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Ultimate Assassin Saga: Woodlands

By: Undersought



The wind blew through the Tundra, the snow falling slowly to the ground and filling up the land for the latest day. It snowed during the day, and at night, it stopped snowing so one could look upon the night. The Tundra was a beautiful land of ice and snow which allowed one to look upon it with majestic awe. However, it was a majestic sight and no one who cared for nature would say otherwise. 

Though he wasn't an avid nature lover, Acheron did love the majesty of the Tundra and its white beauty. It was far different than his own home of Dalkia which was nothing more than cities, towns, and blood red skies with black lightning that streaked across the sky. Coming from Dalkia to see this beautiful land, it was amazing that the two lands could exist at the same time on the same Plane and not destroy one another. He knew that his brother, the Emperor of Dalkia, would like nothing more to draw the rest of the world under his reign of terror, making them live under the blood red skies, but he didn't believe that was going to happen. 

Azrieal was no longer relevant in his life at this moment. There was only one person that meant anything to him at this time, and once he found her, even if she didn't want him to, he would protect her with every fiber of his being. He was sure that Trissieal would welcome him coming, and if he knew her as well as he thought he did, she would know that he was coming. She did have powers, though how extensive they were he had no idea. For all he knew, she could see into the future and saw that he was coming to her. 

The Chaos Demon had left the Empire that he'd helped to carve out and he'd decided to never return. He wasn't loyal to the Empire or the Emperor himself. He was loyal to himself and what was best for him. When the Emperor had given him the orders to find Trissieal and kill her, he'd know that he wouldn't be able to carry out those orders. So instead, he'd left the Empire and deserted to the Wilds where she was suppose to be, but not to kill her. He'd come to the Wilds to protect her and the Angel Prince now that they'd fallen to the Mortal Plane. 

The snow swirled around him, seemingly wrapping around him and accentuating his features. He was huge, well over six foot tall if not taller, and heavily muscular. He had long midnight black hair that fell to the middle of his back in a single, thick braid and emerald green eyes set in a bronzed, handsome face. He wore a short sleeve black tunic with a black leather breastplate over the top of it which had silver embroidery across the chest, black pants, knee high black leather boots, and a black leather belt with a Diamond sword sheathed at his left hip. 

The Command Assassin was a powerful warrior and the fact that he'd just gotten through the battle that he'd gotten through five months ago was proof of that. He had originally come to the Tundra to make allies of the people who lived there, and after going through much, he'd finally made allies with the Elk Barbarian tribe of the Tundra. They were Humans, but they were a powerful warrior people who prided themselves on their strength and their kindness at the same time. 

The Elk had recently become a lot more powerful than they'd been in the past. Before Acheron had come to the Elk, they'd been a simple tribe who'd sometimes been forced to go to battle with other tribes. The King at the time had been assassinated by his younger son by the means of poisoning and he'd managed to frame his older brother, the heir Darville, for the crime. 

Darville had been Exiled, driven from the Elk tribe and forced to live outside of the tribe because of the crime that he'd been framed for. The people of the Elk, grieving for their King, had wanted someone to blame and Darcine was giving them that on a silver platter so they'd jumped at the opportunity. Once he'd been Exiled however, Acheron had gone with him and had pledged that he would help the man who was his friend to be returned to his tribe as the King of the Elk, his rightful place. 

The Command Assassin had had no idea how he was going to do that at the time, but eventually, he'd done just that. They had met with the Bear Barbarian tribe, and after learning of the Seer who had seen thier coming, they had become close allies. The King of the Bear tribe had called the other Barbarian tribes to their position, and after coming together, they'd formed a sort of army before marching on the Elk tribe. Instead of going into a huge battle that would've ended in the Elk's slaughter, the two brothers had done battle instead. 

During the whole process, the Chaos Demon had learned that a Demon that he'd known from his past was there and influencing the Elk tribe. He wasn't outright controlling of the new King of the Elk, but he had outright influenced him and he'd been unable to let that pass. So, he'd challenged him to a fight, and after a short time, he'd easily killed the Demon with his bare hands. 

Darville had won his battle with his own brother, and because of that, he was declared not only the King of the Elk, but the King of the Tundra. Every tribe of the Tundra had been brought under one banner and they'd agreed to dissolve into the Elk tribe. Then, they had built onto the Elk village and had created a powerful defense. With that done, the Command Assassin had decided that it was safe to leave them and not have to worry about them being killed. 

Acheron stopped walking and he stared out across the white snow of the Tundra. The snow that was falling from the sky was slowing and he knew that pretty soon it would stop. He'd been in the Tundra in more than six months, and with being in the Tundra for so long, he knew the cycles of the darkness and the cycles of the light. The snow would stop soon, and while there would be a few minutes of sunlight, the moon would come out almost immediately as well as the twinkling, beautiful stars. 

Just as he knew would happen, there was a slight moment when he could see the golden sun, spreading its warmth and its golden rays. Then, the sun sank low below the horizon and the dark sky was filled with the lights of the silver stars. The moon was waning, and because of that, it was very small, but it still created a little light, though way too little to light a path. However, he didn't have any worry about it. 

He could see in the pitch darkness. All he needed was the slightest bit of light and he could expand it in his eyes, making it refract off of the darkness around him, lighting the area in his own only took one sliver of light for him to do this, and because of this, he was considerably dangerous. After all, there weren't many people who could do that, not even the majority of Demons could do that. 

The Chaos Demon knew he had to continue to move on. If he didn't, he could be come upon by forces of Dalkia who wanted him dead. He could handle one or fifty agents who wanted him dead, but even he could be taken down by sheer numbers. Numbers was what ended the lives of even the greatest and most powerful of warriors, no matter what his skills were. 

