Assassin's Pledge [Inactive]

[Kyero]

And so it begins...





The City of Rai' Do, Triveilan border 3 miles from the nation of Cre' Est

​

The sky was painted a deep purple with tiny white lights scattered about the canvass of the heavens. Some said that they were the souls of the departed watching over their loved ones. Others said that they were the tears of the Gods. Others said they were just light created by far away worlds, which was often ridiculed but never completely discarded or forgotten. It was an amusing theory to say the least.


Tonight the air was cool with a gentle breeze flowing through the city. The moon was full and shining brightly down through a cloudless night sky illuminating the world below. Waves of light shimmered and cascaded off of shingle top roofs and off of moist cobblestone pathways in the streets. A few people wandered the darkness as they made their way home from work, from exploring the countryside, and from enjoying time out with friends. Being a smaller city of no more than approximately five thousand people, Rai' Do was sometimes overlooked despite its fame because it was relatively out of the way of the more thoroughly traveled routes. Because of this, the nights were quiet and peaceful, and nothing truly unexpected ever really happened.


However, tonight the wind would sing of a different tune...


It happened suddenly. A previously abandoned hut near the edge of the city exploded violently sending shockwaves through the air and earth with fires flying out for over one hundred feet and setting numerous objects within range on fire. Older buildings, food stands, benches, overhanging signs and directions. Anything flammable was instantly set ablaze in the wake of the blast. Glass within several dozen yards of the epicenter shattered and scattered about the streets and into the homes and businesses they adorned creating a dangerous hazard for those without proper protection on their feet.


Within moments, dozens of citizens filled the streets in a panic trying to figure out what happened and what they could do to fight off the now raging inferno at the edge of the city. Darting too and fro in a frenzy as they struggled to contain and control the fire as they waited for the Fire Response Team to respond to what happened. The team had been assembled by the city's Mayor for the purpose of fighting fires while minimizing the risks to the citizenry. The team was comprised of well trained individuals who had experience fighting the fires in close proximity using a combination of the water from a nearby lake and a rare and special fire-proof material known as Me'ethro (Meh-Eh-Throh) which they could use to smother the flames.


The response was slower than usual tonight, but apprently that was because nearly half a dozen other explosions all around the city had also been responded to in a similar fashion. The Fire Response Team's ranks were thinning now, and when they finally arrived there were only four of them. In a city this small, the entire team was comprised of not many more than forty members or so. To see so few respond to this explosion meant that a minimum of nine more had been set off. It was a nightmarish scenario, and the citizens were called upon to assist in the effort as the Fire Response Team did their best to do their job.


Half a dozen figures stood on the rooftop of the Church, the tallest building in the city which could see everything, eyeing the chaos beneath them like hawks waiting for their prey.


The figures were clad in dark grey robes with an ancient insignia displayed proudly on the chest and upper back watched the fire fighting effort. They made no move to assist, only observed quietly and calmly. One of them, a figure in the darkness near the back, sat with his head down which made him nearly invisible in the darkness as the moon's light was blotted out by the smoke from the numerous fires now spreading throughout the city.


"... See anything?" One of them near the front asked, as he continued to monitor the fire fighting effort.


"Nothing yet." Another responded just to his right.


"They have to show themselves sometime. Keep careful your eyes sharp. The smoke and darkness will make it harder to detect their movements." The first one said again.


"Not for him it won't." A third one said, pointing to the figure sitting in the void of darkness behind them.


They all turned and looked at the lone figure sitting in the gloom, and as they looked to each other for a moment the moon peeked out from behind a gap in the smoke and shone down upon the figure.





His hair was raven black to match his clothing which consisted of a thick jacket made of an unknown material with pants made of the same. He wore finely crafted black boots and the gloves covering his hands were only truly visible thanks to a reflected light off of a strange metal in the armor that was covering his body. Greaves, vambraces, a heart guard on his chest, and knuckle covers all glowed ominously under the moon with a subtle green light, casting a small amount of color onto his garb. As the moon disappeared, so too did the figure into the darkness once more.


"What can you see?" The first man asked, taking a step towards the figure.


The group was overtaken by silence, but their answer came not but a moment later when a pair of glowing red eyes slowly emerged from the darkness and cast their deadly glare upon the city below.





"... Everything." He said in a low voice.


The others didn't question him because... well, frankly, nobody questioned him.


The others returned their attention to the panic in the streets and the frantic efforts to fight the fires as they waited for something, or someone, to appear.

 

[EccentricallyDriven]

Kazane woke to the knowledge something was very wrong. She shot out of bed out of pure instinct, flying to the window to her room. The city was lit with a malevolent orange and the shadows of hurrying people dancing oddly against the buildings in an almost malevolent fashion. The heat of the fires did not meet her but her imagination called it up against her skin and she shuddered.


“What’s going on?” She called to the street, leaning halfway out the window.


Realistically no one would pay her any mind but it would be worth it if anyone answered. Her luck prevailed when a man hesitated while he passed, looking up as if deciding whether to ignore the girl or not. “Fire, miss!”


“Where?”


“Everywhere!” And he was off again. Kaze tore off her nightshirt and hurriedly dressed, putting her hair up messily in the process.


