A band of warriors stood fierce and ready to attack. Their target was a small group of people; two men and one woman.
"Prepare to die!" the captain of the band shouted.
Immediately, the soldiers charged forward towards the group of people.
The woman asked, "Zito may I take this group?"
"Sure Tial. Xiato, stay back and allow her to fight," Zito, the leader, replied.
Xiato grunted in reply as Tial stepped forward and drew her sword. Her long brown hair was blowing briskly with the slight breeze. She wore green robes and an bright yellow necklace. She was slightly shorter than Zito and Xiato and she had green eyes. She laughed as the soldiers continued to charge towards her.
Zito wore dark black robes with a long sword sheathed by his side. He had short black hair and his eyes were a dark brown. His amulet gleamed in the bright sun.
Xiato wore similar things except for the sword. He held a large blue sword which took two hands to use in battle. His eyes were green and he had brown hair which was quite long.
Tial stepped forward and seemed to vanish in an instant. The warriors stopped and seemed confused at what happened. She reappeared behind them and slaughtered two of the band with a quick strike to their backs. The warriors turned and she struck once again, slicing through the thigh bone of one of the men and sending the leg flying.
The captain attempted an attack from the back. However, Tial anticipated it and she took a step to the side. She then turned her sword and struck the captain in the chest, throwing him back into a cloud of dust. She stepped over him and looked down.
"No, please," the captain begged.
She laughed and replied, "Well..."
The captain's face turned into a half-smile while waiting for the response.
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"No," Tial said as she separated his head from his body with a quick slash. The men were appalled and came at her from behind. She ran right towards them and she counted down every time she killed one.
A strike to the chest sent blood flying into the air and landing onto the man's comrades.
"Five..."
A quick turn sent the tip of her blade into the stomach of another and she quickly pulled it from him, allowing the blood to rest upon her sword.
"Four..."
Two of them rushed at her with a mind set to kill. She immediately turned and they continued to charge. She quickly pulled a dagger from her pouch on her waist and easily threw it into one of the charging warrior's chest. The other took no mind of this and continued to attack.
"Three..."
A strong turn of her hand sent the sword into the thigh of the attacker. He immediately dropped his sword and tried to pull her blade from him. She stepped back and ripped it from the bone, causing the man to scream with agony. Another strike sliced through the chest and upper arm of the warrior, killing him instantly.
"Two..."
She looked to try and find the other two but did not see them. She only saw Zito and Xiato walking towards her; both had grins on their faces.
"Good job Tial!" Zito said with a smile.
He looked at Xiato who didn't seem to want to say anything. He nudged him and Xiato responded, "Yeah... good job..."
"Where did the other two get to?" Tial asked.
"Yeah, about that," Xiato muttered.
Tial frowned and asked, "You killed them, didn't you?"
"Maybe..." Xiato muttered cruely.
Zito sighed and said, "I told him he could have the cowards that were escaping."
"Very well then," Tial said, seeming unconcerned.
They stepped up to the motionless body of the decapitated captain. Zito went onto one knee and he began to rummage around in the pockets of the dead man. He pulled out a small item from his pockets and held it tightly in his hand.
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Zito said to the others, "We have one now."
"You mean that wretched man had it?" Tial asked looking surprised.
"I wonder how he got a hold of it," Xiato inquired.
"Probably killed the original owner; him and that band of his," Tial said.
Xiato nodded and turned to Zito; he asked, "So, which of the Jewels is it?"
"I'm not sure," Zito replied, "We need something that can describe which Jewel is which."
"Maybe a book?" Tial asked.
Xiato nodded and said, "Yes, that would work."
"Very well. We must travel to the library to the north of here." Zito said.
Tial noticed someone coming out of the corner of her eyes and she turned asking, "Who are you?"
"I am Kirth!" he said. "I have been sent to find ZTX. Do you know where they are?"
Zito nodded and said, "We are ZTX. I am Zito, that's Tial, and that's Xiato."
Kirth asked, "Will you come with me?"
"What is this about?" Xiato inquired.
"The Jewels of Acor," Kirth replied calmly.