The Command Assassin could see a large cliff straight in front of him, and while he would prefer being able to go around it, he knew better. If he went around it, it would take him longer to get out of the Tundra and he wouldn't be able to reach the border of the Whispering Jungle for another few days. He couldn't have that. He had to get there before tonight was over. Usually, when night time came around, he would settle down for the night and leave the next morning. However, he wasn't doing that now. He had a feeling of urgency that he couldn't get rid of and he knew that the only way for it to fade was to get out of the Tundra. 

He had to before something bad happened. 

Acheron sighed and he set out, walking slowly towards the cliff. He would just have to go over it, and while he knew that was no problem, he kept getting a bad feeling. He didn't know what it was and he couldn't explain it, but it wasn't going to keep him from doing what he needed to do. The Whispering Jungle was his next stop, and even though he knew that Trissieal was probably in the very center of the Wilds in the Open Plains, he also knew that he wouldn't be able to protect her if the Dalkian army came for them when he had no allies. That was why he'd made allies with the Elk tribe and it was the reason why he'd made allies with the Amazons along with the Wood Elves of the High Forest. 

He kept his eyes scanning as he walked towards the cliff. He knew that if anyone came up to him, they would be seen and they would die. Also, he had his aura reached out in all directions ahead of him, behind him, and both flanking positions. So far, he sensed nothing, but the bad feeling in his gut persisted and continued to grow stronger as he got closer to the cliff. 

The Chaos Demon did his best to ignore the feeling as he reached the cliff and he made his way up the incline. He sensed nothing still, but when he reached the top of the cliff, he could feel the bad feeling grow into one of dread. If he'd been Human, he would've been paralyzed by the bad feeling and probably disabled by it. However, he was a Demon, and because of this, he was able to still move despite the feeling that filled his gut. And move he did. 

He stood on the edge of the cliff and he looked down. There was a wide expanse of snow out below, but he knew that it had to end eventually. There were rocky ruins buried slightly beneath the snow, hinting at the civilization that had once existed here, but the remains - as well as the history of those remains - had been wiped away by the vestiges of time and nature. It was truly a sad sight, but he knew that he could do nothing about it. He was no history buff and he wouldn't even know how to begin recovering the lost nations or lost peoples. 

The Command Assassin leaped off of the cliff and he fell through the air. His boots landed hard on the hard packed snow and he rose to his full height. Anyone who saw him at that time would've thought that he was a giant on the rampage and more than likely would've fled. However, the Tundra was barren of life save for the Elk tribe and a few animals. He started to walk once more, his boots eating up ground between him and the cliff, but he stopped when he felt the power of the bad feeling once again. 

He turned around, staring at the cliff he'd just come from. It seemed that the dread came from that cliff, and while it wasn't truly relevant, he was curious. He wanted to know why it was that such a feeling would permeate the ground here and he was going to find out. So, he turned around to face the cliff and he walked back towards it, standing five feet from it. As he walked around the cliff, he reached out and ran his fingers along the snow as he walked around the cliff, some of the snow falling off as he touched it. 

As he reached the east end of the cliff, Acheron frowned as the snow fell from the cliff and revealed a hidden opening. The entrance to the cliff was huge, over twenty foot tall and perfectly rounded. It was large enough to admit anything in and out of it, but after being so long under the snow, there was no telling if there was anything still alive here. More than likely, anything that might've been within the cliff would be bones by now, but he was curious and he wanted to see what was inside. He had a hard time dealing with his own curiosity, and while he knew that his curiosity could get him in trouble - or worse, killed - he found it impossible to curb it. 

The Chaos Demon entered the opening and he walked easily through it into the cavern beyond. As he looked around, he saw that the walls had been long smoothed out by some sort of natural heat and he could tell that this was construction, not nature that had performed this. The cavern was huge with open spaces, but there was no building or living construction that he could see within. The floor was made of carved limestone and his boots made loud echoes as he walked down into the huge, open area of the cavern. 

He looked around, searching for any sign of living life or even bones from the living, but the floors were meticulous. There were no bones, no corpses, no nothing to show that this cavern was lived in. However, due to the unnatural heat within the cavern, he knew that something had to have lived here. He didn't know what could've lived within the cliff, but something had to. He narrowed his eyes as he searched the surrounding cavern, and much to his surprise, there was a carved out hallway to the far right, nearly hidden by the stalagmites that grew from the roof down in front of it. 

Smirking, the Command Assassin set off down the hallway and he noticed the same thing that he'd noticed before. It was all carved out by an unnatural heat of some sort, and while he walked deeper, he tried to figure out who could've built this place. The openings were far to large for even the Giants, and besides that, Giants weren't well known for their construction abilities. The other Dark Races - Orcs, Ogres, Goblins, and so on - were even less likely than the Giants because they were simply too small minded to create such an area. 

Acheron stopped halfway down the hallway and he narrowed his eyes. He perked up his ears and he could hear the sound of breathing, but it was louder as well as deeper than he'd ever heard before. He reached out with his aura, searching deep into the cavern ahead, and when his aura brushed against another's, he frowned. He could sense a powerful aura up ahead, and judging from that aura, the creature was extremely powerful. He smiled widely and he knew that he was going to have a battle to fight, but it wasn't going to be easy. 

The Chaos Demon reached down and wrapped his arm around the hilt of his Diamond blade. Then, he drew the weapon in a slow, deliberate manner. The blade glimmered in the near complete darkness and he stared at the newly acquired blade, his awe renewed by seeing the blade. The blade was as long as any broadsword, but instead of being made of iron, the blade was made of diamonds. He smirked at the thought of being able to jump into a simple battle once more and he lowered the blade down to his leg before setting off once more, walking slowly down the cavern tunnel towards the next area where he would meet the constructor of this cavern. 