Her clothes weren’t proper for a woman her age, she knew, but running as she did in a dress was even less proper so she settled for the best of both worlds. The dress she wore, a dark blue color, ended at her knees with a leather vest cinching it tightly about her bodice to keep it from loosening and getting in the way. Underneath she had pants tight enough to avoid giving her something to trip over but loose enough not to constrict her motion. She opted out of wearing the long coat she usually wore; knowing the heat of fire added to the heat of a coat would suck the energy out of her. The shoes were light with tough soles.


Out of habit, she went to strap on her weapons but she stopped. Fires made people panic and if they saw an armed young woman running through the streets they might get the entirely wrong idea and someone could get hurt. She decided she only needed her daggers (just in case an unsavory character decided to take advantage). After making sure the rest were locked securely away in the chest provided she sprinted out of the inn.


The flames weren’t everywhere but the light from them punctured the night with enough fear that it would seem so. Smoke veiled the sky and the fear was palpable.


Asa had only wanted to build a customer base—expanding their influence, he’d called it--and had sent her to Rai’ Do for a customer they’d been recommended to that needed several days worth of work done. Part of her journey had been made on a sturdy horse made for more endurance than speed and the rest had been errands throughout the city for this new customer. Kazane found him distasteful, using her skills for such meager errands such as handing out invitations to a party, on one occasion. He of course used her for more insecure jobs afterwards but she didn’t like how he was blatantly testing her. This was supposed to be her last night in Rai’ Do and she would be expected home in the late afternoon, refreshed and ready for work.


Surely Asa will understand your tardiness.


She started running for the nearest fire in the insane desire to help even though she knew less than nothing on fighting them. It was there she found part of the Fire Response Team. Too few for the blaze the building was caught in.


“How can I help?” She had to raise her voice to be heard over the blaze.


The man she addressed looked her over and nodded curtly. They put her to work soaking other buildings. The heat stung her face, causing her scar to itch uncomfortably and fear to churn slowly in her stomach. When she told someone she was a Courier and the information was somehow relayed to those in charge, she was asked to find out how the other teams were doing on their fires.


“Do you know where the fires are?”


There were several accounts and she repeated them as they spoke them so she’d remember and she took off once more, coughing to clear her lungs of any smoke that was still caught up in them. Here was something she could do, and do well.


Dodging those that had spilled into the street, she surged toward the nearest location.

 

[Kyero]

It hadn't been long since her arrival, but within moments everything had been thrown into chaos. She had traveled late into the night, hoping against hope to arrive before sundown. Her hopes were dashed well before her arrival as the horse carrying her luggage seemed to have injured its leg at some point on their journey from Cre' Est. She had stopped to tend to its injured leg, providing it with a basic salve to numb the pain and encourage muscle relaxation to help with the mending. She switched the luggage to her other horse and walked alongside the injured one, allowing it freedom from the burden it previously carried as they approached the city of Rai' Do. She was on something of a business trip, here to see a list of patients who'd petitioned for her aid some months ago.


When she came within about two miles of the city, she saw and heard the explosions from a hilltop in the distance. Standing there in the grasslands surrounding the city, she watched in horror as the entire city was lit aflame and smoke billowed into the sky and blotted out the moon above her head. The horses became skittish, but she managed to keep them moving forward before tying them to a tree about half a mile away. She took what provisions she needed from her luggage, including her doctor's bag and another pouch within which she kept emergency medical supplies such as pain killers, antiseptics, syringes for injections, a small bone saw (not that she enjoyed that one), and needle and thread for sewing wounds shut. She was known as the best apothecary in Cre' Est, but also one of the best overall doctors as well despite her youthful appearance.


At only twenty years old, Linde Xe' Almna was a prodigy in her field.


She raced forward into the city at full speed, donning a simple white sleeveless tunic top with a brown leather held around her waist and black pants which were fairly tight to her frame, but made of a simple elastic fabric which allowed it to stretch and keep from impeding her movement. At her waist was her emergency pouch, made of tan leather held fast by a string tied around her belt, and around her shoulder was her primary medical kit with herbs, custom blended concoctions and slaves, as well as other basic medical supplies she'd need to treat the wounded. She was also a fighter, however, as evidenced by her muscular legs and toned arms. The tone was soft, but upon flexing would reveal quite the muscular structure beneath the skin. Having next to zero body fat helped, and the fact that her black leather boots sported metallic coverings and reinforced souls was also something of a giveaway that she could handle herself in conflict.


As she raced through the streets and stopped at each major point where fire was spreading, she analyzed the situation before deciding that she needed to move on. There was either nobody who needed saving, or nobody whom it would be of use to. The dead cannot be healed, after all, and that was all she saw. People were either dead, beyond saving, or not in need of it. She raced between four major points where the fires were spreading, but she saw nobody whom she could help. As a doctor, her first priority were the wounded who could be saved, cruel as it sounded. Finally, as she came upon the fifth major point, she found a group of people whom she could help.


It was a family of five, two parents and three children. One of the children, a little girl with blonde hair, had taken shrapnel from the blasts in her lower abdomen and her left thigh. She was bleeding quite badly, and Linde forced herself onto the scene through a small crowd of concerned citizens.


"Excuse me please, I'm a doctor!" She cried.


