The man's eyes slowly opened, revealing black pupils centered directly in the middle. When he opened his eyes, dark lines formed on his cheeks. These lines seemed to have evil properties and they had a mysterious, pulsating power around them. His long black hair seemed to float in the swift wind. He drew his sword slowly and Tial noticed it was completely black.
"What the..." Tial stuttered, moving her hand towards her sheathed sword. Xiato narrowed his eyes and quickly drew his sword, attempting to strike the man.
The man took a little hop backwards and completely avoided Xiato's attack. Xiato frowned and stared into the man's eyes, he quickly charged at the man without saying a word, only to be caught in the stomach in mid-strike by the man's foot.
"Jeez.." Tial muttered as Xiato took a step back, leaning over and holding his stomach.
She turned her attention back to the man and asked, "What do you want?"
"I am looking for something," the man slowly replied.
Tial smirked and said, "Well, you won't find anything but death here."
"I assure you," the man said calmly, "fight me and you die."
Tial frowned and said, "Then let's fight."
------------------
Vierte slashed at Trey, and then recovered quickly enough to block Trey's attack. The force behind Trey's blows was immense... but Vierte could handle it with ease.
'How strong is Vierte?' Reden asked himself.
Trey went in for another attack with his Great Axe; but he over estimated the distance and landed behind Vierte, giving him the edge. Vierte quickly spun the sword around in his hand and slashed at Trey, making a deep cut in his left arm.
Trey seemed unfazed and said, "You cannot defeat me."
"We'll see about that," Vierte said with a smirk.
Trey muttered something to himself and turned his attention to Reden and Selvi, who were standing behind Vierte. He tried to come up with some method of getting to them, but he couldn't figure anything out.
Hags be hagglin', gods be god damn crazy, it's all happening ogre at Into The Fire
"Why do you care about them?" Trey asked.
Vierte frowned and replied asking, "Why do you want to know?"
"I have my reasons..." Trey murmured.
Vierte rushed towards Trey and lifted his sword high into the air, just as he was going to deliver the final strike to Trey... a blast of smog burst through the side of the undamaged part of the wall. Vierte was struck in the side and was sent plummeting into a ruined house, sending dust shooting into the sky.
Reden shielded Selvi with his right arm and his own eyes with his left. He attempted to visualize the person walking through the dust towards them... but just as he was able to, everything blacked out.
------------------
Zito stood on the rooftop of a small house, staring at Leo who stood on one adjacent to his. Leo smirked and seemed to be enjoying the torment he was causing his brother.
"So, Leo, are you ready to finish this?" Zito asked.
Leo laughed and said, "Brother, it would only end in your death. I only brought you here to tell you something."
Zito seemed intrigued and asked, "What is it?"
"It is about the Jewels," Leo began, "they seem to have... more potential than the stories indicate."
Zito frowned and asked, "Then why not kill me and experiment with my Jewel?"
"Because I have no reason to kill you as of now," Leo said smugly.
Zito stared into his brother's eyes, sensing a deep hatred for him, but for some reason, Leo wouldn't fight to kill against him.
"Leo," Zito muttered.
Leo's face became serious as he asked, "What?"
"I want," Zito began, "to fight you to the death... to test myself."
Leo laughed and asked, "Are you sure you want to die?"
"Believe what you will," Zito said, drawing his sword and preparing to fight his older brother.
Leo drew his sword as well saying, "Very well, if you wish to die."
Hags be hagglin', gods be god damn crazy, it's all happening ogre at Into The Fire
Zito jumped into the air and raised his sword up, then bringing it down hard towards the place where Leo was standing. Leo raised his sword with one hand and blocked the attack with ease.
"You'll have to do better than that," Leo said as he pushed his brother away.
Zito growled and charged again, slashing wildly at Leo but to no avail. After a few moments of continuous blocking, Leo placed the sole of his boot right in between the eyes of Zito, throwing him backwards.
