Chapter 4

I awoke in the stairwell some time later, with a throbbing headache. I was still clutching a blood-covered Shear.

I got up and looked around me. The city looked like a tidal wave had crashed on it, so great was the destruction that the enemy had wrought. I could hear screams of innocents as they were chased by the soldiers. Vi was gone.

Vi!

I forced myself to get up, and began running towards the fortress. Vi would have taken shelter there if she could. When I reached the gates, I found them barred. I nimbly ran up the wall until I could grab the edge of the gate and climb over. I landed softly on the ground, and I ran to the balcony. Looking out into the courtyard of the fortress, I saw a sight that made my blood run cold. A man, leaning on a Black Scepter, stood before some kind of vertical altar with his arm swathed in bandages. Tied to the altar was my friend Vi. Sitting in a circle around her, tied up, were a bunch of kids.

He was going to execute Vi!

Something inside me snapped. It wasn't like either time before, not like when I had fought the drunk at the inn or when I had been shooting arrows at the beasts from the wall. It was like the time when Vi had been in danger before, from the enemy soldier, and my rage grew overpowering. But now, it was ten times worse.

Literally roaring with rage I sprinted into the midst of the guards that surrounded the event. The first guard's eyes told a tale of murder. "Murderer!" I yelled as Shear parted his head from his neck. The next guard came at me with sword drawn. "Rapist!" I screamed as my blade sliced into his stomach. The battlefield resounded with my cries. In that instant my transformation was complete. I was now the Night Angel in truth, wielding Shear based on the crimes these demonic skeletons and men had committed.

And I hated myself for it.

I almost reached the black cloaked figure when he lifted his hand, and I felt as if I had hit a wall. Boiling water shot out from the man's uplifted hand, and engulfed me. I felt a presence trying to invade me. No. I said in my mind, talking to the presence that was trying to engulf my mind. You can't do this. I am the Night Angel. I pushed it back with all my might. I will not allow you to do this. I am the Night Angel. You cannot win. I am Arc Caster. When I said that the presence seemed to recoil. It broke off abruptly, but in its haste to depart it left a small part of itself behind. Then the part that it had left behind inside me transformed into pure heat, and I saw my skin begin to blacken, but then a cry sounded from beyond the tidal wave that engulfed me, and the water disappeared. However, the upper half of my left forearm was burned black with a single white rune on the palm, a watermark. The air tingled with the memory of magic.

A child had placed his hand on the forehead of the cloaked man. Silent Prophet. The word darted into my mind like a ghost. I shook it off. Blue sparks seemed to dance on the child's hand. He's invoking a spell! I realized. The Silent Prophet, as I had named him, began to twitch violently. His eyes rolled back. Then the child changed. It was suddenly a middle aged man, a white staff in his hand, and a hand full of power on the head of the Silent Prophet.

"Let him up, magician." I said. "I don't want him dead." When the magician did not even acknowledge my presence, I forcibly removed his hand. He fell back with a cry, and The Silent Prophet immediately sprouted black bat wings and soared up into the sky. The magician gave me a venomous glare. "Look what you have done! I was dispatched by King Riser himself to capture a Silent Prophet, and you young rebel have destroyed my one and only chance! Who are you?"

"I am the Night Angel." I showed him Shear as proof. "And I am charged with the defense of this city as a Shaka'Do. I apologize for my thoughtlessness, but It was my wish to obtain from him information, and when you did not respond to my first urging I thought you meant to kill him. I also thank you for saving my life." I glanced up, and saw the Silent Prophet circling above us. I also noticed a strange X-shaped scar on his forehead. "He's still there, if you want to go after him."

"I'm sorry to interrupt," A voice from above us rang out, "but could you let me down?"

Vi! What was with me today that I couldn't even remember my friend? I walked up to her and planted a kiss on her cheek. "I'm so glad you're here, Arc." She whispered. I cut her bonds and let her down from the Silent Prophet's alter carefully. Then, almost as an afterthought, I took off Rainer and my second shoulder-harness and gave them to her. She seemed startled. "Why are you giving me this?" She asked.

