Invasion, Pt. 1

"Thanks for bandaging me up," Shaad offered as he and Raine moved in unison along a town's edge, hoping to avoid being seen by too many people. "Ya surprised me."

"Tomboy, remember. Not my first time around blood or bruises. . . But, how-"

"How'd I get my ass kicked like that," Shaad picked up as the pair ducked behind a building. Royal guards doubled as police in this country, and the closer to the main city they got, the more frequent the patrols. "Don't make it better, but that accursed forest did most of it. Some gun-toting mutt did the rest." Shaad peeked from the shadows, saw the patrol stroll by, and continued moving in the darkness with Raine close behind. "No," Shaad added, answering some unasked question. "Neither of those put me in such a sorry state; I did something stupid again."

Raine looked briefly puzzled. However, it had nothing to do with the guard that had just stepped from an alley to between Shaad and her. Kicking him in the throat, stunned the guard long enough for Shaad to stab him from behind and left her free to deal with the soldier's canine companion, muzzling it with her hand and pressing a knee to its ribs to put it to sleep while she voiced the source of her confusion. "You told me your body rapidly broke down if you exceeded your limits."

"It does," Shaad answered as they pushed the bodies behind some crates in the alley. Fortunately, my mind and body are still on speaking terms. . . What I mean is," he began to clarify, lowering his voice to ensure they weren't discovered again this close to the city walls, "I basically have subconscious limiters keeping my powers in check. I have to completely focus on going beyond that in a single burst to break that barrier; it's close to impossible to do with a sustained boost or if I'm splitting my energies, but it'll still tire me out and shut down all non-essential functions till I recover enough. . . Speaking of, you ain't happen to see a slim guy dressed in robes in that pile you pulled me from, huh?"

"Maybe an arm, why?"

"Nothing really," Shaad waved the thought away. "Just an annoyance."

Raine nearly ran into Shaad's back as he abruptly stopped about 200 yards before the main city's gate where the two towering mountains of men stood guard. "Don't worry, I know a way around. You said we needed to hurry right?"

"No, this is where I make myself known. You go ahead and back up Vega. We'll rendezvous later; the place you chose is a good one."

In an expansive banquet hall, a beautiful woman relaxed in a statement making, high-backed chair before a room full of well dressed dignitaries and royal officials seated on pillows along the ornately carved dining table, flanked by her most loyal and trusted adviser before the backdrop of silk indigo curtains. Servants moved in and out in orderly fashion, setting the variety of extravagant foods along the table while others poured wine for parched (or merely sober) guests. The woman, a dazzling crown atop her perfectly styled, two toned jade black hair, was dressed in a flowing gown that sparkled in the torch light and wrapped in a satin cloak, a glow from the setting sun refracting off a bead of sweat on her prominent cleavage as she reached for the gift proffered by the decorated man kneeling before her. Only the lines beside her eyes and the slight wrinkles appearing on her manicured hands hinted at her true age as she caressed and inspected the finely crafted chest.

"Queen Neferose, King Arthon apologizes that he could not make it in person to your birthday. He wishes you all the best and offers these treasures and myrrh in honor of you. His hope is that he will see you in the coming weeks."

"Do not worry," she replied softly, her voice naturally melodic like every word she uttered was all part of some beautiful song. "The duties of a monarch are pressing and never-ceasing. I look forward to seeing him in a few weeks' time, but we are honored that you, mister minister could attend. Please enjoy the festivities; I've heard a breathtaking performance has been prepared for before we feast."

While the foreign minister rose from his position to take his seat, replaced in short order by another, a soldier peeked through the curtain to speak with the Queen's adviser.

"What now?" The clean cut, stone-faced adviser's tone was harsh even in a whisper. Dressed in finely layered robes, he fully looked the part of diplomat save for the tucked away custom pistol and eyepatch showcasing the soldier at the core of his hardened, grizzled visage.

"There's a disturbance at the city gate."

"Then the guards there will handle it," the adviser growled. "Have you forgotten we already have intruders of our own a few levels down. Our primary concern right now is ensuring the Queen's birthday continues without disturbance."

"I- I understand, sir, but the twin goliaths have already been taken down, and those within the castle are tearing through our men; they seem to be looking for something."

The adviser growled lowly, the muscles of his hands and neck rippling as he flexed his fingers and the low sound escaped through gritted teeth. "Recall all patrol groups from throughout the nearby towns, have a squad detached to the palace entrance - no one gets through - and direct General Flynn's unit to subdue the rogues already under our roof. . . And, find out what's delaying the two units deployed to the forest."

"Sir," came the hurried reply as the young soldier ducked his head back behind the curtain and the adviser took a few steps forward to retake his position beside the Queen.

The Queen's Adviser was a diligent man. But, more than that, he was devoted. He was aware of the infiltration since the mottled, gray den den mushi mounted on his wrist began buzzing and vibrating seconds before Satori blasted his way through the port entrance gate. He would've already quelled the disturbance were it not for the Queen's party proceeding before him. As it stood, the scout team's failure to return confirmed an outside threat. Still, nothing pointed to an actual worry as far as he was concerned.

Satori had entered first while Vega was still preoccupied. As such, he had a sizable head start. But, that was fine; Vega's sole task in this undertaking was to keep an eye on Satori, even if that meant tearing through any number of guards that would try and get in his way. Shaad had told Raine he didn't necessarily believe Morrigan, but as brash as the young pirate could be, he rarely acted without forethought.