"Crud," Zito muttered as he landed hard on his back.
Leo laughed and asked, "Do you want to go on?"
Zito stood up, spitting out dirt from his mouth and panting. He said, "Let's go."
"Very well," Leo said calmly, placing his sword in an attacking position. "My turn."
------------------
The man appeared behind Tial in an instant, avoiding her strike and grabbing her arm. He twisted it fiercely and her sword flew out of her to the ground. As he released her hand, she closed her fist and aimed a punch straight at him. He hopped back a few feet and avoided the shot.
"Who the hell are you?" Tial asked with a frown.
The man laughed and replied, "I am Church."
"Nice to meet you!" Xiato shouted as his fist collided with Church's head from behind. Church fell to the ground and lay motionless, knocked out cold.
"Nice shot," Tial said coldly.
Xiato smirked and replied saying, "Thank you, but only one of the Jewels remains in the proximity."
Tial nodded and said, "Well, let's go get it."
They turned and began to run towards the demolished wall.
------------------
"I left the Jewel to see if ZTX could handle it," Sinoto said as he slowly rocked in his chair.
Trey frowned and said, "You should have let me kill them."
"Hmm, maybe..." Sinoto replied.
"I had everything under control," Trey muttered.
Sinoto looked out his window and asked, "Have you heard from ZTX?"
"No sir," Trey replied.
"Hmm..." Sinoto muttered. "I wonder where they are..."
Hags be hagglin', gods be god damn crazy, it's all happening ogre at Into The Fire
"Well hopefully they kill that Vierte fellow," Trey said with a frown.
Sinoto smirked and asked, "Why? Is he too strong for you?"
"No. It's just that if he's around I can't get to Reden," Trey muttered.
Sinoto laughed and said, "You do realize that I saved you, correct?"
"Saved me?" Trey asked, completely confused.
Sinoto became serious and said, "That man had the Jewel of Despair, he could have killed you at any moment."
"Oh," Trey responded.
Sinoto looked back out of the window and asked himself, 'Will ZTX fall to Reden and Vierte?'
_= Chapter Twelve: Tragedy Strikes, The Battles Continue =_
A bird chirped softly as the rays of sunlight entered into the city through various cracks in the wall. The mangled bodies of guards still lay about on the ground; their blood now sitting still in puddles. Reden and Selvi lay on the ground, covered in dust and blood.
Reden began to stir and mumbled a few words as he sat up. He had been injured several times, but for some reason the pain was only setting in now.
"Ow," he muttered as a sharp cord of pain shot through his shoulder. His wound from Vierte's knife had not yet healed. He shook off the pain and he looked around, trying to figure out what happened.
'Sinoto, why didn't he kill us?" ae asked himself.
He stood up and brushed off the dirt from his clothes, now torn and stained red. He reached into his pocket and felt for the Jewel...
When he felt the presence of the Jewel, his mind cleared.
This brought new questions though, questions that burned in Reden's mind like never before. He was now more confused than ever before.
'He didn't take the Jewel, why?' he asked himself.
He fell backwards on the ground and he sat there, completely mesmerized by the fact that Sinoto had left the Jewel in his possession.
'Why? Why?' Reden's mind screamed with anxiety.
As he sat, he heard a soft voice penetrate the rubble which lay in heaps behind him. He immediately recognized Selvi's voice and he jumped up, running over to the pile of rubble. He grabbed at the rock, shoving it out of the way. After several moments of removing rock and granite, he could see the upper body of Selvi lying on the ground. "Reden..." she muttered softly, gasping for breath.
Reden stared down at Selvi; her face bloody and badly bleeding; her blood slowly filled a few of the cracks in the rubble.
"No, Selvi. Don't die," Reden stuttered.
Hags be hagglin', gods be god damn crazy, it's all happening ogre at Into The Fire
Selvi sputtered and coughed a little more blood before saying, "Reden, don't worry - there was nothing you could do."