Zito smirked and said, "Yes, we will."
------------------------
Trey stepped in front of the cowering man, holding the axe in the air above his head. He was prepared to kill him if he didn't tell him the information he needed.
Trey asked, "Where is the boy named Reden?"
"I don't know I tell you!" the man cried out.
Trey frowned as he brought the axe down straight onto the shoulder of the man, slicing clear through the bone. The man screamed and Trey continued to frown, unaffected by the man's screams of agony.
"I will ask you one more time," Trey said. "Where is the boy named Reden?"
"I don't know!" the man screamed at him.
Trey struck the man instantly across the chest, crushing his ribs and killing him instantly. Trey looked up at the sky and did not seem to care that the man's blood was slowing covering the street and his boots.
He muttered, "Reden, where are you?"
Hags be hagglin', gods be god damn crazy, it's all happening ogre at Into The Fire
------------------------
A knock on the door brought an awakening to Sinoto; he had been asleep for a few hours now. He strode over to the door and opened it, revealing Kirth being followed by ZTX.
"Aha! You've arrived," Sinoto said, allowing them to come in.
Zito asked him, "What do you need us for?"
"Don't you want to come and sit down?" Sinoto asked calmly.
"No thanks," Xiato replied.
Sinoto frowned and said, "Very well. This is about the Jewels of Acor, if Kirth hadn't already told you."
"I've told them, sir," Kirth said.
"Good - but now we must test their abilities," Sinoto said cruely.
"What do you mean?" Tial asked, moving her hand towards her sword.
Sinoto laughed and said, "Kill Kirth."
"Wh - What?" Kirth yelled.
"Kirth," Sinoto began, "I have no need for you. I asked for you to find the Jewel and you came back empty handed... twice!"
"But - but Sinoto," Kirth muttered.
"I asked you and the other two a year ago to recover that Jewel! You failed twice! You're lucky I didn't kill you like I did the other two a year ago!" Sinoto shouted.
"Please," Kirth begged.
Sinoto frowned and said coldly, "Kill him now. Let his blood stain the ground!"
"Of course," Zito concurred.
"Kirth," Xiato said, "I can't believe you would fail him twice, he was generous."
"What?" Kirth inquired.
Tial appeared behind Kirth and said, "Goodbye."
She slashed at Kirth, only to miss his body entirely. Kirth appeared outside of the doorway and laughed.
He said, "I will not die here today!"
He turned around and stopped with a gasp. He fell to his knees and looked at the knife now lodged in his chest.
"Trey?" he stuttered.
Then he looked up and saw Trey standing in the shadows. His heart stopped and Trey walked up from the shadows. He pulled his knife from Kirth's chest and blood began to flow.
He looked up at Sinoto and ZTX and said, "There Sinoto. He is dead."
END OF CHAPTER 7
Hags be hagglin', gods be god damn crazy, it's all happening ogre at Into The Fire
_= Chapter Eight: Joining Together, Anger and Despair =_
Reden lay sprawled about in the mud which used to be dirt. He had passed out from the attacks and had not awoken since. During this time, it had begun to rain again. He was talking in his sleep, muttering incoherently again.
He said, "That man..."
He became quiet for a few moments before speaking in his sleep once more.
"The Jewel of Despair," he whispered quietly.
He scowled when a cold drop of rain plunged down into his face. He stirred and sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"Who the hell was that?" he asked himself.
He looked up into the dawning sky and wondered how long he had been asleep. The rain began to soak his clothing and he shivered with the cold touch.
He stood up and thought to himself, 'I need to find a place to stay...'
He looked around and saw that he was surrounded by trees, with no visible exit. He heard a small creature brush against a bush and rustle the leaves while birds began to sing.
He quickly threw his hand into his pocket and was calmed when he felt the round shape of the Jewel. He immediately realized what he was doing and pulled his hand from his pocket, staring at it.
He thought to himself, 'Could this be what that book was talking about? Could this be the corruption that the Jewel brings?'
He took the Jewel out of his pocket and looked at it. The red tint could easily be seen in the light that was slowly appearing over the horizon. He couldn't believe how much trouble such a small object had caused him.