The crowds backed away, and Linde was instantly approached by the father who pleaded desperately for her to save his little girl. Linde took one look at the child and seemed to realize something that led her heart to drop. She sighed, walked forward slowly, and placed her hand on the mother's shoulder.


"I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. She's lost too much blood already, and that piece of wood in her stomach will have severed several lines of her intestines which is something I cannot reverse… I'm so sorry." She said calmly.


The mother's tears intensified as her husband knelt down and held her to his chest. Through his own tears, he begged Linde to do something. Anything. Linde looked at him and gave him the only advice she could.


"I can end her misery, but that is all I can do. If I try to save her, I will only add to her suffering and the end result will be the same." She said sadly.


The husband closed his eyes and placed his cheek on his wife's head as he stroked her hair. He looked at his little girl, then to Linde, and nodded slowly through tears streaming down his face like rivers. The mother gripped her husband's shirt with white knuckles as she sobbed uncontrollably into his chest. The two other children were made to turn away by another concerned citizen who didn't want them to see what was about to happen to their sister.


Linde looked down at the child and placed a hand on her cheek. She was young, frightened, and crying her eyes out in pain. The agony was intense, as evident by her labored breathing and the lack of sound coming from her mouth as she tried desperately to cry out loud. She had almost nothing left, and Linde knelt down to kiss her forehead before placing both hands behind the child's neck. She smiled softly, whispering a prayer for the little girl before leaning in closer to speak to her.


"Goodnight sweetheart… May you rest peacefully, and dream of everlasting happiness." She said quietly.


The girl gasped, coughing up a tiny bit of blood onto Linde's cheek, and an instant later it was over. Linde's grip on the child's neck allowed her to separate the skull from the spinal chord with a single jerk to one side, a sharp twist added onto it severed her the nervous system and the brain's connection to the rest of her body which killed her quickly and painlessly. The child died with bewilderment on her face, still wondering what Linde had been talking about before the fatal motion. Linde closed the child's eyes and gently closed her mouth as well, laying her hands on her chest as she turned to the family and gave her condolences before standing up and moving on. Such was the life and reality of a doctor in this cold and harsh world.


Despite her wishes, she couldn't save everyone.

--------------------------------------------------------

​

Meanwhile, on the roof of the church in the center of the city, the cloaked figures continued their surveillance of the surrounding area.


They were growing anxious, two of them pacing while the other two watched like hawks from the roof's edge. They had gone back and forth a little with words indicating their frustration, and the only one who was calm was the Red-Eyed Demon who was sitting on the edge of the rooftop looking down on the city. His gaze, unlike that of his comrades, was cold and empty. No emotion present at all. No frustration, no excitement, nothing. Just an empty and cold stare, and as the moon peeked out from behind the clouds once more it was almost as if the city itself was shuddering under his gaze.


Just then, his eyes flashed off to his left side and he leaned forward and let himself fall off the edge of the roof.


"He's on the move! Stay with him! Our prey is near!" One of the others said to the group.


They all took off and leaped from the rooftop to keep pace with the Red-Eyed Demon, a feat easier said than done. The rooftop was over seventy feet off the ground, and the Demon had already landed on another rooftop nearby causing a serious dent in it given the weight of his armor and weaponry. The others landed nearby as well, but he was already on the move leaping from rooftop to rooftop with the others lagging further and further behind.


"Don't lose him!" One of the group called to the others.


The Demon raced ahead like a blur in the darkness. The moon had retreated behind the smoke once more, and the Demon became nigh invisible against the dull rooftop shingles. The only evidence of his passing was the light sound of the shingles shifting underfoot, but that was not enough to alert anyone in the panicked streets below that he had been there at all above the roar of the fires. The other members of the group managed to keep up with the Demon, just barely, and when they finally caught up he had come to a stop and was facing a large group of close to twelve individuals clad in similar dark grey robes as those of his comrades. They even bore the same symbol on their chest and upper back, but they were most certainly no allies of his.


"Well, well, well… Look what we have here lads!" The leader of the opposing group said as he walked forward a few paces.


"The infamous, legendary, and false Red-Eyed Demon!" He announced.


The others behind him began to laugh and prepare for a fight as they drew their weapons and continued to smirk at the Demon and those behind him.


"We know the truth, mr. 'Red-Eyed Demon.' You're just a pair of pretty eyes, but the real Demon is the organization behind you. You're just one man, undeserving of the legends surrounding your name. If you want to frighten us, then you'd better start getting with the program."


The Demon was silent, staring blankly at the man before him as his comrades looked to each other and stepped forward.


"If you seek to damage our homeland, you will face the wrath of Te'i Sai!" One of those beside the Demon declared.


The other group rolled their eyes and made motions of sarcasm as they said how "scared" they were of Te'i Sai and how feeble they must be compared to the most famous of Assassin organizations in the underground world. The world above knew next to nothing of Te'i Sai, including its name, yet the underground world knew much about it. The only two things the underground world didn't know of to their full extent were the true origins of Te'i Sai as an organization, and the truth behind the Red-Eyed Demon. Speculation and evidence abound that the Demon was false, just a pair of red eyes taking credit for the deeds of many. A front, and an attempt to create and spread fear through false accomplishments and the like. However, it was only unsubstantiated evidence, but evidence which many took to be fact.