When he stepped out into the next cavern, he was taken by surprise and he stared in amazement at what was within the cavern. He didn't see the one the aura belonged to, but there was something even more amazing in the room. Against one wall spanning the entire wall was a heap of treasures. Silver, gold, copper, jewels, and other such treasures glinted and glowed in the darkness against the wall. He could see many different chests among the treasures and he knew that each one of those chests would be filled with treasures. If he was a treasure hunter, this would've been the jackpot and he would be able to retire. However, he was no treasure hunter, and now that he saw the treasure, he had a pretty good idea what he was up against here.  

The Command Assassin was drawn from his reverie when he heard the breathing once more. He looked deeper into the cavern, his eyes narrowed so he could search for the one who was making the breathing noise. He saw a huge heap of silver and white in the corner, but he couldn't tell what it was just yet. However, he had an expectation of what it was and he knew that he was right. He knew what this creature was and he knew the creature would wake soon. There was no way that his powerful aura within the room wouldn't disturb the creature and bring it to battle. 

Acheron waited for the creature to unwind and reveal itself. Just as soon as the thought filled his mind, the creature raised its serpentine head and it licked its lips, widening its jaw in a bone cracking yawn. Then, the creature placed its tree like legs under its body and rose up slowly to its full body. It was covered from head to toe in thick silver and white scales with spines all down the back of its head to the tip of its long tail. It had two membranous wings that protruded from its back, and when it rose to its full height, it spread those amazing wings, showing the power within it. 

The Dragon lowered its glowing blood red eyes and it took notice of the Chaos Demon within its lair. He stared up at the creature, unimpressed by the creature, but it was a beautiful thing. He'd seen many Dragons in his time, but never one with white and silver scales. He wasn't exactly sure what to call this sort of Dragon, but he decided to settle on Snow Dragon. Not that it really mattered though. The Dragon would be dead in a few minutes and that was all there was to it. 

The Command Assassin drew magic into every fiber of his body and he spoke a single word of a spell. He felt his skin harden to that of a diamond's strength, making it near impossible for those long, razor sharp fangs the Snow Dragon had to pierce his skin. He knew that hardening his skin wouldn't completely keep him safe, but it would prevent him from dying right away. Most of the attacks the Dragon could make on him would be superficial cuts at best and it just might save his life. He wasn't afraid of the Dragon, but he knew that the creature was powerful, and if it got lucky, it might kill him, but he didn't believe that would happen. 

"Hello ugly." Acheron said, his voice filling the cavern and echoing off of the perfectly carved walls. He knew that the creature was less than sentient so it wouldn't feel fear, but when he was done with it, the beast would know what it was to feel fear. He turned the Diamond blade, twisting it in a tight circle and he took a step towards the creature, ready to do battle with the creature right now. 

The Snow Dragon threw back its magnificent head and let loose a bone shivering roar that echoed off of the walls of the cavern. The horrible sound echoed back to his hears, sending shivers up his spine, but they weren't shivers of fear. They were shivers of excitement. He was excited by the prospect of battle with a beast that he'd never fought before. He'd never encountered a Snow Dragon before, but he'd heard of them and they were suppose to be one of the weaker members of the Elemental Dragon castes. 

The Chaos Demon gripped the hilt of his Diamond blade and he readied himself for battle. Suddenly, the Snow Dragon shot forward, moving much faster than he would've thought such a huge creature could move. He barely had time, but he was able to dodge out of the way at the last second. The Snow Dragon barreled past him, his legs barely missing running into him and boiling him over. 

The Command Assassin rolled across the rocky floor and he came up to one knee once more. He turned on one knee with his Diamond blade held at his side and he narrowed his eyes up at the huge creature. It was now standing in front of the only exit out of the cavern with its wings spread wide to prevent him from going anywhere. It lowered its mouth and it showed its razor sharp fangs in a show of menacing power. He wasn't intimidated by this however. 

Acheron blanked his expression of all emotion and he rose slowly to his feet. He held the Diamond blade down by his leg and stared at the Snow Dragon. He knew that he couldn't just be on the defensive. He had to go on the offensive eventually and now was the best time. So, with Diamond blade in hand, he lunged forward with his sword trailing out behind him and his emerald eyes settled on the Dragon, looking for a weakness. 

He noted the Dragon was extremely slow on its feet when standing with its wings spread. The Chaos Demon shot forward even faster than before, nearly disappearing from view, and when he got close enough, he leaped into the air. He raised his sword high overhead and brought it down towards its skull, intending to slice right through its skull. However, the Snow Demon growled as it moved its head to the side, and as he watched, one of its wings swung forth, catching the full breadth of him, sending him flying across the cavern. 


Ultimate Assassin Saga: Woodlands



The Command Assassin slammed hard against the stone of the cavern walls and he bounced off of the wall. He hit hard in the treasure below, sending coins of silver, gold, copper, and jewels scattering across the floor. He slowly rose to his hands and knees, shaking his head to right his equilibrium. He'd held tightly to his Diamond blade and it was still in his hand. He looked up from his hands and knees, looking across to the cavern to where he saw the Snow Dragon opening its mouth wide, taking in a deep breath. 

Cursing, he knew the Dragon was about to unleash its breath weapon, and because he'd never done battle with a Snow Dragon before, he didn't know what the breath weapon would be. He tried to decided immediately if he should dodge or try to parry the strike, but that decision was taken from him. The Dragon finally blew out the breath weapon, shooting a stream of thick, razor sharp ice right at him. 

Acheron knew that he had no choice at this time. He had to parry the strike or be killed in an instant. He could only hope that parrying the strike would be enough. He raised his sword and watched the attack fly at him at maximum speed, the ice looking like a blade of nature that could slice straight through him with no effort whatsoever. 

The Command Assassin gritted his teeth and he let loose a battle cry before he swung his Diamond blade at the ice. He felt the full power of the ice attack as the blade cut through the ice, and as he watched, his blade sliced through the ice, cleaving it in two. The two pieces of ice flew past him, slamming into the wall behind him and he hefted the blade once more. The creature threw back its head and roared in defiance, the sound echoing off of the walls. 

