Matthias made his way back out of the citadel as the great gates closed behind him. From on top of the battlements stood Thomas standing next to a guard. He watched slowly retreat back into the forest.
"Follow him," He said to the guard. The guard nodded and walked off.
The sun was beginning to set again after another very long day. Matthias was making his way through the woods as the darkness overwhelmed the forest. It was getting late, and he had no idea how to get back to the secret hideout of the Maliathans. He wanted to return to them and not only apologize, but join them on their attempt to stop the evil king. The bushes all seemed so unfamiliar and strange, and especially in the dark, he couldn't make out anything. But he knew that being in the woods, especially alone, and at night, wasn't good. He just kept walking straight in hopes that something wood look familiar. He heard a snap behind him and he stopped to turn around and see what made the sound, but there was nothing there. He stared behind him for a moment and then decided it was nothing and continued to walk forward. But as he turned his back he could hear shouts and orders being yelled in the distance. It was the guards. He turned again and could see at least 15 of them which had come to retrieve him. He took off into the woods as fast as his legs would take him the guards had spotted him.
"GET HIM BACK HERE!" a guard whom Matthias assumed was the general yelled. But he wasnt really concerned with who they were for he knew why they had come. Matthias was doing pretty well at outrunning them until he saw an arrow split into a tree right infront of him. This made him panic just a tad. Arrows starting flying by him left and right, luckily he was under the protection of the trees in the forest. He looked up at the trees and he saw something like a shadow dashing through them, it was moving in the opposing direction of himself and he turned back to take a look at where it was going. It swung right above one of the guards who had just shot an arrow at Matthias and it slit into his chest without stopping. The guard screamed and fell to the ground. The other guards turned around to see what had happened to their fallen firend.
"THE TREES! LOOK TOO THE TREES!" the general yelled as he too spotted the shadow. Matthias stopped running for a moment in order to see what was happening. Another guard cried out in agony as he fell to the ground with blood trickling down his chest. Matthias realized, ' Illiana ' he thought too himself. He knew had recognized that shadowy figure before. Matthias ran back toward the guards and pulled out his sword. He saw several more shadows fly by over his head. He raised his sword as he reached the open part of the forest. A guard turned his head as he heard Matthias approach but wasn't quick enough to react to Matthias' blade. He cut the guard down which brought attention too the rest of them. The remaining 12 ran toward him with orders to kill. The first chopped down at Matthias who blocked it with his own sword above his head and then sliced a horizontal cut into the guards ribs. The rest of them proceeded forward to attempt to kill Matthias who held them all off as the shadowy figures above them continued to slaughter their prey below. They started to drop like flies left and right, not standing a chance in the unfamiliar environment of the woods.
"RETREAT TO THE CITADEL!" Yelled a guard. They all ran back through the woods as fast as they could to get away from the onslaughter of the maliathans. The Maliathans however weren't satisfied enough. They followed the men as they ran for their lives. Matthias stayed behind and watched as the desperate attempts that the men made to escape were made pointless. All of the men that remained standing were cut down; all but one. One survived long enough to make it out of the woods and back to the citadel. Matthias stared ahead with a blank expression. He had had such a long day. One of the masked maliathans landed in front of him making him jump. Illiana removed her mask and revealed her face to Matthias once again. He looked at her, feeling disappointed in himself.
"I'm sorry," he said, " You were right... you were right." He looked down in shame of what he was. She reached her hand out and touched his face and lifted his chin up to make his eyes equal to hers.
"I'm glad you came back,"she said and he reached up to grab her hand that was touching him. He held it in his and looked back at her.
"So am I."
The other Maliathans landed next to Matthias and Illiana and the first to unmask himself was Icthus. He glared at Matthias and resheathed his sword.
"So, where do you stand... Ginian?" Icthus asked in a threatening way with his fingers just barely touching the handle of his sword.
" I've returned after realizing a great truth from my father. And for what it's worth I am sorry for what happened to you and your people. But I intend to help you, I want to do what's right."
"You honestly think that we need your help? We don't need you, and damn your pity."
Matthias just stared at Icthus. "You know it seems like no matter what I do you will be unhappy with me, I can't take back what has happened. But we can change what will happen if we work together."
"Did you not hear me Ginian? I said you don't belong here. So why don't you run back to your to your little kingdom, prince."
"Maybe I don't want to go back. I have found what I've been looking for and it's right here," Matthias said and looked at Illiana. He took her by the hand and started to pull her close but Icthus' sword smacked his hand and quickly raised too Matthias' throat.