Tonight, it would be tested.


The four members with the Red-Eyed Demon fought valiantly, taking out two of their opposition before being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of their enemies. The Demon himself stood fast and confident, not once bothering to draw a weapon or move from his position as he watched the battle come to an end. The other Assassins came forward and prepared to rush him all at once, but the Demon held up one hand and beckoned the leader to him.


"Is there something I can do for you, mr. 'Red-Eyed Demon?'" He asked.


The Demon dropped his hand.


"… Roda Ah K'mht will never take this land." He declared in a low voice.


The other Assassins were shocked that the Demon knew the name of their organization. Nobody had ever spoken of the name aloud while on foreign soil, nor had whispers followed them from home to reach the ears of any who lived on the continent of Cre' Est. How in the world did the Demon figure out who they were? When did he do it? They all looked at him warily, holding their weapons at the ready as they inched forward. The leader placed a hand up to make them back off, declaring that this was going to be him versus the Demon. The Demon nodded, and the others took up observational positions about ten paces back to form a circle around the two combatants.


The leader of the group from Roda Ah K'mht circled the Demon, searching for an opening.


Despite the fact that the Demon's hands were at his sides and his posture was upright and not even in a fighting stance, he felt as if he had no openings. It was the strangest thing he'd ever encountered in combat with a single individual, and as he circled he felt those eyes on him at all times, even when he was directly behind the Demon it felt like his eyes were still watching and analyzing his every move. The feeling made him falter a step, but he quickly regained his composure as he drew his dagger and prepared to slice the Demon's throat. He lunged forward at top speed, covering a near eight foot gap in less than a second, but his blade stopped a fraction of a centimeter away from the Demon's flesh.


He was perplexed for a moment… and then the pain struck.


He looked down as his chest began to sear with agony, and he saw that the Demon had penetrated his chest and breast bone with nothing but his index finger. Blood seeped from the wound and he could feel the Demon's finger hook down to clamp onto his breastbone within his chest, causing severe discomfort and pain as he fought to free himself from the Demon's grip. He even dropped his dagger and used both hands to try and pry the Demon's grip loose, but it was of no use to him. The Demon's body was entirely unmoving. Despite the tugging and wrenching of his opponent, the Demon's body was as still as a statue. The others looked on in amazement and pure terror as the Demon reached out to place a hand on his opponent's left shoulder, and ripped his right hand backwards.


The following scene was almost too horrible for the others to bear, and one of the newer members almost immediately lost the contents of his stomach just seeing the carnage the Demon had wrought with a single motion.


The leader's chest was ripped open. The breast bone was in pieces as it flew out passed the Demon and splattered blood across his outfit and his face. The sound of ribs snapping, cracking, and splitting filled the air as they too were thrown in little pieces in the wake of the attack, and the contents of the leader's insides were visible for a few brief moments before some of them spilled free to the floor at the Demon's feet. The leader fell forward, too shocked and in too much pain to register what had happened to him before looking around and seeing not only linings of his intestines on the floor, but a few other organs which had been pulled free as well such as the lower half of his stomach. The blood and bodily fluids surrounding him were wretched, and it didn't take long for him to black out and die from shock and blood loss.


The Demon's cold gaze had remained forward the entire time, not bothering to look at his fallen opponent as he placed a single boot on top of the man's head… And then his boot came in contact with the ground beneath where the head used to be. The other Assassins all leaped backwards and scattered, not looking back nor wishing to ever meet those red eyes ever again. The "false" reputation of the Demon had been proven wrong beyond the shadow of a doubt, and the Demon simply watched them run as his mission was now complete.


Roda Ah K'mht knew to fear him now, and that was now his greatest weapon.

 

[YoungDreamer]

Neasa Ortiz (AKA : Nergui)
​

The air was crisp, heavy with a calm staleness that made Neasa shiver as she wrapped an unsure hand around the chain dangling at her belt. Fingering the cold metal she continued through the forest, her eyes fidgeting from one bush to the next as she studied her surroundings. The twilight was almost unnerving, the only noises that could be heard came from the soft pawing of hooves on dirt from the two chestnut horses that pulled the large covered wagon and the clanging of pottery shifted about from within it. In her other hand was the wore leather straps that made up the reins, looping from the horses noses backward to where she sat uneasily on the bench of the cart.


Clearing her throat and shifting her eyes back to the path, Neasa thought of the various reason she was in such a strange predicament. She supposed that it started the afternoon the rather rich noble man appeared in her tiny pottery shop. He had, with a wave of a rather large coin purse, demanded that Neasa sell him all of her finest pottery and deliver it to his country home just outside Rai'Do, a flourishing but rather unknown city that was about a day or two from where Neasa's shop resided. According to him he needed the pottery for a party he was going to be holding and had heard of Neasa's shop from a friend of his. She could hardly complain, since the noble agreed that he would pay half of the price then and the other half when the pottery was delivered. The lure of gleaming coins staring at her from the purse had practically made her accept, even if she had always refused to be the delivery girl with all her other sales. She had overlooked the inconveniences of leaving her shop in the hands of her employee so that she could deliver this noble's order.


