparently the leader, shouted wildly.
Raphael flicked his eyes back to the path ahead of him, and dug his heel into his steed's flank. The horse whinnied, rising on its back legs before setting off at a thunderous gallop. He heard random obscenities flung at him from the enforcers, and the sporadic sounds of hooves skittering on the streets. "Get him!" he heard a holler, obviously from the arrogant leader.
Raphael had grabbed a big head start while the law enforcer was busy trying to persuade him to stop. The French fencer powered forwards, his horse complimenting the rider's determination, and tearing down the streets quickly. Luckily, it was dusk and there weren't many people on the streets, aside from a few bored ones out for a stroll, and the usual tramps and beggars that lined the streets.
Raphael was putting a lot of distance when suddenly a young girl cut across his path. The head of red hair glinted in the sunlight and gave Raphael that illusion. "A-A-Amy?" he breathed, before the girl's face appeared, frightened at the sudden appearance of a horse at full-speed. Raphael's hopes were crushed and he quickly grabbed his steed's reins, straining furiously to pull them back. The horse rose up, front legs flailing wildly, but the girl was unharmed. She was just a hair's breadth from being trampled. Raphael immediately got off his horse, anxiety filling up within him. He took the little girl's hand and led her off to the side of the street: safety. Knowing his pursuers could catch up quickly, Raphael hurriedly mounted his horse and sent it off at a fast pace again. His pursuers blew past the little girl just moments later, dust billowing everywhere.
Raphael rounded a curve superbly, staying on the path and maintaining the quick pace. The law enforcers didn't do so well, and only four of them swerved perfectly. One plowed straight into a house. The impact was shattering and he flew into the air and landed hard. The man was very still. The other four who couldn't round the curve with the required traits suffered minor scrapes, but managed to get back on course.
Raphael's lips curved upwards in a sardonic grin, he was taking a sadistic pleasure in it all. He was perfection, and the law enforcers were bumbling blocks of wood.
Suddenly, he noticed an enforcer was at his side, slashing out with a rapier. Raphael drew his own. There was a clatter of blades, and a wild shriek. Raphael had smashed a long leg into the man's face, and sent him hurtling into a stall. Only when this had happened did Raphael realized that they were in the marketplace. The clearing was cluttered with stalls and goods. Skill would be an essential part in getting through this without slowing. Which, Raphael Sorel was only too willing to oblige his steed with.
His horse leapt smoothly over the wooden table which had appeared so suddenly in front of them and kept going, while Raphael grasped tightly onto the reins. As he looked back, he noted that most of the remaining enforcers had chosen to go around it. This slowed them down again, but their horses were sturdily built and robust. They could accelerate to greater speeds with the right pressure. The riders started forcing their horses to go faster, to catch up with Raphael. As soon as one of them got close enough, that enforcer stretched his rapier forward. Raphael used Soul Edge to bat the feeble attempt away. He turned his head forward and listened to the pleasant sound of a rapier falling onto the ground. One enforcer unconscious, one enforcer untangling himself in a stall, and one enforcer unarmed. Things were going very well for Raphael.
At least, until the unarmed officer threw himself onto Raphael's horse. There was a scuffle as the enforcer struggled to throw Raphael off, and as Raphael tried to get rid of the extra burden at his back. Finally, with a spot of trickery and class, Raphael flipped a leg over to the right, so he was sitting with both legs at one side. Hooking his arm around the reins and mane of the horse, he threw his weight up, his legs flowing in the wide arc to knock the alarmed passenger off the horse. The lawman fell rather awkwardly, tumbling head over tail before he crumpled in a heap. Raphael snorted as he swung the leg over again and stabilized himself.
On they continued, with no major incident until they reached the end of the town. Raphael had traveled here with Amy before and he knew the layout of the town and what was beyond. Amy...just her name carved a new wound in his heart, tearing it raw and scarred. Raphael shook the pain away. There was a lake next. He would make sure the incompetent French lawmen paid for the distance they fell behind.
As Raphael neared the lake, he stopped his horse abruptly and gave it a pat on the head. "I'm sorry Dominic, but you can't come any further." Raphael strode to the boat at the edge of the lake and went inside. He spoke quickly to the fisherman who carried out a ferry service. "Mr. Scoville, I request a favour. I'll pay you this"-at this point Raphael opened his hand and a shower of gold coins fell into the fisherman's hand. "All you have to do is give me a ride over to the other side and not return to this side for the day."
The fisherman's eyes lit up at the mention of gold and quickly nodded in agreement. Raphael settled himself in the boat and the fisherman paddled away. When they were about a quarter through the lake, the lawmen had arrived. As soon as they saw what had happened, they were outraged. They threw obscenities in rapid French towards Raphael, who merely stood up, spread his arms and said, "Ayez un beau jour, messieurs." (Have a nice day, gentlemen.)
Chapter 10
"Hey! There he is!" shouted someone. Raphael turned his head towards the source of the sound. It was a law enforcer from Rouen. Seemingly, they had managed to track him down. Raphael cursed and muttered to himself, "Took them long enough." Raphael had only made it to Strasbourg, a French town almost at the border of Germany and France. Soul Edge was urging him to slay them all, forcing his hand to stray down to its hilt. Raphael resisted, and barely managed to curb the bloodthirsty instincts.