Glad that he'd protected himself, the Chaos Demon dashed forward, his blade trailing behind him. The Dragon once more lowered its head, intending to snatch him up and eat him up between its fangs. However, before the Snow Dragon could swallow him, he leaped up onto the creature's head and he ran down the creature's neck towards the middle of its spine. He only had one shot at this, and if he failed, he very well could be killed or at least eaten anyway. 

He reached the middle of the Snow Dragon's spine and stopped, raising his sword high overhead. He turned the weapon upside down and held it by the hilt with the blade pointed down before stabbing down into the creature's spine. The Dragon cried out in pain before its legs sank out from underneath it and it fell to the ground on its stomach, unable to move now that he'd severed the right muscle. Grinning, he leaped off of the spine of the Dragon and landed on the cavern floor. Then, he walked around to the creature's head and he stared into the beast's eyes. 

"You are a powerful enemy, but you challenged the wrong warrior. However, I will grant you a quick death." Acheron told the Dragon and the creature snorted. Obviously, the creature either didn't believe him or it didn't care. He never went back on his word though, not even to an enemy. He raised his Diamond blade and he swung down, severing the Snow Dragon's head from the rest of its body. 

The Dragon's head rolled across the cavern, a string of blood following after it. He sneered at the sight of the creature, and while the creature had put up an honorable fight, the end was still the same. He had won and that was all there was to it. 

After a moment of staring at the Dragon as it lay there dead, the Chaos Demon cleaned his blade and sheathed the weapon. Then, he turned around and made his way back down the hallway, but he stopped at the doorway to the hallway, looking back at the creature. He had a feeling that he needed to do something with the Dragon, though he didn't know why he felt that way. 

Frowning, the Command Assassin walked back into the cavern and he stood over the corpse of the Snow Dragon. He narrowed his eyes, and for some reason, he drew his weapon once more. Before he could talk himself out of it, he drew his Diamond blade and he he turned it upside down, aiming the blade at the scales of the Snow Dragon. Then, he began to carve the silver and white scale from its body until it popped free, hitting the rocky cavern floor, making a dull thud throughout the cavern. 

Sheathing the Diamond blade, Acheron looked down at the white silver scale and he knelt down, picking up the scale. He stared at the scale, seeing his own reflection in the scale. Gripping the scale in his hand, he rose to his feet and he looked around the cavern for something to carry it with. When he looked upon the masses of treasure, he noticed a piece of cloth and he smiled. He walked over to the treasure that the Dragon had accumulated over the years and he pulled out a medium sized burlap sack. He spread open the mouth of it before dropping the scale inside and tying it closed. 

With this done, he threw the burlap sack over his shoulder and he walked from the cavern. He wasn't even tempted to take any of the treasure. He had no use for gold, silver, and other material treasures such as that. He knew that anyone else would've been a fool and taken the treasure. However, that wasn't the kind of person he was. He had no need for treasure. He'd taken a scale from the Snow Dragon, and even though he didn't know why he'd taken it, he had a feeling that it would come in handy. 

The Chaos Demon moved quickly through the halls of the cavern, and when he reached the entrance of the cavern, he stopped to stare out across the flat tundra. The snow had stopped falling, but the moon was out and the stars twinkled like little fireflies in the night. 

With no other task at hand, Acheron began his walk, heading west to the Whispering Jungle. 

Acheron walked through the snow, his boots making no noise and they didn't even sink into the snow as he walked. He wasn't too worried about traveling at night because he was a Demon and Demon's were well known for their versatility during the periods over the days. He saw small black marks which had the rocks deeper embedded in the snow, marking the ruins of old, forgotten cities that had fallen and been buried in the past. 

He walked towards the rocks and he stepped up onto the rocks, stopping to look across the Tundra. He saw the shadows in the distance and he smiled. The tall outline was the western part of the Wilds, classified as the Whispering Jungle. It was huge and there was no in between between the two lands. Unlike the small strip of land that separated the High Forest to the east and the Tundra in the north, the Whispering Jungle wasn't separated by anything. It merely blended right into one another drastically. 

The Chaos Demon hopped off of the rock and landed in the snow once more. There was many things that he wanted to do, but he also knew that he had to be careful. He wasn't just anyone. He was the former Command Assassin of the Demon Empire of Dalkia, and because of that, he would be sought out by Demons for the rest of his life. After all, to take the rank of Command Assassin - a very sought after rank in Dalkia - one had to kill the current Command Assassin and that wasn't in his plans. 

His plans for the future were much more extensive and much more dangerous. He intended to draw the peoples of the Wilds together and uniting them so they would have a defense against any invasion that Dalkia would wreak upon them. He had no doubt that Azrieal would send minion after minion after him, and when that didn't work, he would bring war to the Wilds just to get at him. That was the kind of person Azrieal was, but he only hoped that Azrieal was able to remain patient enough for him to unite the Wilds under his banner so they could drive him and the forces of Dalkia back. 

Now that he was near to the Whispering Jungle, the Command Assassin could set up camp for the night. He looked around, searching for a place to set his camp and still be somewhat obscured from the general view. He'd already run across a Dragon in the Tundra and he didn't want to run across anything else like that again. However, if he was attacked, he would fight back and kill anything that came after him. He just didn't want to have to and that was the real difference between the two brothers. 

Azrieal enjoyed battle even though he saw little of it. He enjoyed doing battle, tearing apart his enemies with his powerful magic and torturing them all to his immense amusement. Acheron on the other hand saw many battles and he took no joy from any of it. He'd seen far too much, had too much blood on his hands, and had many sins that he would rather wipe the slate clean. It was true that he didn't care for the battle, but he also felt little guilt over what he'd done in the past. It was true that he'd ruined the lives of people, destroyed them entirely, but he was only doing what was necessary for his survival at the time, and because of that, he could feel no guilt. 