The trip had been quick enough once she had gotten herself horses and a cart, it had been far quicker then she suspected it would be since she was used to traveling on foot for the most part. She had made it within a few miles from the boundaries of Rai'Do, though as the town came into view she was rather surprised at the state of things. She had heard Rai'Do was a rather marvelous town, she had passed through it once on her journeying before she had settled into her shop, but the sight she came upon as she topped the large hill overlooking the city was one she did not remember. The city itself glowed with a orange light from the various fires lit, the chaos of the scene could even be heard where she was on the hill. Pulling on the reins she slowed the horses to a stop and narrowed her eyes.


"I should help," she mumbled but found herself a bit hesitant to do so. She had heard rumors of her half-sister being in the area, if she were to run into Shyama here it would alert her brother and the men chasing her to her location. That was something that Neasa neither wanted nor needed in her life right now. The though of the blood already staining her hands was enough to keep her from ever wanting to meet her siblings again. She did not want to take another life, not if it could be helped at least. Still, the likelihood of meeting her sister there was slim. This thought reassured her and set Neasa into action, flicking the reins the cart set off. The best bet she had was to place her cart somewhere within the tree line closer to the city and hope no one took it. Not that anyone would really be interested in a cart full of pottery unless they knew the worth of it; which most people did not. When her cart was well hidden within the greenery she leapt from the bench and started into town. Spotting a man fallen close to the flames she hurried over, grabbing his arms Neasa leaned again his weight until she finally got him to budge enough to move him away from the flames. She then flipped him over and placed her head on his chest.


"Still alive," she muttered with a pleased grin, "You should be just fine as long as you stay put." she knew he couldn't hear her but she still said this, not that he would move anyways. She then lifted herself and started along the street toward the next fire, her legs carrying her quickly along. Neasa, though she tended to keep it hidden, was fast; darting through the crowds she worked her way along the streets until a strange noise met her ears. It was the sound of battle, though at this point she wasn't near enough to the fires to think that it would have been someone struggling with flames. The noise, a harsh gasping that boarded on a torturous moan, came from just around the corner.


Despite the nagging at the edge of her mind telling her not to, Neasa headed toward the groans. Rounding the corner a little gasp escaped her lips, her eyes widened, and her body froze as she looked upon the torn remains of what she suspected was a man. His organs lay spewed about the ground in front of his body as the smell of blood rafted through the air. If Neasa hadn't dealt with blood before she knew she'd have disposed of her dinner just as a one of the on lookers did. She, however, had dealt with blood. She had been the one to cause it to happen, so the sight did nothing but shock her into silence as the figures in the clearing stared, not noticing her sudden appearance, at the singular man in the center of their circle. This man, though she couldn't see his face, made Neasa shiver with uneasiness. Her body begged her to run but she was transfixed, her eyes holding the broad back of the man as he lifted his foot and slammed it down onto the head of his victim. The sound, a satisfying crunch of skull again boot, made Neasa let out a staggering breathe as a spray of blood splattered across her clothes and painted bits of her face.


Still she couldn't move, her eyes and body held in a spell she didn't understand as the other figures fled around her. Who was this person? Neasa yearned to know the answer but knew if she did then she would most defiantly not survive the encounter. She knew she should run, but she could not. Fear ripped her heart as curiosity held her frozen. She wasn't sure how long she stood there, perhaps it was seconds or maybe minutes, but finally she broke her gaze from the figure and let her eyes train over the blood remains of the man who dared to cross him. She, seeing the corpse, felt a sudden realization cross over her. This man, judge from the scared men fleeing and power, had to be him. The Red-Eyed Demon that was a legend rumored around the alleys and backstreets of the countries. She could not confirm this though, not without seeing his eyes and rumor said that any who saw those eyes would end up dead.


Neasa sagged to the ground, her knees giving out as she looked back up at the man. Perhaps death was what she deserved, it was something that had been chasing her ever since she had murdered her family in cold blood after all. She let out a grumble, her hands searching for the chain on her belt as she looked over the blood splattered outfit she wore. Was she going to die? It was quite possible and if that was going to happen she would meet death head on. Her eyes moved back up, her hands shaking slightly as she waited for the figure to turn. She wanted to meet the red eyes with determined ones.

 

[Kyero]

The Demon was dutifully aware of a presence behind him, but it was not one that shouted 'I'm here to kill you.'


Slowly, the Demon turned around, his eyes leading the shift as he turned on his left heel to face the new arrival behind him. To his surprise, it was a young woman. She had a healthy covering of blood that he had caused when he executed his opponent, but other than that the only thing wrong with her was that she seemed to not be able to stand up. His eyes searched hers, peering into her very soul as they sought answers to questions only he knew to ask. Slowly, they trailed over the whole of her while taking in every detail. All of her clothing, her skin tone, her hair and eye color, everything. His eyes made their way back to hers, no sound or words coming from his mouth though his eyes seemed to speak volumes as they then rose to scan the horizon beyond her figure.


