Fight for the Key

By: Makashi Posted on: December 22, 2007

The group moved through the Aalen quickly and quietly, unseen to everyone but each other. They had to finish their task today, otherwise all of their careful planning would be ruined.

Tian stopped in his tracks, kneeling behind a small bush. Murmuring softly to himself, he flashed the signal for everyone to stop. He looked upwards and saw Min in the trees, barely noticeable. Invisible, for those who didn't know who to look for. He heard a slight rustling behind him, and Kedai kneeled next to him. A pair of scimitars jutted above his broad shoulders. A mask completely covered his face, permanently twisted into what seemed to be a look of agony. The only part of his face left uncovered were his eyes, piercing blue, always surveying his surroundings. A crackle of necromantic energy surged across him, and he shifted irritably.

"When are we moving, Tian? This should've been finished days ago."

Min dropped silently from above, a scowl on his face. "Intel was wrong, Tian. There's at least a hundred soldiers at this encampment. All between us and that key."

Tian laughs quietly, shaking his head. The air above his palm began glowing blue before focusing into a small ball of kai energy. Looking up, he murmurs quietly, "Kill them all." He balls his hands into fists, crushing the ball.

Min's mouth turns up into a smile as he unstrings his bow from his back, vaulting back into the trees. A low growl emanates from Kedai's throat as he is suddenly dissipated into a black mist, swirling towards the camp. Tian stood and began walking casually forward, the air around him shimmering dangerously.

One of the soldiers turned and saw Tian. He quickly turned to yell a warning, but only managed to let out a strangled groan as he toppled to the ground, an arrow through his throat. Another guard suddenly gasped and clutched at his own throat before turning blue and collapsing to the ground, dead. The black mist swirls out from the guard, coalescing into the large form of Kedai.

The encampment immediately erupted, guards charging forward to attack this new threat. With an air of nonchalance about him, Kedai unsheathed his scimitars and adopted a fighters stance. The first of the guards came forward quickly, slashing towards Kedai's neck. Kedai calmly stepped aside and ran the guard through, ripping apart his insides as he withdrew his blade. A loud laugh boomed from Kedai as he charged, his blades flashing in the sun. Arrows shot past his shoulders, slicing through the first row.

Tian simply watched, arms crossed. Kedai moved through the first group of guards effortlessly. He seemed to be gliding on air, blades slowly turning from metallic silver to blood red as he continued dispatching the guards. Min suddenly appeared from nowhere, plunging his dirk deep into the back of a far-off guard before disappearing again.

Tian slowly unfolded his arms, a look of concentration crossing his face. He yelled aloud and suddenly appeared right in the middle of the amassed guards, disarming them and snapping limbs. His movements were all a blur, and the bodies began to pile up. He suddenly faded away again, re-appearing quickly behind another guard. He snapped his neck viciously, his teeth bared. He raised his palms outward, releasing deadly streams of kai energy towards the guards. Men screamed as they felt their minds ripped apart, others collapsed as their limbs all broke and shattered.

Kedai slammed his knee onto the gut of one, pinning him to the ground as black power began to swirl about his hand. With a bone-chilling laugh, he quickly ripped the man's chest apart before pinning him to the ground with his own sternum. Min stood above another, his whip quickly strangling the life out of him. Tian walked over and lifted a prone guard above his head, bringing him down onto his raised knee.

The remaining guards turned and fled, abandoning the encampment. Min wrapped his whip back around his waist and cleaned his dirk off the cloak of a dead guard, then set about to collecting what arrows he could. Kedai wiped his blades off of his own cloak, already covered with the blood of battles past.

Tian quickly set about the camp, throwing tables aside in search of the key. Finally he entered a large tent near the middle of the camp. A small bed was laid out on the edge, and a wheezing cough sounded from it. Walking over, Tian knelt over the most ancient man he had ever seen. Long, stark white hair fell over the edge of the bed, unkempt and messy. The veins of his hands and neck stood out beneath his skin, drawn tight over his bones. A low chuckle emanated from the man as he caught sight of Tian, and he began to speak.