While watching the motionless Jewel, he heard a noise come from the brush a few meters away from him. He turned his head, still holding the Jewel, and watched the place where he had heard the sound.
"Come out," Reden said forcefully.
Hags be hagglin', gods be god damn crazy, it's all happening ogre at Into The Fire
Almost immediately after saying so, a man stepped out of the brush. He wore a white cloak and he had long black hair that ran down his back. He had strange markings on his face, as if some sort of tradition from his culture. These markings were blue and they were but streaks which ran from the tip of his nose down to the bottom of his ear on both sides. He had a sword sheathed on his right side and nothing but a small pouch on his left. He had green eyes and he had a strange amulet; as if it were made specifically for him. He was barely taller than Reden and he had a serious expression on his face.
"Happy?" the man asked.
"I'm asking the questions!" Reden shouted. "Who are you and why are you following me?"
"I just wanted to see if you survived," he said.
Reden was confused and asked, "Who are you?"
"I am," the man began, "the one who holds the Jewel of Despair."
Reden immediately thought back to the night before and said, "You're the one from last night..."
"Yes," the man responded.
"Why did you attempt to kill me?" Reden asked.
The man hesitated before responding, "I wanted to see the power of the Jewel."
"But you have one yourself!" Reden yelled.
"Yes," the man began, "but I do not know of the powers of the other Jewels."
"So you're searching for the Jewels?" Reden asked.
"Obviously," the man retorted.
Reden seemed taken aback and asked, "What is your name?"
"I am Vierte," the man said casually.
"That was quite a number you did on me last night," Reden said.
"Remember that you attacked me as well," Vierte responded while pointing to the injury Reden had given him.
Reden laughed and asked, "Do you know Sinoto?"
"Sadly," Vierte replied.
Reden turned and asked, "Why do you chase the Jewels?"
"I have my reasons," Vierte mumbled.
Hags be hagglin', gods be god damn crazy, it's all happening ogre at Into The Fire
Reden sighed and said, "Sinoto had his men kidnap two of my friends, not to mention kill another one."
"He is an evil man," Vierte said.
"Yes," Reden replied.
Vierte walked up beside Reden and said, "Did you notice that the rain stopped?"
"No, I didn't," Reden replied.
"Come now," Vierte began, "let us make haste towards Reinth, the hidden town."
They then began to walk north towards their destination. They passed by the trees and became one with the shadows which came from them.
-----------------------
"So now that Kirth is dead; how will you test our abilities Sinoto?" Zito asked.
Sinoto laughed while sitting in his mahogany chair, slowly rocking back and forth. He looked at the corner and saw Trey standing up against the wall, his axe resting on the floor.
"Well Sinoto?" Tial asked impatiently.
Sinoto looked at her and said, "I have no need to test your abilities."
"Why not?" Zito inquired.
"I will trust you," Sinoto said calmly.
"So we're just supposed to trust you as well?" Xiato asked from across the room.
Zito and Tial looked at him and they seemed confused.
Xiato continued, "What if we gather the Jewels and you end up killing us as soon as we hand them over?"
"Good point Xiato," Zito said.
"Well then, I'll have to trust you - and you'll have to trust me," Sinoto said with a smirk.
Tial didn't seem satisfied as she sat down with a scowl on her face saying, "Well then."
"I suppose we have to," Zito said.
Sinoto smiled and asked, "So, do you know of any Jewel's whereabouts?"
"We know of a few," Zito said.
"Please tell me," Sinoto requested.
Zito got up frowning and said, "We will do our job, you make sure you can keep up your end."
"Very well," Sinoto said, disappointed.
Hags be hagglin', gods be god damn crazy, it's all happening ogre at Into The Fire
"Let's go!" Zito commanded.
Xiato and Tial nodded and followed Zito out of the house. Sinoto continued to softly rock in his chair and smile. Trey walked into the light and watched Sinoto.
Trey asked, "Can we trust them?"
"Does it matter?" Sinoto retorted with a laugh.
"What do you mean?" Trey asked, obviously confused.