The Demon's eyes then opened a little wider and flashed briefly before he rocketed forward towards the girl. Within an instant she was scooped up in his arms as an explosion rang out behind him. The building behind the one they were on exploded as the Demon ran forward and leaped off the roof with the girl safely tucked away against his chest. The shockwave struck him in the back, but did little to the woman in his arms as he landed in the street below. A loud "THUD" ensued, a small crater appearing beneath his feet due to the weight he was carrying and the force of his landing. He stood up, remarkably, as if it were nothing at all. He then set the girl down and looked back just in time to see another explosion come forth from the same place, likely a lingering flammable substance which had caught but not been set off immediately. A piece of shrapnel flew passed his face, slicing through the flesh of his right cheek and then coming to a stop in between his index and middle fingers as it was right in front of the girl's face.


He had just saved her from having her head skewered by the debris, and he tossed it aside as he turned and looked at her. Blood trickled down his cheek, but his eyes and body told nothing of fatigue or injury despite this.


"This city has fallen. It is not safe here anymore." He warned.


With those simple words, he turned and sprinted away. The speed at which he moved was perfectly described as inhuman. He was gone in a flash. One moment he was there, the next moment, nothing. The girl was alone in the alleyway, left to wonder what had happened and what in the hell would happen next.

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​

Linde had tended to a few wounded individuals as the others around her continued to fight the fires. She was losing hope for the city itself as she heard more explosions ring out in the distance. She knew that would complicate things, and the more she thought about what was happening the more she thought about a few words her father had said to her when she was younger.


Linde… You'll know when your enemies want you completely demoralized. They'll attack that which is closest to you, taking from you what you both treasure and find comfort in. In warfare, this is usually accomplished by utterly devastating a place of living within the borders of your opposition. Cre' Est accomplished this twenty years ago in its battle against Veilbrand when the tide of battle had previously been against us. The tactic frightened Veilbrand into surrender for fear of seeing it happen again.


But this was no war… Was it?


If it was a war, who were the combatants? As far as she knew, Cre' Est was at peace with every of her sister nations. Triveila was the most peaceful nation among them, period. In fact, throughout its entire history, Triveila had only been involved in three major wars across several millennia of existence. What could have caused this, and why?


Linde began to struggle with one of her newest patients before something horrifying happened.


A dagger flew from the darkness and landed squarely in the man's chest. It was perfectly angled too, slicing what was most likely his heart on its way through. Linde thrust herself back, landing on her bottom as she pushed herself away from the fresh corpse. Her vision went red for a moment, and she realized that blood was now running down her forehead and across her face. It was not her own, but that of the man who had just been murdered before her. She looked up in the direction where the blade had come from and saw a group of men clad in grey robes standing on the rooftops smiling down at her in the firelight. Her heart sank and her eyes widened as she slowly made it to her feet.


The figures dropped to the ground from the third story roof, no pain or discomfort despite their drop present in their faces or body language. A drop like that should have broken their legs on contact, but they seemed fine. Not one of them limped or walked with any signs of having received any damage. She backed away a few steps as the people around her had already begun to scatter. Linde looked around and noticed a young woman running through the streets. She seemed some kind of messenger, and as she was about to run by Linde on her way passed Linde saw a dagger thrown at the young woman. Linde ran to her and yelled "Look out!" Before diving onto her and dropping them both to the ground. Linde hit the ground and opened her mouth, but only a wisp of air escaped as she looked at her shoulder.


Linde's shoulder had been sliced wide open by the blade traveling passed, but the messenger girl was safe from harm if a little scraped up from her fall. Linde tried to get off of her, but the pain in her shoulder prevented her from lifting herself up so she could let the girl go. However, a moment later Linde was lifted off the ground forcefully by a powerful hand which had grabbed hold of her hair. She was dragged away several feet screaming in pain before being dropped to the ground with a foot planted on her stomach. She tried to struggle, but the foot felt like it was made of granite and weighed a ton.


She was not going anywhere.


She saw the messenger girl had suffered a similar fate, and was also being held in place as the man who was obviously the leader stepped out into the light and looked at both women.


"Nice find boys." He said as the others chimed in with chuckles and wicked sneers.


"So then, what should we do with them?" He asked.


The one standing on Linde stomped her stomach again, knocking the breath from her lungs.


"Well this one interrupted my target practice. Can I just kill her and be done with it?" He asked.


The leader walked over to Linde and examined her, taking in the features of her face and body before standing up and shaking his head.


"Not this one. Too many assets to ignore. Let's check the other one." He said.


He walked over to the girl and inspected her, eyeing her face and body before standing up and walking to the middle of the street.


"It seems we have a dilemma boys. Both of them are quite lovely, and I'd rather they not die right now. Besides, I can think of a few ways they could entertain us to make up for ruining your target practice… Perhaps make them watch a few helpless citizens die in slow, agonizing pain? Maybe that will teach them to interfere with our affairs." He said wickedly.


The others cheered in agreement, but a loud 'THUD' echoed out into the night air around them as a dark figure landed not far behind the leader. An instant later, there was a large blade sticking out from the base of his throat, and Linde and the others were forced to watch helplessly as the blade was forced down to the ground beneath his feet. His entire body was split from the base of his neck through to his groin, and everything within that had been severed fell to the ground as the two halves fell to the ground. His brain was still alive too, making this easily the most horrible death the man would ever see. Even for all the deaths he'd likely caused, his own would be the most horrible. Linde found it ironic, and oddly beautiful despite the sheer terror running through her blood.