'It's quiet,' Shaad pondered. The streets were empty as he strolled along the wide main road. It was the shortest path to the castle, but outside of a messenger that jetted past him, he had barely seen a soul.

'You think it's an ambush?'

'No, but if the path's just gonna be this inviting, it'd be rude not to hurry along.'

'To who? If someone did this on purpose, it's an ambush; if not, there's no one to be rude to.'

'Yea, but still. . . If someone did set this up, we should thank them properly.'

'By rushing headlong into a trap? . . You're an idiot.'

'You're an ass,' Shaad shrugged, kicking off his back foot and falling into a full sprint. If there really was a trap, it'd be hard to say who would be more surprised when he ran into it.

"We've got you now."

Vega had lost sight of Satori. An officer, judging by his attire, had cut the courier off and the two got into a scrum. Now, a unit of infantrymen blocked every turn of this hallway. Showing no fear or hesitation, Vega charged straight ahead. The masked fighter uncoiled a slash with the claw on his right hand up the chest and face of the nearest guard to meet his advance, striking with whip-like quickness that sent blood splattering into the air.

Grabbing a flower vase from a nearby table, Vega threw the hand blown glass container at the trailing guard, broken glass in his eyes and cheeks blinding the soldier to a front dropkick that compressed his chest with enough force to send him flying into his comrades.

Landing on his back on the first guard, Vega watched as a soldier ran up from behind him with sword raised. Vega rolled to avoid the strike - the heavy swing dealing a fatal blow - before Vega disarmed the attacker with a swift palm strike and grabbed hold of the sword as he rose to his feet with a devastating kick pattern akin to a helicopter rotor, forcing those able to move back.

Each movement flowed seamlessly into the next for the agile pirate, and as he popped back to his feet, Vega flung the acquired sword into the crowd blocking his escape. While not aimed at anyone in particular the haphazardly thrown blade nevertheless became buried in someone at about the same time as Vega landed a spinning back elbow squarely across the jaw of a guard to his left, twisting the foe into a headlock and using the grapple as the fulcrum for a vicious jumping roundhouse kick. Planting his feet to the floor, the lithe Vega showed surprising strength, tossing the now emptied table into the approaching force to his left before snapping his captive's neck and using the limp body to impede the group on the right.

Glimpsing an opening, Vega aimed towards a cracked door just a couple of steps deeper in the hallway. First, though, he had to clear out the few guards still in his way. Using the ones stuck under their deceased comrade as a launchpad, Vega threw himself into a scrum. With a flurry of short, quick strikes to put them off balance and push them back just a little, Vega went for their throats with his claw. The graceful pirate slipped past the open door as blood painted the outside.

Everything had been happening so fast. A commotion. Loud banging and heavy thuds sprinkled with muffled screams. It was surprisingly easy to dismiss it as a hyper crazy level of hustle and bustle, especially for those uninitiated in such violent scenes.

"I'm sorry; I'll immediately get back to work," a scrambling, comely young servant girl panicked, head bowed as she pleaded for mercy in the dingy, soiled rag that served as a dress. This lowest of servants was one such uninitiated. Relegated to the sewers of societal living since birth, the worst she'd ever seen were the frequent fights over food crumbs. But, as blood dripping to the floor entered her peripheral, a primal scream roiled in her gut, shattering the dam of her sanity and cascading out like an avalanche.

If Vega was shaken by the screeching, crying wail, he certainly didn't let it show, reacting immediately to the guard trying to force his way in with a jump spinning side kick to the door. Arm smashed, both door and bone broken, Vega deftly maneuvered the sword in hand as it slipped from loosened grasp, reversing and thrusting the sharpened point through the wielder's face.

While Vega shut the busted door - room momentarily silent as the servant seemingly screamed herself into unconsciousness - it wasn't long before a wave of soldiers easily burst through the battered frame. The first one through barely got his hands up before a thrown ceramic bottle shattered over his arm, the smell of lamp oil readily apparent. Grabbing the lit lamp from the bedside table, Vega threw the glass casing just as the soldier lowered his arm from the initial surprise attack. Broken glass peppered his face and arm as the lamp smashed over his head, but worse by far than the shallow lacerations was the newly joined mixture of fire and oil setting the soldier's arm ablaze. However, a forceful push kick immediately made that the converged soldiers' problem as the guard flailed and the fire spread.

"They're sleepin' on me? I feel a bit insulted," Shaad muttered aloud, eyes roving over the bodies strewn and collapsed across the castle's entrance. They were alive. Barely. But, there would be no getting up for a while.

'So, does this count as an ambush or no?'

The pirate captain only pondered that thought a moment before joining his crew in trespassing on the castle.

"Finally found you." Raine sounded exasperated as she kicked aside an unconscious guard, looking beyond the chaos to the pristine white mask of the stoic Vega. "Following these cardboard cutout soldiers got me this far. Now, why are we here?"

Raine released an audible grumble. But, it wasn't that Vega proceeded as if she weren't even there that annoyed her. She expected that much. It was that the deadly enigma put away his claw gauntlet just to pick up the fainted young woman behind him, carrying her bridal style as he stepped past the navigator and out into the hall.

Raine was speechless, so many different emotions conflicting within her. Shaad had proffered no explanation, and Vega would certainly be of no use in providing answers. As such, the audacious young lady simply scoffed at her partner's silence before following behind him. 'Not like I got much choice.'