The Archer

"Followers of the church! This man is an Outlaw, a member of the Death Corp! You have all been gathered here today to witness his execution, after being tried by the church itself. Has the guilty any last words?"

"Yeah. . . I just got one thing to say. Well, two, things actually. . ."

Fortra Tegglebeck gritted his teeth, grinning just slightly. He had been caught sneaking around in the Orbonne monastery, following a rumor about the holy stones. He couldn't have helped but thought that the Death Corp would succeed much easier, and with less bloodshed if he could bring Wiegraf just one of the fabled crystals. He would have gotten away with it, too, if one of the yin-yang mages hadn't caught him with a damn spell while practicing. By accident, St. Ajora! He'd been caught by accident!

"Well? Out with it, criminal. These gallows were not built for only you."

"You can bloody well wait. A man should be allowed to enjoy his last few moments of life."

Fortra was a thin lad, in many ways undernourished at age eighteen. He was not anorexic, but the simple fact that he was in the Death Corp gave him excuse enough to be gaunt. No matter how well-fitted the clothes were to him, they always hung off him like rags on a coat hanger. This, and the fact that he was abnormally flexible, as well as strong for his muscle mass would play a part in the greatest escape attempt he'd ever made.

"You have one minute" came the Executioner's ultimatum, hand resting on the lever that would cause the stage under Fortra's feet to fall, thereby hanging him.

"Alright. . . the first thing I want to say is, all you bloody nobles really need to take your heads outta yer own arses. The other one is. . ."

"Yes? Come on, come on."

"The other one is you can't tie a knot to save yer filthy life."

Fortra ducked backwards, pulling his head out of the noose just before the knight holding the loop had a chance to pull it tight. On the way back, his head clanged into the other's helmet and sent him toppling into the crowd with stars circling in front of his eyes, but the disorientation of the sudden impact didn't stop him well enough to keep Fortra from standing up and weaving through the crowd like a needle. As he ran, his hands feverishly undid the twisted rope around his wrists, his long and nimble fingers as well as his teeth ripping the fibers from one another like a rabid rabbit.

He could hear the knghts giving chase, the damn Hokuten almost like terriers, the way they never let their prey go. Duck and weave, Fortra. Duck and weave, and you might just see your kid brother again. Whipping sideways into an alleyway, he caught himself a little breather. The knights were all in plate mail, and the mages wouldn't run faster than the knights if they could help it. As it was, the crowd probably gave him some cover and the Hokuten might just pass him by completely. As he stood there, listening to the knights get totally misdirected in the mass of people, he grinned. At least, he did until he heard a clatter by his feet. Someone had dropped a package next to him with a note.

Corporal Fortra, this is your bow, and I have included several arrows. I am sorry for the abrupt mission briefing, but one of the knights who are looking for you happens to be Captain Oscaji. This man is highly dangerous to the Death Corp, as he is very close to finding two of our hideouts. If this revolution is to succeed, he must be eliminated. Corporal Fortra, you know what to do. Make your way back to the 'deserted mouse' base when you are done.

-Miluda

"Gotcha" Frotra whispered under his breath as he picked up the package. Okay, plan of action. . . rooftops. There was a ladder that lead from the rather tight alleyway to a southern rooftop, a couple stories higher than most of the other buildings. Having exited the crowd, the Hokuten would probably have doubled back, making the alleyway a very bad place to be. Gripping the paper of the parcel in his teeth, one hand gripped a rung, followed by another in a very fast climb to the top.

The roof he'd chosen was actually a very nice place to be, at the moment. The edge of the roof actually extended up a foot, giving a sniper quite a nice place to hide from enemy fire. Ripping open the package, he withdrew a long, bent rod of beautiful mythril steel. This wasn't his bow, his bow was simple wood, and one this size and make was surely far more expensive. Then again, his bow probably had been confiscated. There was no reason to criticize a better bow, now, was there?

Peering out over the edge, it was no trouble at all to distinguish the captain from the rest of his group. Gold armor tended to stand out when everyone else wore dull steel. The trick to sniping, however, was finding the perfect moment. If he fired at the wrong time, not all of the reaction time skills in the world could save him from being spotted. One long yellow-feathered arrow was fitted to the string, the bow itself requiring almost no strength to pull back despite how strong a metal it was made of. Fortra sighted, and waited. . .

NOW!

Fingers pulled away from the string with a suddenness that would have startled someone who wasn't a skilled archer, the string sending the aerial spike tearing through the wind and air as if all of hell wanted it to stop. There was a thud, a scream, and all the knights spun to face their stricken leader.

"Captain! Captain, are you all right?"

"My back. . . something's hit. . . me. . ."

Lieutenant Ganarad and his squad of elite knights searched and searched, but they never did find the source of the arrow, nor did they find that amazing gallows escapee.

It was a sad day for the Hokuten.