RESISTANCE
The men were gathered in the plaza, nervously whispering among one another. Rumor spread fast in this part of the city, about a man who would try to incite a riot here. The citizens looked at the statue standing at the center: a less-than-likable man, but nonetheless nobody that these people would actively oppose for the sake of their lives. Apparently the story started sometime last night at a local tavern, but there had been a mysterious other person involved then as well... maybe even a ghost.
"Hey, are you actually going to do it?" A voice whispered to another. The man that had been mentioned in those rumors grunted in response, rubbing out his cigarette. It was probably a good thing that his name wasn't being thrown around, but he was getting a lot of curious and expectant looks around him. He found his feet stuck to the ground; he wiped a drop of sweat from his brow, wondering if he should have had a beer before doing this.
"Honestly, don't know," he said. "I'm gonna feel this crowd out, first. Want to take it slow."
His companion gave him a funny look. "Seriously? All that talk, and you're gonna chicken out now? Ha, that girl from last night really got you, didn't she?"
The man grunted again, less confidently.
"Hey, are you actually going to do it?" A voice whispered to another. The man that had been mentioned in those rumors grunted in response, rubbing out his cigarette. It was probably a good thing that his name wasn't being thrown around, but he was getting a lot of curious and expectant looks around him. He found his feet stuck to the ground; he wiped a drop of sweat from his brow, wondering if he should have had a beer before doing this.
"Honestly, don't know," he said. "I'm gonna feel this crowd out, first. Want to take it slow."
His companion gave him a funny look. "Seriously? All that talk, and you're gonna chicken out now? Ha, that girl from last night really got you, didn't she?"
The man grunted again, less confidently.
Rey took another look through the scope on his rifle; the crowd was there, alright, but not a single person there seemed ready to do anything. He groaned and pulled out a radio, speaking into it: "Cruz, are you sure this is the right moment? Nobody's doing anything."
A crackle from the radio as a response came from the other side. "The Castle just passed a heavy tax hike on the poor. We'll be able to incite a riot any minute now."
The gunman sighed. "I sure hope so," he mumbled. "Been sitting in this spot for the past ten hours. It was a miracle I could even get this spot, with all the guards running around at night."
He sat silently, keeping his watch over the moment. The instant he pulled the trigger and took out the one lynchpin in that mob's sanity, the Castle would come under siege. That would be their only chance to invade the Castle; no time to mull over the other consequences. There was no way the mob itself would take out the Castle, after all, so the duty went to Rey and Cruz... as well as that other girl, if if came down to it.
A burst of static from the radio. "Rey, I've been spotted! You need to take the shot now!"
His eyes widened as he immediately adjusted his scope. "Give me a target!" he called.
A crackle from the radio as a response came from the other side. "The Castle just passed a heavy tax hike on the poor. We'll be able to incite a riot any minute now."
The gunman sighed. "I sure hope so," he mumbled. "Been sitting in this spot for the past ten hours. It was a miracle I could even get this spot, with all the guards running around at night."
He sat silently, keeping his watch over the moment. The instant he pulled the trigger and took out the one lynchpin in that mob's sanity, the Castle would come under siege. That would be their only chance to invade the Castle; no time to mull over the other consequences. There was no way the mob itself would take out the Castle, after all, so the duty went to Rey and Cruz... as well as that other girl, if if came down to it.
A burst of static from the radio. "Rey, I've been spotted! You need to take the shot now!"
His eyes widened as he immediately adjusted his scope. "Give me a target!" he called.
The gunshot rang across the plaza, and dozens stirred, looking for where the bullet went, and where it came from. Not a sign of the gunner from anywhere, despite the thunder; didn't appear to be any of the guards surrounding the plaza, either.
Heads then turned as they heard a man's sudden wheezing, gasping for life. They saw a muscular man, eyes wide open, mouth agape. He was clawing at the air around him, a blossom of red blooming over his heart...
He fell over in a heap on the ground, the life gone from him.
A worried gasp from a few around him as they stepped away; this was a little strange in that it wasn't obvious what member of the Castle Low Guard had shot the man, but this was what happened to dissenters...
All except the man who had been whispering to him earlier. His face contorted, sweat drowning his face, whimpering in fear until he found the courage to scream:
"This was the man who wanted to start a rebellion last night!"
A sudden gasp from the crowd. The plaza guards sensed trouble and immediately surrounded them with their spears and rifles, knowing that something, was about to go down.
A voice suddenly cried out: the woman who had drowned her sorrows in the bar last night. "Well, I'll be! Couldn't even let us conceive the idea, now! He was just convinced not to do it that night, too!" She suddenly lashed out at a nearby guard with a punch to the side of the head, taking the sword the guard dropped. "I say that if we can't think, then we might as well be mindless, yeah! Let's be a mob!"
Some of the others weren't so sure, but the riles and cheers from the members of the crowd that had been moved by this sudden turn of events eventually turned the mob into a frenzy. They threw their fists into the air and into the guards around them. "Give us justice!" one cried, "Give us rights!" another did. "Give us our lives!"