"Because you're good enough to equal me now," I said, "And the moment may come where I might not be there to protect you. I don't want to see you die, Vi."

"I will be going after him now, Night Angel. I wish you luck." The magician interrupted. Muttering a spell, he sprouted white angel wings and soared off after the Silent Prophet.

I shook my head. "I wonder who he is." I shot her a quizzical look. "Do you know him?"

"No… But Arc, your arm…"

"I'll live." I was barely containing myself. "I'm just glad you're safe."

We herded the kids into a group. "Who are you kids?" I asked.

No one said a word.

"You're frightening them." Vi whispered. I realized that I still had my sword out and had plenty of blood on me. I immediately sheathed Shear and tried to wipe off what blood I could.

"Who are you?" Vi asked gently. A boy spoke up.

"We are orphans. The black skeletons…" he trailed off.

"What's your name?"

"Yuan." He said miserably.

"And I'm Samira." Another girl chimed in. "It was horrible! Tell the man that I want him to kill all those nasty black skeletons! I hate them!" she started crying.

"Oh you poor things." Vi put an arm around the pair of youngsters. "How many of you have lost family?"

All of them raised their hands. Vi's eyes had tears in them.

"Nothing else for tonight." I interrupted with as kindly a voice as I could manage. "Come with us, and we can take you to a safe place for the night."

All of the kids stood. We led them to the inn, where most of them went right off to sleep.

"I'm going to stand guard." I told Vi.

"Good." She responded softly. "I'm going to talk to the kids a little more."

"All right." I gave her a peck on the cheek, and quickly left outside. Her face went red, and she touched the spot I had kissed her on.

Twelve hours later, I sat up straight, and knew immediately that I had been dozing. Turning around from the dawn, I entered the inn, and looked upon the kids I had saved. A voice cried out my name, and Vi came running into my arms. She was crying.

"Oh Arc, those black skeletons killed their caretakers! It was horrible! They ate them in front of their faces! Oh god, oh god…" she cried.

I closed my eyes and held her quietly. I cried myself for all the death I had dealt out. How could anyone do such a thing to these kids? It was something that I could tell Vi had gone through also, when she was young, and I pitied her and wished that I could have been there to help her out.

This was a girl I had saved. My friend. Our friendship had been strong before, but now we were truly best friends. I really did have feelings for Vi… But did I love her? I couldn't answer that question yet.

Roars from outside startled me out of my thoughts. I reached for Shear, simultaneously giving out instructions.

"Everyone to the top floor!" I yelled. I prepared to hold the courtyard when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm not going to let you do this alone." Vi looked me in the eye. "These undead killed a lot of people, and right now I'm ready for some revenge of my own." She drew out Rainer.

I nodded grimly. I was ready for some revenge myself. "Let's kill these things. You hold the dining room, I'll hold the courtyard."

I charged, swinging Shear with both hands. Smashing into the press of undead monsters I noticed that in their eyes I saw nothing, not a single thing good or bad. When I struck one of them down in a stroke that I was sure would kill it, he fell and rose again. It took a beheading or a direct cut in half to slay the monster permanently, that or fire, I discovered when I threw a bottle of liquor at the head of a monster and it burst into flames. Then I heard a crash, and I saw the door to the inn break open as a monster crashed into it. Then I saw a sword run through its head, and Vi was suddenly there, dealing out death to the undead, whirling Rainer's twin blades. I took a perverse pleasure in watching those who had killed get killed.

I do not know how long it took, but by the time we were finished the corpses were piled high. I knelt, exhausted, but trembling with anger. How dare these black skeletons kill thousands of innocents! How dare they try to kill these orphans! And how dare they have such blank eyes that even the Night Angel cannot see their souls. I started at that last thought, and realized that it came from Shear. I glared angrily at the blade, wishing it would stop talking in my mind, but another though crossed my mind. I wonder what other powers this blade has. I wonder… Vi came up behind me and wrapped her arms around me.

"What are these things, Vi?" I asked my companion. "Where are they from, and what do they want?"

She stroked my head in an effort to calm me down. "I do not know, but something tells me we are going to find out."