"My child, why? Why have you chosen the path of wickedness? You are a slave to the worst kind of Master, a Master who doesn't care if you live or die. A Master who will kill you Himself as soon as glorify you."

Tian threw back his head and laughed. Calming slightly, he leaned over the man and said "Look at you, old man. Withering away at the whims of the Lord Aeon, your life slowly blowing off in the wind with the sands of time. I will be alive forever, if I serve my Master well. Where is your Master, old man? Where is your God?"

The man shook his head ruefully, and he coughs violently for a few moments. His body shudders before he manages to say, "You are lost, young one. My God can bring me eternal happiness." Another tremble flows down his body, then he barely manages to choke out, "What is your reward?" He shudders again, and his breathing comes to a stop.

Tian stares coldly at the man for a moment before turning, taking the key lying on the table. A stony look crosses his face as he picks up the man's body, carrying it outside. "Kedai!"

The large knight looked over before grabbing a large pike, walking to Tian. Tian holds the corpse out, and Kedai viciously impales it upon the pike before slamming it into the ground, leaving it as a warning.

A loud whistle suddenly sounds behind them. Tian and Kedai both whirl about at Min's call. Ten paladins walk calmly into the encampment, hands on their weapons. The leader pulls off his helmet, calling to Tian.

"Servant of Evil, you will hand over that key, or I will rend your body in two."

Smirking, Tian pockets the key. Smirking arrogantly, he yells "Come and get it, Shallamite dog!"

Shaking visibly, the leader clenches his fists and murmurs something incomprehensible. Putting his helmet back on, he rips his sword from its sheathe and charges, the other paladins close behind.

Kedai takes one of his scimitars from his sheathe and hurls it at an oncoming foe, and it impales him through his heart. Laughing madly, he draws his other and charges.

Min suddenly appears in front of one of the paladins, his dirk slashing through his neck. In one fluid motion he turns and draws his bow, firing an arrow into the back of another before disappearing into the forest.

Kedai manages to kill two of the paladins before being set upon by a lithe, wiry man with a longsword. The man moved like lightning, and they were soon locked in a dance of death, neither able to score on the other as steel clanged off steel.

Tian jumped upon the remaining five paladins, managing to snap the neck of the first before the others caught up. He soon had cuts everywhere, unable to fully dodge the blades as he fought for his survival. Blood flowed freely down a dozen different wounds, and he began to slow. With a violent cry, he sends one paladin flying with a vicious kick and manages to run to the edge of the forest. An arrow flashes over his shoulder, taking one of the pursuing paladins between the eyes.

Breathing deeply, Tian reaches into his pocket and takes out the key. He drops it into Min's hand, muttering, "Run. You know what to do." He turns and leaps at the paladins, trying to distract them.

As Min turns to leave, he suddenly finds a blade at his throat. The leader of the paladins stands before him, arm outstretched. Growling menacingly, he says "The key. Now."

Min smirks, momentarily studying the man curiously. With a laugh, he says "All yours." He throws it into the air and spins, immediately disappearing into the forest.

The leader snarls and grabs the key, walking back towards the encampment. Tian was still fighting two of the paladins, another lying broken on the ground near them. He hits one on the temple, knocking him to the floor. The other takes a wild slash and scores along Tian's side, but he manages to grab hold of the paladin and throw him violently to the ground. Stepping over him, he lifts his leg high and stomps the paladin's head into the ground. Snarling, he leaps off into the forest, leaving a mortally wounded Kedai staring up at the sky, the mask thrown aside. His face is burned and scarred, twisted into a form of agony like that of his mask as he saw his death approach.

Many days passed, the leader of the paladins gathering a promotion in his city of Shallam from his efforts. The corpse of Kedai was hanged outside the city walls, a warning to all who would oppose the Light.

On a cold night, approximately one week later, the leader was set to guard the key he saved. He was standing at his post, constantly surveying the corners of the building.

He felt a slight tinge between his ribs, then felt light breathing against his hear. He tried to turn immediately, but found he had no control over his body. Face going white, he trembled in fear.

Suddenly a nearby voice whispers, "A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords at dawn", and everything went black.