The guards, unable to do anything to stop it outright, chose to hold their ground and stop who they could from advancing towards the Castle. Even though a select dozen or so managed to get past this barricade, the others fought tooth and nail against the guardsmen, wailing into the air what they saw as a ruined country...
Heads then turned as they heard a man's sudden wheezing, gasping for life. They saw a muscular man, eyes wide open, mouth agape. He was clawing at the air around him, a blossom of red blooming over his heart...
He fell over in a heap on the ground, the life gone from him.
A worried gasp from a few around him as they stepped away; this was a little strange in that it wasn't obvious what member of the Castle Low Guard had shot the man, but this was what happened to dissenters...
All except the man who had been whispering to him earlier. His face contorted, sweat drowning his face, whimpering in fear until he found the courage to scream:
"This was the man who wanted to start a rebellion last night!"
A sudden gasp from the crowd. The plaza guards sensed trouble and immediately surrounded them with their spears and rifles, knowing that something, was about to go down.
A voice suddenly cried out: the woman who had drowned her sorrows in the bar last night. "Well, I'll be! Couldn't even let us conceive the idea, now! He was just convinced not to do it that night, too!" She suddenly lashed out at a nearby guard with a punch to the side of the head, taking the sword the guard dropped. "I say that if we can't think, then we might as well be mindless, yeah! Let's be a mob!"
Some of the others weren't so sure, but the riles and cheers from the members of the crowd that had been moved by this sudden turn of events eventually turned the mob into a frenzy. They threw their fists into the air and into the guards around them. "Give us justice!" one cried, "Give us rights!" another did. "Give us our lives!"
The guards, unable to do anything to stop it outright, chose to hold their ground and stop who they could from advancing towards the Castle. Even though a select dozen or so managed to get past this barricade, the others fought tooth and nail against the guardsmen, wailing into the air what they saw as a ruined country...
Content at the uprising incited, Rey finally got up from his position and dusted himself off. Now that a rebellion was under way, it was time to move. He turned around, detaching the scope from his rifle...
Only to see a cloaked archer, standing twenty feet away, and an arrow drawn and aimed right at him.
"I thought that something would happen," the archer said, "but I didn't think that someone like you would be there to incite it."
Rey studied his attacker, scanning for details. "I didn't think you would be a factor in this, Blackthorne," he finally said. "Shouldn't you be well past your prime? The Second War was a long time ago, after all."
The archer drew the bowstring a little further. "All that mattered was that I could meet with the General myself and resolve this country's problems peacefully," she replied, "And now you've started a Fourth War unnecessarily."
Rey nodded, as if trying to associate himself with the archer's thoughts, then suddenly veered to the side. The archer released the arrow, but was too late on the draw. The gunman aimed his rifle and fired a quick three-round burst, but the cloaked woman was already on the move as well; the bullets hit empty ground. They traded shots like this for a minute, jumping and running around one another, but never hitting their respective targets once.
Suddenly, Rey stood still. The archer saw an opportunity and focused, drawing her foot back and releasing her breath as she aimed and fired a lightning-fast shot... only for a sword of gold and black to suddenly slash it mid-flight. The archer paused, looking at the swordswoman who had appeared.
"You shouldn't be here," the archer remarked.
Tasogare returned to a natural fighting stance, sword raised in front of her. "There was a debt I needed to repay to him and his colleague. I'm repaying it now."
"Even if he supports this mindless violence in these streets?" the archer responded.
"This rebellion should be allowed to happen," Tasogare replied. "The Castle is corrupt and has broken lives for years. The Guard destroyed my friends, my comrades, and almost destroyed me. I'm happy to assist with bringing it about sooner than later."
The swordswoman suddenly leaped forward in a blur, swinging his sword down onto the archer. "And I won't hesitate to stop anyone who gets in the way."
The archer leaped back multiple times in an attempt to evade, but Tasogare was too persistent, too agile. Sword swing after sword swing came, and the archer couldn't find a chance to escape. Getting desperate, she flipped into the air and drew back her bowstring, a flash a green mana suddenly rushing into the tip of the drawn arrow.
"With no hesitation, take my prey! Falco Furia!" she called, as from the arrow bloomed a large image of a falcon made from that mana, its wings spread and its beak ferociously opened. It rushed downward, towards Tasogare like the swordswoman was just a field mouse, something to be consumed. Tasogare held her sword defensively as a burst of light and shadow surrounded it, enough to part this giant image, but not enough to avoid being knocked back by the sheer force.
A sudden flash of light from behind Rey and Tasogare. Realizing that the third had finally caught up, the archer jumped into the nearby brush, retreating for now.
"Sorry it took me so long, everyone!" Cruz finally caught up to the others, holding the photo that her camera had captured. "It took me a while just to fend that archer off."
"She took off for now," Tasogare recapped. "I'll be willing to fight her again if she gets in our way."
"Let's hope that never happens, though," Rey muttered. "If that was who I thought that was, this mission might have become a lot tougher."
Cruz looked at the photo she captured, her eyes widening as it came into focus. "I sure hope you're right, Rey," she said.