"You think that you can just come here and become one of us," Icthus said.
"ICTHUS STOP IT!" Illiana yelled.
"Tell you what, Prince. You can become one of us. But first, you must challenge me in a duel."
Matthias glared at him unmercifully, " So be it."
The group of maliathans that had fought off the Ginian guards now made their way back to their secret hideout in the forest. It was a fortress that had been sown together by the twisted trees of the forest. It was deep into the woods, which was what kept it's identity safe from it's surrounding enemies. A legion of Maliathans awaited anyone who entered. They were a dying people, but so many rested inside the fortress. Matthias entered with the gang that he encountered in the woods. The sky was still black in the dead of night. Not a soul remained out in the open of the woods. They all had their huts and homes inside the trees and hills. It was a rather odd thing to see for Matthias. It was like a whole different world that he just walked into. Matthias was happy to be close to Illiana again. He couldn't ignore the captive feeling that he kept getting from the rest of the maliathans though: Icthus especially. They all stopped when they reached the center of the fortress. All of the maliathans turned to look at Matthias as Icthus approached slowly.
"Tomorrow at dawn you will meet me in this exact spot, and you will be ready to fight," Icthus hissed as he turned away from everyone. He walked to a tree and reached his hand out to push on the trunk. The trunk collapsed inward revealing a door to a hidden room. Icthus slammed the door behind him, and everyone who was watching walked off as well. Everyone but Matthias and Illiana. All of the maliathans went inside for the night. Illiana walked up too Matthias who was looking towards Icthus' tree-like hut.
"I'm sorry about him," she said, "He has always been against, well... your kind. You see he not only lost his home when he left the citadel, he lost his wife and two children, and he takes it out on any Ginian that he meets."
"Yea I noticed," Matthias said, " Maybe I can change his mind about some ginians."
"Please be careful tomorrow Matthias. I don't want you to get hurt."
"I'm better with a sword than you think."
"It's not just a sword that you will need to win this duel, Matthias. We maliathans study a form of fighting that involves stealth and very swift movements. It's called ninjitsu. Ever since we obtained into our group a shinobi warrior by the name of Daisuke Togakure, he has tought us everything that he knows about this martial art. This is how we fight is by stealth, endurance, persevereance, and secretness."
"...Well... it was a bit odd to see you flying through the trees in the forest like that. I've never seen anything like that before in my life. You must have incredible balance." Illiana kind of blushed at the hint of the compliment, "Can you teach me anything?"
"Yes," She said they spent half of the night training going over the basics of ninjitsu, going over steps and stances. Illiana taught him how to flourish a sword 'properly.' She not only taught him how to use a sword but how to fend with his hands and feet.
"This seems a bit odd. Using your feet like this. Does it really work?" Matthias asked. Illiana looked at him.
"Punch me," she said.
"I'm not going to hit you. I am a prince I would never strike a woman. Especially you -"
"Just punch at me!" she demanded. Matthias threw her a punch rather weakly trying to avoid actually hitting her, but she showed no remorse in deflecting his punch. She reached up under his arm with hers and grabbed him around the neck. She then pushed his shoulders off balance while sweeping his legs out from under him. Matthias hit the ground quicker than a sack of rocks with Illiana still on top of him holding his arm against his chest keeping him from moving. She threw a punch at his head and stopped right before impact. Matthias just kind of looked a little bit in awe that not only was this girl beautiful, but she had... well... some damn good moves. She let loose her grip on his arm and knelt down close too him. " Yes, it works," she said with a smile.
"I see that. But what would you do if..." Matthias grabbed her around the waist and pulled her too the ground. They fought to remain on top as they rolled down a small grassy hill. Illiana landed on Matthias and they stopped.
"Ha!" she said with a flirtacious smile. He smiled back at her and then he ran his fingers through her long blonde hair. Her cheek fell into his hand as it touched her skin, and then she looked him in his eyes. Matthias pulled Illiana into him and kissed her. They lay there holding eachother close, beneath the trees of the forest. He continued kissing her pouring all of his passion through his lips into hers. When their lips seperated he hugged her close and she put her head in his chest. She could hear his heart beating rather fast, due too the fact that he was with her. He continued to stroke her hair with his hand, and then he kissed the top of her forehead.
"You need to get some rest, my prince," she said too him without lifting her head.
"I know," he said, "Just let me hold you a little longer." The two of them laid there the rest of the night. They drifted off into a peaceful sleep with eachother under the bright-shining light of the pale moon.