"Selvi," Reden murmured to himself, holding her head in his arms.
As he held her, he heard a sharp whistling come from behind him. He turned and saw a wave of mysterious energy flying towards him. His eyes grew wide in anticipation of his own death. He closed his eyes tightly, and awaited the pain that would overtake him.
He heard the clash of a sword in front of him and he opened his eyes. He saw the back of a man in front of him, holding a sword in one hand and a pouch in the other.
'Vierte!' Reden thought to himself.
As Vierte stood in front of him holding the sword tightly in his left hand, Reden took the opportunity to look back down at Selvi; however, he did not like what he saw.
In his arms, he clutched the motionless body of his friend. Her face had completely lost it's color; now only stained by the red blood which flowed so freely from her wounds. Reden was in complete shock and at a loss of words. He only pulled Selvi close to him and he started to sob intensely.
After a few moments he stopped, remembering Selvi's last words, 'Reden, don't worry - there was nothing you could do'.
Reden laid Selvi's still body on the cold ground. He then pushed a small pile of dirt over onto her motionless body; leaving her head in the open. He then reached into his pouch and took out a small, silver necklace. He slowly lifted Selvi's head and placed the necklace around her neck.
He stood up behind Vierte and asked, "Who attacked us?"
Zito scowled and then lifted his sword in front of his face. It glinted in the soft rays of the sun and the energy emitting from it was enormous. He let go of the sword with his left hand and then took out his Jewel from his pouch.
"What are you doing?" Leo asked with a serious look on his face.
Zito laughed and said, "If you can infuse your Jewel with your sword, then so can I."
"What?" Leo asked, amazed at how his brother was using his ingenuity.
Zito lifted the Jewel in his left hand and he held his sword in his right. He held out his hands to both sides and said, "Time to even the odds."
Leo lifted his sword into the air and said, "Well, at least you'll be a challenge then."
"Fine," Zito stated, starting to push his hands together. When he clapped and pushed the Jewel into the sword, a beam of light shot out from all sides; blinding Leo for a moment.
"What the hell!" Leo shouted, shielding his eyes from the intense light.
After a few moments, the glare receded back into the sword; leaving Zito standing there holding the newly empowered sword.
"Now," Zito began, "I'll be able to fight back."
Leo held his sword tightly between his palms, which were now beginning to sweat. He knew that with the power of the Jewel, his brother was going to be a major threat.
"Okay then," Leo said, "come and attack."
"Fine!" Zito shouted, charging towards his brother with the utmost hate.
Leo scoffed and flicked his sword upwards, sending a small beam of energy plummeting towards Zito; however, Zito merely jumped over it and came down towards his brother.
"Now you die!" Zito shouted.
Leo smirked and moved his sword into a position perfect for blocking Zito's attack... but when the swords clashed... Leo was shocked at what occurred.
Leo's feet dug into the ground and he was struggling to hold off his brother's attack. He noticed the incredible increase in strength and so he kicked his brother away with ease.
Hags be hagglin', gods be god damn crazy, it's all happening ogre at Into The Fire
'Crud,' Leo thought to himself, frowning at his brother.
Zito smirked and said, "Now we're even..."
-----------------
A soft breeze blew a small amount of dust into the mouth of the unconscious Church. He stirred a little before sitting up and spitting the dirt onto the ground.
"Freaking cheap shot..." he muttered as he stood up.
He grabbed his sword from the ground and sheathed it at his side. He then looked around, searching for Tial and Xiato.
"Those idiots are after something, but what?" he asked himself aloud.
He saw something move in the corner of his eye and he turned sharply while drawing his sword, just in time to deflect a flying knife.
"Hmm," a voice murmurred, breaking through the silence, "So you still have it."
Church frowned and asked, "Alex, why are you here?"
"I was bored," Alex said, emerging from the cover of a ruined home. His eyes were blue and he had blonde hair. He had two daggers, both sheathed at his side; along with a small pouch filled to the brim with all sorts of weapons. His long, black cloak ran to the ground and his amulet gleamed in the sunlight.