The photo showed that mysterious blue aura again, once over Tasogare's sword, and once over the archer that had attacked them. Not one blur over the image, but two distinct ones. Cruz shoved the photo into her pocket; it could be important, but right now, the three were under a time crunch to get to the castle.
Only to see a cloaked archer, standing twenty feet away, and an arrow drawn and aimed right at him.
"I thought that something would happen," the archer said, "but I didn't think that someone like you would be there to incite it."
Rey studied his attacker, scanning for details. "I didn't think you would be a factor in this, Blackthorne," he finally said. "Shouldn't you be well past your prime? The Second War was a long time ago, after all."
The archer drew the bowstring a little further. "All that mattered was that I could meet with the General myself and resolve this country's problems peacefully," she replied, "And now you've started a Fourth War unnecessarily."
Rey nodded, as if trying to associate himself with the archer's thoughts, then suddenly veered to the side. The archer released the arrow, but was too late on the draw. The gunman aimed his rifle and fired a quick three-round burst, but the cloaked woman was already on the move as well; the bullets hit empty ground. They traded shots like this for a minute, jumping and running around one another, but never hitting their respective targets once.
Suddenly, Rey stood still. The archer saw an opportunity and focused, drawing her foot back and releasing her breath as she aimed and fired a lightning-fast shot... only for a sword of gold and black to suddenly slash it mid-flight. The archer paused, looking at the swordswoman who had appeared.
"You shouldn't be here," the archer remarked.
Tasogare returned to a natural fighting stance, sword raised in front of her. "There was a debt I needed to repay to him and his colleague. I'm repaying it now."
"Even if he supports this mindless violence in these streets?" the archer responded.
"This rebellion should be allowed to happen," Tasogare replied. "The Castle is corrupt and has broken lives for years. The Guard destroyed my friends, my comrades, and almost destroyed me. I'm happy to assist with bringing it about sooner than later."
The swordswoman suddenly leaped forward in a blur, swinging his sword down onto the archer. "And I won't hesitate to stop anyone who gets in the way."
The archer leaped back multiple times in an attempt to evade, but Tasogare was too persistent, too agile. Sword swing after sword swing came, and the archer couldn't find a chance to escape. Getting desperate, she flipped into the air and drew back her bowstring, a flash a green mana suddenly rushing into the tip of the drawn arrow.
"With no hesitation, take my prey! Falco Furia!" she called, as from the arrow bloomed a large image of a falcon made from that mana, its wings spread and its beak ferociously opened. It rushed downward, towards Tasogare like the swordswoman was just a field mouse, something to be consumed. Tasogare held her sword defensively as a burst of light and shadow surrounded it, enough to part this giant image, but not enough to avoid being knocked back by the sheer force.
A sudden flash of light from behind Rey and Tasogare. Realizing that the third had finally caught up, the archer jumped into the nearby brush, retreating for now.
"Sorry it took me so long, everyone!" Cruz finally caught up to the others, holding the photo that her camera had captured. "It took me a while just to fend that archer off."
"She took off for now," Tasogare recapped. "I'll be willing to fight her again if she gets in our way."
"Let's hope that never happens, though," Rey muttered. "If that was who I thought that was, this mission might have become a lot tougher."
Cruz looked at the photo she captured, her eyes widening as it came into focus. "I sure hope you're right, Rey," she said.
The photo showed that mysterious blue aura again, once over Tasogare's sword, and once over the archer that had attacked them. Not one blur over the image, but two distinct ones. Cruz shoved the photo into her pocket; it could be important, but right now, the three were under a time crunch to get to the castle.
A throne of white marble, standing in the center of an empty chamber whose ceiling stretched upward for miles. There were stained windows lining the room's walls from every angle, but they all glowed dimly, sunlight not reaching them sufficiently. A carpet stained red stretched from the base of the throne to the simple cedar doors at the room's end.
In that throne was a young man, hunched over in his seat. His crimson-dyed robes ran across the floor at the throne's base; his eyes had no luster to give. On his head rested a pointed scarlet hat, trying to stay on but failing due to the man's unruly brown hair.
He opened his eyes and brought his calloused hands together. "The crusaders are here," he said quietly. He finally stood up, slowly approaching the doors. He grabbed the door's handle, feeling it rough, carved textures first.
"Let the skies bear themselves," he muttered to himself softly, before throwing the doors open, proceeding towards the gates of the Castle.
In that throne was a young man, hunched over in his seat. His crimson-dyed robes ran across the floor at the throne's base; his eyes had no luster to give. On his head rested a pointed scarlet hat, trying to stay on but failing due to the man's unruly brown hair.
He opened his eyes and brought his calloused hands together. "The crusaders are here," he said quietly. He finally stood up, slowly approaching the doors. He grabbed the door's handle, feeling it rough, carved textures first.
"Let the skies bear themselves," he muttered to himself softly, before throwing the doors open, proceeding towards the gates of the Castle.
Return to the fateful castle
December 21st, 2017
Only available on Skype
December 21st, 2017
Only available on Skype