With one sweep of his eyes, he noticed nine riders. "Raphael Sorel! We know of your sins! Turn yourself in!" the one in front, apparently the leader, shouted wildly.
Raphael flicked his eyes back to the path ahead of him, and dug his heel into his steed's flank. The horse whinnied, rising on its back legs before setting off at a thunderous gallop. He heard random obscenities flung at him from the enforcers, and the sporadic sounds of hooves skittering on the streets. "Get him!" he heard a holler, obviously from the arrogant leader.
Raphael had grabbed a big head start while the law enforcer was busy trying to persuade him to stop. The French fencer powered forwards, his horse complimenting the rider's determination, and tearing down the streets quickly. Luckily, it was dusk and there weren't many people on the streets, aside from a few bored ones out for a stroll, and the usual tramps and beggars that lined the streets.
Raphael was putting a lot of distance when suddenly a young girl cut across his path. The head of red hair glinted in the sunlight and gave Raphael that illusion. "A-A-Amy?" he breathed, before the girl's face appeared, frightened at the sudden appearance of a horse at full-speed. Raphael's hopes were crushed and he quickly grabbed his steed's reins, straining furiously to pull them back. The horse rose up, front legs flailing wildly, but the girl was unharmed. She was just a hair's breadth from being trampled. Raphael immediately got off his horse, anxiety filling up within him. He took the little girl's hand and led her off to the side of the street: safety. Knowing his pursuers could catch up quickly, Raphael hurriedly mounted his horse and sent it off at a fast pace again. His pursuers blew past the little girl just moments later, dust billowing everywhere.
Raphael rounded a curve superbly, staying on the path and maintaining the quick pace. The law enforcers didn't do so well, and only four of them swerved perfectly. One plowed straight into a house. The impact was shattering and he flew into the air and landed hard. The man was very still. The other four who couldn't round the curve with the required traits suffered minor scrapes, but managed to get back on course.
Raphael's lips curved upwards in a sardonic grin, he was taking a sadistic pleasure in it all. He was perfection, and the law enforcers were bumbling blocks of wood.
Suddenly, he noticed an enforcer was at his side, slashing out with a rapier. Raphael drew his own. There was a clatter of blades, and a wild shriek. Raphael had smashed a long leg into the man's face, and sent him hurtling into a stall. Only when this had happened did Raphael realized that they were in the marketplace. The clearing was cluttered with stalls and goods. Skill would be an essential part in getting through this without slowing. Which, Raphael Sorel was only too willing to oblige his steed with.
His horse leapt smoothly over the wooden table which had appeared so suddenly in front of them and kept going, while Raphael grasped tightly onto the reins. As he looked back, he noted that most of the remaining enforcers had chosen to go around it. This slowed them down again, but their horses were sturdily built and robust. They could accelerate to greater speeds with the right pressure. The riders started forcing their horses to go faster, to catch up with Raphael. As soon as one of them got close enough, that enforcer stretched his rapier forward. Raphael used Soul Edge to bat the feeble attempt away. He turned his head forward and listened to the pleasant sound of a rapier falling onto the ground. One enforcer unconscious, one enforcer untangling himself in a stall, and one enforcer unarmed. Things were going very well for Raphael.
At least, until the unarmed officer threw himself onto Raphael's horse. There was a scuffle as the enforcer struggled to throw Raphael off, and as Raphael tried to get rid of the extra burden at his back. Finally, with a spot of trickery and class, Raphael flipped a leg over to the right, so he was sitting with both legs at one side. Hooking his arm around the reins and mane of the horse, he threw his weight up, his legs flowing in the wide arc to knock the alarmed passenger off the horse. The lawman fell rather awkwardly, tumbling head over tail before he crumpled in a heap. Raphael snorted as he swung the leg over again and stabilized himself.
On they continued, with no major incident until they reached the end of the town. Raphael had traveled here with Amy before and he knew the layout of the town and what was beyond. Amy...just her name carved a new wound in his heart, tearing it raw and scarred. Raphael shook the pain away. There was a lake next. He would make sure the incompetent French lawmen paid for the distance they fell behind.
As Raphael neared the lake, he stopped his horse abruptly and gave it a pat on the head. "I'm sorry Dominic, but you can't come any further." Raphael strode to the boat at the edge of the lake and went inside. He spoke quickly to the fisherman who carried out a ferry service. "Mr. Scoville, I request a favour. I'll pay you this"-at this point Raphael opened his hand and a shower of gold coins fell into the fisherman's hand. "All you have to do is give me a ride over to the other side and not return to this side for the day."
The fisherman's eyes lit up at the mention of gold and quickly nodded in agreement. Raphael settled himself in the boat and the fisherman paddled away. When they were about a quarter through the lake, the lawmen had arrived. As soon as they saw what had happened, they were outraged. They threw obscenities in rapid French towards Raphael, who merely stood up, spread his arms and said, "Ayez un beau jour, messieurs." (Have a nice day, gentlemen.)