I stood. "Your right." I clenched my fist. "I'm going to find whoever did this, and make them pay." I looked at the stunning redhead by my side. "Are you with me?"

She smiled a smile so cold and wintery that it would freeze you where you stood. "To the death."

Seemingly out of nowhere, a winged middle aged man swooped down. It was the wizard from earlier today. This time, he seemed a bit kinder.

"Greetings, Night Angel." The wings disappeared into his back. "I see by the vermin corpses all around us that you are a true Shaka'Do. But where did the lady learn such skill?"

"From me, friend." I smiled. "What's your name? I can't keep on calling you magician."

"My name is Mavin." He shook my hand. "I am a level three mage in the Order of Wizards. King Riser sent me to capture a Silent Prophet."

"You mean that guy that was going to kill the orphans." I confirmed.

"Yes. The Silent Prophets are a group of powerful mages and warriors, they would correspond to just above a level four on the weakest level. That is why I was sent. Any level three would make mincemeat out of them. But the leader…" He sighed sadly.

"Their leader is referred to as the Lord of Silence. He would be a top level one sorcerer. I could not face him and live."

"Wait." Vi interrupted. "Start from the beginning."

"I have been sent to capture a member of a secret society called the Prophets." He began. "They are a fanatical group of wizards dedicated to wiping out all life in the world, using the dead soldiers you see around us. It is not clear whether they are alive or dead. By summoning up the undead armies, they have the potential to wipe out the entire land of Masolium. The one whom I was chasing bears an X shaped scar on his forehead, and that may be used to identify him."

A long-buried memory from my childhood surfaced.

A wave of pain washed over me as the heat became unbearable. I was sweating bullets, and my long black coat was only making things worse.

I reached inside my coat and brought out my only possession: a large knife with a curiously shaped blade. As the heat rose, I saw it begin to steam.

I needed to get out. Now.

"You cannot escape us, Kylar Deatheyes!" a voice called.

Another voice chimed in, one that I knew well but couldn't remember.

"I'm sorry, Kylar, but this needs to be done." The voice seemed to taunt me, sitting just beyond my memory. Not that I had a memory anymore.

I had woken up this morning in this cell with a blank mind. No memory. Just a black coat, a knife, and a perception in my grey eyes that no other man had.

The door wasn't blocked, but every time I tried to exit a fireball came through. But now I had no choice: run or die. I took a step out, and was nearly knocked over by a ball of flame. In a reflex action, I hurled my knife at the man who had launched it from his spinning Charkams, knocking him down.

Another man walked slowly towards me, showing no sign of fear at all. On the contrary, he seemed to inspire me with a feeling of… no, not fear exactly, but apprehension. "No matter who you kill, no matter what you do, you cannot escape your fate, Kylar Deatheyes. You are still only a boy". He seemed to speak into my mind.

I ground my teeth. "Don't call me that!" I yelled. I knocked him down and stared into his eyes. One of my powers was the ability to see into people's soul, and see what crimes they had committed. This man was… clean. Not a single crime… except for birthing a boy, except for twisting him, except for murdering civilizations, and except for the death of millions! I turned and sprinted away. Now was not the time for retribution. But one day…

Then I saw a large spiked axe come swinging at me. It caught me on the ankle with the flat of the blade, tripping me, but I lashed out with my knife twice, which gave the man wielding the axe an X shaped cut on his forehead. He cried out: "How could you strike your own father in this manner?" I ignored him. Until I was safely away, he was not my father.

I leaped over a broken wall, barely avoiding a blonde girl with bladed steel knuckles. She seemed startled. "Kylar, I thought you were-"

I swerved around her, and dodged away. There was an explosion behind me, but I didn't heed it. My entire mind was focused on escape. Then a buffet of cold water struck me with such force that it lifted me. I saw the edge of a building as I flew over it. Then I was falling. I barely caught onto a railing on the edge of the opposite building, and I chanced a look back. I saw four men and one girl all dressed in long black coats standing at the edge of the balcony, hoods hiding their faces.

I reached into my belt, and brought out my large knife with a curiously shaped blade. After that first night I had never used it again. I stared at it in wonder. I had a feeling that I had more in common with them then I knew. I tried harder to remember. Remember… Remember… I stared at the blade in my hands until all I could see was a shifting haze. Remember…

Then: A young boy wielding a knife like a true assassin.