The Chaos Demon set to work, clearing a space to make a fire and even manifesting some wood to stack for a fire. Then, he moved off towards one of the snowy hills and he knelt down, placing his hand on the snowy ground. He closed his eyes and he extended his aura, searching underground for anything that he could sense. He didn't sense anything right away, but then, he felt it and he opened his eyes. There was a snow mole coming right towards him, and in seconds, he would have his meal. 

Waiting ten seconds, the Command Assassin dove his hand deep into the snow and he felt his hand close around the throat of the snow mole beneath. He heard the creature squeal in fright and surprise even as he pulled his hand up, pulling the tiny mole free of the snow. He stared at the white furred creature with sightless eyes, and while it wasn't as big as he would like, it would do. It wasn't that he needed much food to feed his energy and keep him going. Even this little morsel would do for now, though he would need more food later on to recharge. 

He took a moment to stare into the creature's sightless eyes and he nearly found himself wanting to reach into the creature to search out its emotions. However, he knew better than that. Sighing inwardly, he held out his free hand and a long, wicked sharp dagger appeared in his palm. Then, he twisted his other hand, snapping the neck of the mole. He sat the creature down in the snow and he took a moment to say a prayer for the immortal soul of the snow mole. 

Acheron sat the mole on the snow covered ground and he turned the knife right side up. Then, he began the long, arduous process of cleaning the bones, peeling the fur from flesh and then flesh from bone. Finished with this process, he made the knife disappear and he manifested a long stick of which he stuck through the meat of the mole. He pushed to his full height and he walked over to the campfire, sitting down cross legged with the stick held in his hand. 

He reached out and placed a hand on the wood. The wood started to glow red and orange before flames began to leap from the wood, creating a roaring fire. Heat came from the flames, banishing the cold of the Tundra, but he took no notice of it as he held the stick of meat out over the flames, cooking for his dinner. While he was cooking, he was lost in deep thoughts of what he was to do, but the most noticeable thing was the weight on his back. 

The Chaos Demon frowned and he reached back with one hand, touching the burlap of the sack strapped there. He untied it from his back and he brought it in front of himself, sitting it in the snow. He propped the mole meat in the fire, watching it as he cooked before he untied the burlap sack and he reached inside, pulling out the silver and white scale within. He turned the scale around in his hands, staring at the reflection that was made by the mirror like quality of the scale and he had to admit that it was quite beautiful as well as sturdy. 

The Command Assassin gripped the scale tightly, but the item didn't bend or give at all. In fact, it remained in place no matter how hard he pulled on it and tried to stretch it. Even with his strength, the scale simply wouldn't break and he had a feeling that this would come in handy. It was large enough to make a breastplate or gauntlets out of it so he was fairly certain that that was why he'd taken it from the Snow Dragon, but he hadn't done so consciously at the time. 

Sighing quite loudly, he slipped the silver and white scale back into the burlap sack. After tying the sack closed, he slung it across his back, securing it there. Then, he sniffed the air, testing the smell of the mole meat and he could tell that it was ready to be eaten. Taking the meat from the fire, he stared at it for a moment, allowing it to cool before he slipped a chunk free, popping it into his mouth. He chewed it methodically, staring out at the Tundra beyond, the beauty of it astounding to him. 

The blood red skies of Dalkia had always been an eyesore to him, but the Mages had insisted on doing such a thing to inspire fear from the other nations of the Center Continent. If one could overpower mother nature and turn the blue sky to red, then what hope could mortal beings have at defeating them? At least, that was how the mindset when anyway. He'd never seen a purpose to it in the first place, but he'd never said anything about it either. After all, he didn't care and it wasn't his place to criticize his brother over such a thing. He had his place and it wasn't with the design of the nation. 

His place was conquering more lands. 

As he ate, he remembered his time as the General in charge of Dalkian expansion. He'd never cared about what he was doing when he was actually doing it. Even after slaughtering an entire people, he never once looked back and thought better of his actions. He'd been doing a job and that was it. It was nothing personal. From what he'd learned in the Abyss, the hell dimension in which he'd been born, it was survival of the fittest. The strong survived and the weak perished. That was a lesson he'd brought with him to the Mortal Plane and there was nothing that he could do to rid himself of that lesson he'd learned. 

Even now that he'd betrayed the Empire, he still believed in the survival of the fittest. What he was trying to do however was become the strongest so he would survive and so he could remain free of his brother's influence. He had no doubt that he and Azrieal would come head to head eventually, but he didn't want it to be anytime soon. He simply wasn't ready to go to war with his brother, but not for the reasons that some would've accused him of. 

Most people would've thought it was because they were brothers and he couldn't reconcile killing his brother to himself. That was wrong though. He could reconcile and deal with killing his brother because he knew that he would do the same. No, it was his level of strength right now. He simply wasn't strong enough and didn't have the numbers to deal with the full might of the Dalkian Empire. 

Acheron had made allies with the Elk Barbarian tribe of the Tundra as well as the Amazons and the Wood Elves of the High Forest. He wasn't quite sure, but he thought that he might have the support of the Wolfian people of the High Forest as well. At thoughts of the Wolfians, he shook his head and nearly snorted. They were basically wolf people who stood on two legs and were able to speak. They were sentient creatures, and even though he'd only met the one - Fenris he'd called himself - he was sure the Wolfians were mostly like the one that he'd met. 

Shaking himself from his dark, gloomy thoughts, he realized that he'd finished his food. Stomach sated though hunger not slaked, he knew that he needed his rest for tomorrow. It wasn't going to be an easy day tomorrow of that he was certain, but he wasn't all that worried. Something told him that he was going to be okay and that he would succeed. It wasn't like he had much other choice, but to succeed in his ventures. If he didn't, it would mean his own death as well as the deaths of Trissieal and her son. 