The one standing with a foot on her stomach, as well as the others, all rushed at the new arrival and were quickly cut down. Linde sat upright, holding her injured shoulder, as she watched what legends had called 'The Demon's Dance.' The fighting style of the Red-Eyed Demon was widely unknown, but it was rumored that watching him was like watching a dance in which he painted the surrounding environment with the blood of his enemies. It was quite fitting to call it such, as the fight was over in moments, but those few moments were fast, brutal, and gory beyond measure. Linde watched and fought back a queasy feeling in her stomach as she watched the corpses fall to the ground around his feet, and finally she looked up and saw those famous red eyes glowing in the moonlight.


… They were beautiful.


Despite the horror that accompanied their reputation, the eyes themselves were like two rubies shining brightly in the night. They were absolutely mesmerizing, and Linde could not look away as his eyes landed on her and he began to walk towards her. He obviously knew the messenger girl was there, but he didn't seem to pay any attention to her as he approached Linde and knelt down beside her. Her eyes trailed after him, watching with bated breath to see what he'd do. He gently pushed her to lean forward a bit as he examined her gash, and then he leaned over to look at her directly.


"You will recover from this if you seek help right away." He said.


The Demon stood up and finally looked to the messenger girl...

 

[EccentricallyDriven]

This is bad. Despite the obvious nature of the thought, Kazane couldn’t help but think it. She’d defended herself for years against all sorts of horrible people but this. Those who did this were beyond what she could dream. The scent of charred flesh was ripe in the air along the screams of the living, moans of the dying and empty silence of the dead. Such senseless violence disgusted her to no end.


Every report had been more disheartening than the last. Children dead in the arms of their mothers, fires started beyond what anyone could reasonably fight. They were still giving it their all but the city was dangerous.


More explosions filled the air and she closed her eyes for a moment, just a moment, to shut out the thoughts of the death each of those had caused. More screams, desperate and pleading to the gods they believed in for mercy or at least an answer.


An answer came to her in a warning yell and a body colliding with hers. Kaze had just enough time to cover her face before the ground tried ripping the skin from her body. She was about to protest when the woman that had slammed her into the ground was dragged away by her hair. In the time it took for her eyes to widen, a fist was held around her ponytail and she was dragged.


She screamed, holding on to the man’s wrist and trying to twist around to get a swipe at him. There was no way she’d be able to unsheathe her daggers and survive. The very thought was terrifying. Kazane knew nothing of these grey-clad men except that killing her would hardly take an effort and that was simply by listening, looking and being held down by one foot.


Keeping her lips tightly closed, she listened to the men. Anger churned in the pit of her stomach as if to burn the foot that kept her from fighting back. The reckless rage did away with the terror that had taken over her. She was not a commodity to be assessed and—gods, to make them watching die like that. Such cruelty could not be real.


She hardly had to worry about that when blood rained and misted about her. The figure that brought about her captors’ destruction moved in a way that was both sickening and awe inspiring. Even so, she had to force down the dinner she’d consumed hours ago as the corpses hit the ground at an alarming rate.


The second that heavy weight, that inhuman strength, was off her, she spun to one knee. Every instinct was screaming at her to arm herself but even with all the training in the world she couldn’t hope to survive this man so she had to wait. Wait and see if he wanted her to survive while ignoring the smell of death and blood—the feeling of it drying on her hair and skin.


Her savior checked the woman who had—she realized with the help of hindsight—saved her life. Compared to the violence she’d just witnessed his touches were practically benevolent. Strange…she thought, starting to relax as she watched. Really, she was something that in a world of chaos could have been described as fine (not in this one, but it was close enough that she could breathe like she was being pulled towards death) until he looked at her.


In all her life, she’d never seen or heard of such eyes. Perhaps there had been whispers of a demon who walked in the guise of a man but they’d quieted the second she’d been in proper earshot. Kaze lived with danger, her job was often wrought with it but this was something else entirely. Like a meal charmed by the snake, she couldn’t tear herself away from those eyes. They were embers in the darkness, enchanting and dangerous and she couldn’t help but look.


It was a miracle she could breathe after looking into such eyes. She wanted to run and fly and stay exactly where she was like a statue. But she wanted to speak. It took a few moments to do so, swallowing more than necessary, but she did so, saying, “You—you have my gratitude, sir.” How Kaze managed to turn away for even a moment was a mystery but she did so and looked to the woman, “and you! Thank you.” She turned back to the man with red eyes. “Thank you both.”

 

[Kyero]

Linde was grateful that the Demon had examined her and said she'd be alright, but it didn't make the pain any less intense. From what she could feel without placing her hand on the wound, it was a good half an inch deep and the blade had scraped her shoulder blade likely creating a small indent within it. This wound mend, but it would take a good deal of time to do so. Blood oozed from her shoulder and the pain kept her in place for hear of moving a single muscle in the vicinity of the gaping gash.


She heard the messenger girl say her thanks, and the Demon was still standing beside her for a moment before he walked towards the other girl.


Every step was silent, so much so that Linde had to strain to hear the steps. He was wearing armor and thick clothing, made of a material she could not identify. How he could walk without making sound after creating a small crater in the ground upon landing before he split the leader of the bunch was beyond her comprehension. Obviously he had a great deal of control over his body and how it performed. To be able to make such drastic changes in the way it sounded and moved… It was just amazing.