"Aren't you supposed to be on some mission?" Church asked.
Alex smirked and said, "Well, I didn't really have much of a problem there. Nick just wanted me to bring you back."
"Why?" Church asked, obviously wondering why his boss would call him back after sending him such a distance.
Alex smiled and said, "They found one."
"So, they finally did eh?" Church asked.
"Yep," Alex replied. "They killed some moron east of the Port for it. Wasn't too difficult and they said that they killed the man in seconds. Anyways, we are going to be moving to the hunting grounds in the far Southwest now."
"What?" Church asked. "Why?"
Hags be hagglin', gods be god damn crazy, it's all happening ogre at Into The Fire
Alex shook his head and replied saying, "No clue."
Church looked up into the sky, now aligned with several menacing clouds, and said, "Fine, let's go."
Alex then muttered a spell and vanished with Church into the abyss...
-----------------
"Step forward, now," Vierte commanded, holding his sword in a defensive position.
Two voices laughed from the shadows and then one replied saying, "Very well."
Within seconds, Xiato and Tial emerged from the darkness; each of them holding a sword of some kind in their hands. Tial brushed back her hair and scoffed at Vierte, while Xiato stood there, silently.
"Who are you?" Reden inquired.
Tial laughed and said, "We are part of the mercenary group ZTX. I am Tial - and this is Xiato."
"Hand over the Jewel," Xiato commanded, frowning at Vierte.
Vierte scoffed and said, "You fools - with our Jewels you will both die."
"Jewels?" Xiato asked, taking a step back.
Reden then took a step forward saying, "Yes, we have two."
"Two!" Tial shouted while turning towards Xiato, "I thought you said there was only one!"
Xiato kept his frown and said, "I was wrong. Now get ready to fight Tial."
"No way!" Tial yelled, backing away.
Xiato did not turn and only said, "Then leave, coward."
"You fool! You'll die!" Tial shouted, now beginning to walk away.
Xiato smirked and said, "Just leave."
Not saying another word, Tial jumped onto a building and then vanished in a cloud of smoke; leaving Xiato to defend himself against two Jewels.
"You are a brave fool," Vierte stated.
Xiato laughed and said, "This is my job. I will do what I was told."
Hags be hagglin', gods be god damn crazy, it's all happening ogre at Into The Fire
"Reden, stay back," Vierte commanded.
Reden nodded and began to walk backwards towards the ruined wall.
As he walked backwards he asked himself, 'Who is this man?'
Vierte lifted his sword into the air, focusing on the battle which was about to unfold. His white clothes flapped in the strong breeze; a storm was brewing.
"Stranger," Xiato began, "I am not an ordinary fighter..."
Xiato then lifted his sword with one hand, demonstrating his strength. The sword was meant to be held with two, but Xiato could hold it with only his right.
Vierte was the first to move, charging towards Xiato; however, he was careless. *iato lifted up the massive sword into the air and plunged it into the ground, forcing a massive cloud of dust to erupt from the ground.
Vierte was blinded for a moment, and Xiato took full advantage. Out of the dust, he bashed into Vierte's stomach with the hilt of his giant sword; throwing Vierte backwards into the sand. He quickly ran forwards and attempted to spear Vierte with the blade, but Vierte was able to recover.
As Xiato struggled with the removal of his blade form the ground, Vierte attempted to strike him. He brought his sword down towards Xiato, trying to slash his arm. Xiato reversed the attack though, spinning around using the grounded sword as a brace he gave Vierte a devastating punch to the side of the head; sending him plummeting towards the ground.
Vierte was able to stand back up after the attack though; and just as he stood up, Xiato pulled the sword from the ground.
"This should be interesting," Xiato muttered as he spun the sword in one hand.
Vierte spat blood upon the ground and said, "Let us continue."