Sighing, the Chaos Demon lay down in the snow on his side and crossed his arms over his chest. He rolled onto his back and he rested his chin on his chest. He reached out with his aura for four hundred feet in all directions to protect himself and he knew that even in sleep the aura would remain to warn him of coming intruders that might wish him harm. 

Precautions set, Acheron closed his eyes and he fell into a deep, dreamless slumber. 

XXXXXXXXXX 

The next morning found Acheron already awake and his campfire extinguished. He was ready to set out for the day already even though the snow had just started to fall. Most people would sleep in, but he didn't have that luxury. He had many things to worry about and if he slowed down for even a moment he could be caught. He wasn't going to be killed because he had a lazy day. If he was going to die, it was going to be in a battle that he'd subscribed for. 

Sighing, the Chaos Demon made sure that all traces of his camp was gone before setting out. The snow flurried around him, falling onto his armor and his skin, marking the black with white. He didn't mind the cold. It was probably because he couldn't feel it. Demons didn't feel the extremes of weather be it burning hot or freezing cold. It was one of the advantages of being a Demon and attempting to do this. The Wilds had several different climates and none were more aware of that than him. 

The Command Assassin crested the next hill, stopping only for a moment to reach out with his aura, searching for enemies. After a brief scan, he felt no signs of life and he moved on, his boots crunching the snow as he walked. He watched as the trees of the Whispering Jungle grew closer and closer with each step towards the western peek of the Wilds. 

He was within four hundred feet of the Jungle and he could make out the trees, but there was something wrong. They seemed...off somehow. He didn't know exactly what it was about the trees that were different, but it was obvious that they were. The trees rose from the ground just like any other tree, but the trees seemed to twist off to the side, tangling with the tree next to it at the branches, interlocking with one another like symbioses trying to survive. 

Acheron walked closer to the trees, and much to his surprise, he could sense power coming from the trees themselves. He stopped at the edge of the Whispering Jungle and he narrowed his eyes on the tree in front of him, taking note of the power of the tree. There was something embedded in the tree that he couldn't quite make out, and for some reason, he had a feeling that it was old magic. There was a glowing silver rune in the tree, running up the length of the trunk and most likely stopped at the top of the tree, but as he looked at the trees on either side of the one he was looking at, he noticed that this wasn't the only tree marked like that. 

It was something that he'd never seen before. Even the rune was something that he didn't recognize. He didn't know what it meant and that worried him beyond all else. He'd seen much over the years, learned many languages of the Mortal Plane, but this wasn't one that he'd come across over the years. He could sense the power of the runes and the old magic within, but he feared what would happen if he tried to dispel the trees of the Jungle. 

He turned his gaze to the rest of the Jungle, noting the heavy bushes thick with berries, but they were probably poisonous for all he knew. There were vines as thick as a Giant's bicep running from tree to tree, interconnecting them even more. If anyone lived among the treetops, the vines could easily be used as a way to get from one tree to tree. However, he didn't think anyone lived among the trees. After all, the trees were gnarled and bent, almost as if they'd been contaminated by some force that was alien to this Plane of existence. 




Ultimate Assassin Saga: Woodlands



The Chaos Demon removed his hand from the tree and he looked into the darkness of the Whispering Jungle. There was beauty as well as majesty among the trees of the Jungle, but he knew that there was also mystery and possibly even death among the trees as well. He knew that there was at least one race of people that lived among the trees of the Whispering Jungle, but he didn't know what they were. The only reason he knew there was someone inside was because of the mass reports that had been gathered on the Wilds by their campaign many years ago, judging whether they should expand to include the Wilds. At the time, his answer had been know and his reasons had been many. 

The only reason there truly was had been there were too many unknown variants of people and that each individual people were powerful as well as dangerous. He hadn't wanted to take his people into harms way and maybe that was why they felt loyal to him. Many different Clans of Demons had been among his campaign, the Blood and Ice Demon clans only being two. He'd inspired enough loyalty in those two clans to abandon Dalkia and come to his side so there was no telling about the other clans. However, he couldn't concern himself with that now. 

What mattered was making allies. 

With that thought in mind, Acheron stepped over one berry filled bush and put his foot down inside of the Whispering Jungle. He sensed nothing, and so, he put his other foot within, entering the Whispering Jungle for the first time. He stood there for a moment, looking around and wondering if he would be attacked for just stepping foot into the trees. When nothing came out to greet him with a blade, he nodded his head once and he took a step. Then, he took another step and again another before he was walking slowly, but surely into the Whispering Jungle, the snow of the Tundra being left behind for the seemingly tropical weather of the Jungle. 

It was warm and muggy, leaving a sticky feeling to his skin without making him sweat. It was quite uncomfortable - or it would've been if he were any other creature. However, for Demons, what made others uncomfortable were rarely even noticed among their ranks. This just so happened to be one such time because even though he noted the sticky feel to his skin, it didn't bother him. 

As he walked, the Chaos Demon listened to everything around him, hearing his own boot steps hear and there, but mostly just listening to the Jungle. There were sounds of insects chirping and generally making noise. Squirrels ran across the ground to trees and scampered up said trees. Snakes slithered across the ground, moving away from him and heading for their dens, hiding away from him. Every predator within the Whispering Jungle seemed to recognize that he wasn't prey for them, but if they got in his way, they might be prey for him. 

Also, he took note of the trees. The Command Assassin noticed that the trees seemed to twist even more the deeper he got and the trees were also a deeper color, almost sickly. However, they all had one thing in common. Each of them were marked with those runes, and for some reason, he got the feeling that it was the runes that were making the trees twist and appear to be sick. It wasn't a magic that he was familiar with, and because of that, he didn't intend to do anything to dispel it. 