Next: Eyes flaming from grey to turn blue for a hot second where blue smoke rose from them.

And then: A teenager dressed in black having a vicious argument with his father.

Next: A woman thrown out of a doorway, a teenager crying, a man yelling.

Now: A man with an axe wounding his son during a training session.

"I hate you!" the boy yelled, lashing out with his knife, missing by an inch."I should have listened when she told me that you were bad! You are bad! And so are the Prophets!"

"Arc? ARC!" I looked up. I had collapsed on the ground with my head in my hands.

"There are five of them." I said quietly. "five Silent Prophets. I was supposed to be the sixth." I looked up, feeling sick. "I remember it all now. Dmitri Stafftide, Illidan Flamewheel, Arlene Blackclaw, Aran Darkblade, and… I … I cannot remember the fifth. Our leader was named Talon Dreadlord, the Dreadlord of Silence. My name… it used to be Kylar Deatheyes…" I wiped sweat from my forehead. "I was one of them. And that Prophet you were chasing, the one with the scar… he's my father… Dmitri Stafftide."

"Well, I know who you are, Arc, and you are not one of them." Vi said with surprising ferocity. "I know that you are a good man who wouldn't ever join them. Never. If you used to be with them, I know that you aren't now, and that's good enough for me."

"A Dreadlord…" Mavin said slowly. "This is bad, very bad. Do you know what a Dreadlord is?"

"No." I said, puzzled. "Why?"

"A Dreadlord is a powerful man who has made a deal with the Darkness. He becomes a demon lord, and is imbued with a full arsenal of dark powers. He is darkness incarnate, and is far more powerful then a first class mage. In return for his dark powers he ends up destroying his home world, if he is allowed." He sighed sadly. "He was last seen in the city of Kadara, to the east. However, the King told me that Kadara has been taken over by the Prophets and is being used as their base."

"So I go in there, knock off a few undead, and kill the Dreadlord, right?" I asked.

"It's not that simple." The mage conjured a picture of Kadara. "The place is a natural fortress, and there's only one way in. Once in, the place is like a maze, and there are guards everywhere."

"Well," I said as I sheathed my sword. "It's not something to deal with today. We couldn't even travel far with these kids to look after. Come on, Vi, let's go home."

Later that night, I and Vi shared a room at the inn, where the other kids weren't living. They were all sleeping in the housing complex. Vi was so beautiful in the low light; I knew in that instant that there would never be another one for me.

Then she told me about the crime that a man named Kael-Surd had committed against her, robbing her of honor, courage, spirit, virginity, and pride. It had been six years ago now, but she was still feeling the effects.

He had raped her.

I sighed in anger and sadness as I stroked her hair. "I'm so sorry… I wish I could take some of your pain so that you don't have to endure it."

Vi laid her head down on my chest, listening to my heartbeat. "No. Don't say that. I would rather deal with all of it then have you have it."

I wrapped her in my arms, the warmth of the embrace and the heat of our feelings sparking something inside me. "I'm used to pain after what I've gone through. I can take it. But even hearing of you in pain makes me want to… Oh, I just feel helpless when I know you're in danger!"

"No Arc." She snuggled up to me." I don't wish my pain on anyone but me. I am fine now. Just relax." She began massaging my back, which felt like heaven after my long horse ride.

"If there is ever anything I can do for you, please tell me. Promise." I gave her a gentle squeeze.

"I promise." Vi said as she squeezed back. "But don't try and kill yourself over my pain, or I'll leave you here."

"Ok." I smiled. "You win."

"Good." She held me tight, not wanting to let go, for she knew I would be leaving her soon.

I looked deep into her eyes. "I love you Vi."

Vi looked right back."I love you Arc"

Our faces drew slowly closer and closer, until at last our lips touched and we kissed quite tenderly. We enjoyed the bliss of the experience, holding each other in our arms, knowing that our time together would not last, that one or both of us might die tomorrow, but still living and loving one another.

That was when Vi cried of sad but happy tears.