Sinoto sighed and said, "ZTX is no match for us... if they attempt to betray us we will kill them with ease."
"I understand," Trey said.
Sinoto stood up and asked, "Have you heard word of Reden's whereabouts yet?"
"No sir," Trey responded.
Sinoto frowned and whispered softly, "I hold the Black Jewel.... ZTX holds the Gray.... Reden holds the Red..."
Trey listened intently to Sinoto's words.
"But where are the others?" Sinoto asked quietly.
"Crud," Reden muttered as he stumbled through the thick vegetation. They had been walking for a few hours now and Reden was growing tired.
Vierte turned and motioned for Reden to hurry up. He hadn't spoken since they began to walk to Reinth; which was east of the woods where they had started out from. Reden wondered why he was chasing the Jewels.
"Stop," Vierte commanded.
Reden was confused and asked, "Why?"
"There is someone else here," Vierte responded.
Reden hadn't heard or felt anything strange and he wondered what Vierte was talking about. They were surrounded by thick brush and trees and Reden could not see through them.
"Wait - don't attack us," A familiar voice said.
Reden's eyes widened and he asked loudly, "Selvi?"
"Re - Reden?" Selvi asked as she pushed her way through the brush and ended up only a few meters away from Reden and Vierte. Close behind her was Tria; and they were both filthy.
"You know these girls?" Vierte asked.
Reden looked at him and said, "Kirth kidnapped them, but I have no idea how they escaped."
"Well," Tria began.
Vierte motioned her to be quiet with a wave of his hand. He looked up into the canopy and studied the tops of the trees.
"Why?" Reden asked.
"Move to the side!" Vierte shouted as he pushed Reden away.
A wave of knives flew from the canopy and pierced the ground where Reden had been standing.
"What the hell!" Reden exclaimed.
Tria and Selvi looked frightened as they stood side by side. They had obviously been wandering around for quite some time.
"Watch out!" Vierte shouted as he jumped in an attempt to knock Selvi and Tria out of the way of more oncoming knives. Selvi was lucky, Tria was not.
The knives slid deep into the skin, opening a passageway for the red blood to flow out and Tria fell to the ground; motionless.
"Tria!" Selvi shouted.
Hags be hagglin', gods be god damn crazy, it's all happening ogre at Into The Fire
Vierte looked up at the canopy and said, "Check on her. Hurry though, I believe she has been poisoned..."
"Okay," Reden replied, rushing over to examine Tria and her wounds.
Vierte took his Jewel out of his pouch and muttered a few words. The stone began to glow and Reden could feel something strange occurring. Vierte raised his sword in the direction the knives had came from and he smirked.
"Feltio," He muttered, eyes narrowing.
A bright wave flew from the tip of his sword, slashing its way into the very tops of the trees. Screams could be heard as the blade decimated the attackers. After a few moments, the sword receded and became normal once more. Vierte quickly sheathed it and watched as drops began to fall from the sky.
"Rain?" Reden asked.
Vierte did not respond and merely walked over to a tree stump and sat down, leaning against it
"What the... Reden, this rain is red," Selvi announced.
Vierte was quick to respond saying, "That is because it is not rain..."
Selvi gasped as her mind began to contemplate what had happened. Just as she became used to the blood dripping from the sky, three bodies fell down from the tree tops and landed in a heap in front of her.
Her face became pale and she grabbed onto Reden, who was still checking on Tria.
"Selvi," Reden murmured.
Selvi looked at him and asked, "Yes Reden?"
"Tria is dead," He said.
Selvi gasped and immediately began sobbing uncontrollably. Vierte noticed this and stood up.
Vierte said, "I am sorry for your loss. We will bury her, and I will be sure to remove the knives from her."
"How did she die so quickly?" Reden asked with a shout, tears beginning to form in the corners of his eyes.
Vierte stopped and said, "Two reasons..."
"Huh?" Reden was confused.
"I was not quick enough," Vierte began, "and the poison was too strong, mostly, I blame myself."
Hags be hagglin', gods be god damn crazy, it's all happening ogre at Into The Fire