Maybe if he were able to learn who had placed these runes and for what purpose, then he might be able to dispel them. However, until then, he was going to leave them alone and try not to get into too much trouble. He knew the Jungle was bound to have creatures that would love to attack him, and even though he was yet to see anything yet that would challenge him, he knew the longer he pushed his luck, the more likely it was that he would be challenged. 

Now whether or not he was challenged by sentient life forms or something bestial was another story. 

Acheron wasn't worried about any battle that might come within the Jungle. He was a Demon, and even though it sounded arrogant, he was one of the most powerful Demons on the Mortal Plane. In fact, the only Demon that he knew for fact could challenge him in ways of power was his brother himself. There weren't too many creatures that could challenge a Demon and come out the victor, but beings could get lucky. Lady luck was a fickle being and often sided with someone one day before turning around to stab you in the back the next day. 

The Chaos Demon walked slowly across the grassy and leaf covered ground. He noticed a dip in the ground, and even though it didn't really matter to him, he didn't think nothing of it. It could be just about anything to be honest. It could lead into a glen or a valley or much of anything. Hells, it could lead into another dimension. There was just no way for him to know. 

The Command Assassin knelt near the dip in the ground and he realized that it was actually a hole in the ground. He frowned and and narrowed his eyes, staring down into the hole. Unfortunately, there was no sign of light, and without even the slightest hint of light within the hole, he wouldn't be able to determine anything. Then, an idea occurred to him and he felt stupid. He didn't know why he didn't think of it before actually. 

Acheron aimed his palm at the hole and he began to gather his magic. Suddenly, his hand began to glow with golden energy, and after a second of pulling it into his palm, he released it, the ball of light drifting slowly into the dark hole. To his amazement and dismay, the golden light seemed unable to fight back the darkness. It was like nothing that he'd ever seen and he found himself wondering what he should do about it. Should he leave the hole alone or should he explore it? If he jumped in, he knew that he could get back out. It wouldn't be that hard to transform and fly right out, but he didn't know what he would find on the other end. 

That was really what he was worried about. 

He wasn't scared or frightened of what he would find on the other end. He simply didn't want to go into this hole and then never come out. For all he knew, it could lead him to a huge danger. Hells, it could transport him back to Dalkia and into his brother's grasp. It wouldn't be the first time something like this had been placed as a trap for curious minds. He found himself debating quickly over what he should do. There were many options, but only one won out in his mind. 

Deciding to take a chance, the Chaos Demon stood to his full height and he took a deep breath. He gripped the hilt of his Diamond blade and he drew the weapon. One didn't want to drop right into the midst of a battle and be killed because one wasn't prepared. He was going to make sure he was as prepared as he could be. He held the Diamond blade down by his leg, and with a deep breath, he stepped into the hole. 

He fell and fell and fell, seemingly endless in the black. Someone of a lesser degree might've panicked and begin to get scared, but he wasn't worried. He didn't know what would happen, but he had a feeling about this hole and what was going to happen. As he fell, he could sense more and more magic, but it was much older than anything that he'd ever sensed before. He didn't know where the power was coming from. It seemed to be coming from all around him and from nowhere at the same time. Then, he saw it. 

In the blackness, there was a little silver light that shimmered and it seemed to be growing larger. Of course, that would have something to do with his falling towards it. He knew there was no way to avoid it, and even if there was, he wouldn't have tried. His curious mind had gotten him into it and he wanted to see this journey through to the end. 

Acheron felt the silver light envelop him and swallow him whole. He could feel the ancient magic all around him, filling his being and seemingly making him less substantial in the Mortal Plane. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and allowed whatever it was that was surrounding him to take him to wherever it wished. 

Acheron came aware slowly, but he didn't immediately open his eyes. He didn't know why he didn't open his eyes right away, but he had the feeling that it was due to the fact that he didn't know his surroundings. He wanted to hide away in unconsciousness as long as he could and not have to face what he would surely have to face once he opened his eyes. Because once he opened his eyes, it would become real and he would have no choice but to survive in his new environment.  

The ground below him was mossy and felt itchy to the skin, but he didn't scratch. He didn't so much as flinch a muscle, but he did reach out with his aura and with his senses. He could smell the dankness of the land around him, and to his surprise, it smelled much like the Whispering Jungle. Had the portal merely transferred him to another part of the Jungle? Was that all it did? It seemed pretty useless if that was all it did, but he had no idea what the people who had made the portal could've been thinking when building it. 

Knowing that he couldn't pretend to be unconscious forever, the Chaos Demon blinked open his eyes and he stared across the mossy covered ground. He sat up slowly onto his knees, looking around and taking in the sight of the cavern he was within. Instead of the stone cavern he'd been in when facing the Snow Dragon, this one was different from that. The walls were covered in thick moss and vines that intertwined underneath the moss. The floor was made of pure stone though there were patches of moss all over where it had grown over the path. He had no idea who had constructed these stone floors, but it was obvious that they'd been overgrown or forgotten a long time ago. 

The Command Assassin turned to look over his shoulder, but there was no entryway that way. It was closed off as if he was within some sort of fortress, but if this was a fortress, there were no guards. He turned to look all around the room, but there was only one opening in the entire cavern. Seeing that there was no reason to worry over what could be in that hallway, he rose to his feet and he walked towards the opening. The walls even here were covered in thick moss and vines with the stone of the walkway echoing with his boot steps. 

Acheron walked down the cavern hall slowly, darting his eyes from side to side to make sure nothing appeared from nowhere. Seeing nothing, he calmed down some, but he didn't let down his guard. If he let down his guard, he could be attacked and he wouldn't get a second chance. He had a feeling that anything that would attack him in this place would go for the kill shot the first time around. 