The Demon knelt down in front of the messenger girl, his eyes piercing hers and examining something deep within her before they trailed the length of her body and then made their way back to her own eyes. He stood up and looked back to Linde for a moment, appraising her once more before looking at the messenger girl again.


"This city is no longer safe. Your mission trying to help the fire fighting teams is now over, lest you wish to encounter more like them." He said, gesturing to what remained of the corpses.


"I'm afraid that our enemies have it in mind to wipe this city from existence, inhabitants and all." He said, his monotone voice making it sound almost as if he didn't care one way or the other.


He looked over at Linde and walked to her, carefully grabbing her around the waist and hoisting her up so she was on her feet. She let out a small yelp of pain on the way, but otherwise only grimaced at the pain in her shoulder. The Demon walked behind her and examined the wound once more before taking out a small vial of green-blue liquid. He popped the cap and let a few drops fall onto his fingers and massaged the area around the wound with it. Slowly, Linde felt the pain in that region dissipate.


I mild pain killer… Interesting. She thought to herself.


The Demon then proceeded to remove a vial of similar looking liquid, though this time a more red-orange in coloration. This liquid, however, was denser almost like honey or molasses, and he massaged it into the very wound itself. Because the pain had been numbed she made no sounds nor did she flinch. It was strange that he was helping her like this. Once his work was done, he lifted his hand which had now been covered in the salve and gave it a quick swipe through the air. All of it… Not a bit, not a lot… All of it was gone in the blink of an eye. Thrown to the ground at his feet as his hand, now cleansed of all excess material, was free to continue its work.


He brought out a needle and thread and stitched her wound. His work was fast and precise, much faster than Linde herself could ever be, and she was a doctor! Within the course of about thirty seconds, he was finished. He stepped away and let Linde clean the wound with a piece of cloth she had been carrying in her pouch. After she was finished, she put the cloth away and turned to face the Demon. She gave a light bow of her head and thanked him for what he had done, and then she looked to the other girl to see if she was still there.

 

[EccentricallyDriven]

Those eyes…searching. She felt laid bare, worse than naked as she was trapped in his gaze. He was observing, reading, almost drawing from her as if she were a well. Unsettling was too kind a word for what the attention did her. It was more than a relief when he finally turned away from her and spoke. As long as the attention is away from me…


But it was far worse, she would learn.


Kazane had tried with interest (for it was amazing) as the red-eyed man healed the other woman with a haste that surprised and awed her. But even the swift doctoring was not enough to distract her from what he’d said. A group of people—supposedly like those that had attacked her—was trying to destroy the city. Why? What did it matter why? There were families—with children!—in this city. Would they all perish in flame in smoke? Was there really nothing she could do?


I don’t quite understand. How could anyone do such a thing? Not everyone here is innocent, by a long shot, but I cannot see why anyone would plan to do such a thing as destroy every life here. And how he said it so…casually?


Her mind worked quickly. Despite her desire to help, the strength of those men had been terrifying. If their speed and stamina matched it, there would be little way for the people of this city to stand against them and the fires together. The thought—more than the corpses lying on the street—dropped a stone into her stomach.


And yet much of her pulled for fighting that hopeless fight alongside of those innocents. Perhaps she could catch them by surprise? No, of course not. You saw them. Even with surprise on your side you wouldn’t stand a chance. The thought that all of her training being useless added to the building anger within her. Her fingers dug into her palms, the twinge helping her focus it into coherent trains of thought all reminding her that the chaotic sort of anger would do nothing but harm her here.


Instead she took a breath and poured the rage into words that were less edgy, more assertive. “I see the truth in what you say, but how can I abide watching a city and the lives in it burn on the whims of these people? Who are they, anyway?”

 

[Kyero]

The Demon's eyes trailed over towards the messenger girl as she spoke to him.


"How can you watch this city burn on the whims of these people?" He asked her, taking a step towards her.


"From a distance." He said, turning away from her and facing Linde.


Linde only stared at him in disbelief, to which he returned his gaze to the messenger girl.


"They are called Roda Ah K'mht, an Assassin organization hailing from the continent of Mar' Valoa. They are here to take control of this continent as they control their homeland, but they have another… obstacle, standing in their way which will prove that more difficult than they originally believed." He mentioned.


He walked away for a few paces, stopping to look back at both women.


"This gets worse before it gets better, and the two of you should get out of the city as fast as you can. The streets will flood with the blood of the innocent before anything of relevance can be done to stop it."


The Demon turned, talking over his shoulder.


"I too am going to take my leave of this place. I have business elsewhere that I must attend to. This city and its people are already dead." He said, starting to walk away.

 

[Kyero]

This role play has been marked "inactive". Inactive role plays are defined as "role plays showing 0 activity within a 30 day period".


Please contact an @Rp Moderator if you feel this was a mistake or if you would like to have your role play reactivated.


Thank you for your participation within the RpNation!

 

[Kyero]

This role play has been marked "inactive". Inactive role plays are defined as "role plays showing 0 activity within a 30 day period".


Please contact an @Rp Moderator if you feel this was a mistake or if you would like to have your role play reactivated.


Thank you for your participation within the RpNation!