Nearing the end of the hallway, he noted a dip off to the side and walking around in a tight perimeter was a creature that he'd never seen before. It was a ten foot tall saurian type creature with leathery russet flesh. Its legs were long and as thick as tree trunks. Its arms were short and looked useless in fact, but each finger was tipped with a razor sharp claw. Its belly was extended as if it were heavy with child, but he had a feeling that this was the male of the species. It had a long thick tail that could crush a man with a single strike. Its head was lizard like, lengthened in the maw and its mouth was filled with razor sharp fangs. Its eyes were a rounded golden color that glowed out of its head. 

The Chaos Demon had never seen a creature like this before in his life, and because of that, he didn't know how strong it was. He didn't know its weakness' or its strengths so he would simply be fighting blind. However, he'd fought blind before and won easily. To make sure that he wasn't underestimating or overestimating his enemy, he reached out with his aura and brushed it across the saurian's own aura, searching its strength. 

Its power was aggressive and wild while being tightly controlled at the same time. Its power level was nowhere near his own strength, and because of that, he had confidence in being able to take the creature down. As he was withdrawing his aura, it was as if the saurian sensed the brush against its own aura because its head snapped to the side and its golden eyes settled upon him standing there in the entrance to this little alcove within the cavern. It had stopped walking in its tight perimeter and it turned to face him, staring him down with malice filled eyes. 

Knowing there was no way out of it, the Command Assassin wrapped his hand around the hilt of his Diamond blade and he drew the weapon. The sound of metal scraping against wood sounded in the hallway, filling the alcove with noise. However, it was mostly drowned out by the heavy, labored breaths of the russet colored saurian and the look of pure hatred in its golden eyes. 

The creature let loose a loud scream of hatred and battle. Then, it began to lumber forward, running as fast as it could which was surprisingly fast for something so fast. With each foot fall of the saurian, the ground shook and he felt like he was being knocked off of his feet, but he held his ground, watching the creature approach him. He knew he had no real choice, but to stand his ground and fight. If he didn't, then he wouldn't get to see what was on the other side of the saurian and he really really wanted to know what lay beyond this creature. 

The saurian raced at him, roaring its head off and looking like it was going to trample him. Acheron leaped forward, ducking between the creature's legs and sliding on his knees behind the creature. He knew the saurian was slow and he was betting on its speed being a deciding factor in this battle. He quickly rose to his feet and held his Diamond blade out, staring at the back of the creatures as it searched first to one side before searching the other side, obviously looking for him. 

Then, the beast turned its head and looked over its shoulder at him. It snarled and began to turn its body around slowly. With each movement, it caused the ground to shake and vibrate. He took no notice of that and instead rushed forward, his sword trailing down behind him as he raced the creature. The saurian creature saw this and obviously knew that it wouldn't be able to turn in time to strike him down. So, to stop him, the creature lifted its thick tail and swatted it at him, intending to crush him with the strike. 

Smirking, the Chaos Demon raised his Diamond Blade and he sliced at the tail. The creature cried out as the blade sliced through the flesh of the tail. Crimson blood flew from the wound as the creature stumbled forward, obviously overbalanced because of the tail being severed. Knowing that the saurian would regain its composure soon enough, he knew that he had to get to the creature and kill it before it could gather itself. 

The Command Assassin raced forward even faster and he leaped into the air with his sword held high overhead. The creature had straightened its spine and looked back just in time for the blade to sink through the top of its skull, slicing deep. He used that momentum to drive it deeper and deeper into the skull of the saurian to make sure that the creature didn't merely shake off the strike to return to battle. 

He saw bone fly forth from the wound and he blanked his expression. It was over now and he knew it. The creature fell forward onto its stomach, letting out one long breath before growing still. Acheron saw none of this as he flew over the body of the creature and gravity took over, pulling him to the ground below. He landed gently on the moss covered stone and he turned to look at the corpse of the saurian, making sure that it didn't get up. 

After several seconds and the creature still hadn't moved, he cleaned the blood from the blade. Then, he sheathed the weapon and he walked past the corpse of the creature, heading for the entryway on the other side of the alcove. This tunnel was much like the last one, covered in moss and vines, but there was a few subtle differences as well. It was as if darkness closed around him, bringing complete and utter darkness to the hallway, but there was a small light up ahead which grew bigger the longer he walked. It wasn't a white light as when he'd jumped into the hole, but a strange color of blue and green, flipping back and forth between one another. 

As he got closer to the light, he could make out more and more of the light. It wasn't just a light, it was some sort of barrier that would prevent anyone who wasn't worthy through. He stopped right in front of the barrier and he narrowed his eyes, staring at the large light that seemed to shimmer like a veil, hinting at the other side of the barrier. There were runes shimmering in the barrier, obviously giving the barrier even more power than before, and as he looked closer, he noted that the runes were much the same as those that had been carved into the trees of the Whispering Jungle. 

The real question now was how to get past the barrier without getting killed or seriously injured. Whoever had gone about protecting this area had a lot of magic and he wasn't sure that he wanted to meet such a powerful creature. He was strong with magic, but even he wasn't sure that he could do such spells and that was saying something. He knew many spells and had an abundance of magic in his arsenal, but such complex runes were beyond him completely. 

To make it short, he was good, but not that good. 

Deciding that there was no other way, the Command Assassin reached out and he closed his eyes when his hand touched the shimmering light of the barrier. Much to his surprise, the barrier didn't shock him, didn't light him on fire, didn't do anything to him. Instead, his hand passed right through the barrier and onto the other side, creating a tingling sensation that traveled up his arm all the way to the shoulder. 

Surprised by this but not undeterred, Acheron put his other arm through the barrier, wiggling his fingers on the other side. There was no pain at all within him and he found it amazing that a barrier wouldn't even hurt someone that would come across it. Was it possible that he was exempt from the power of the barrier for some reason? That had to be it because a barrier with no power to defend made no sense. 

The Chaos Demon drew his hands back, allowing them to fall to his sides. Then, he stepped forward, stepping right through the barrier to the other side. When he'd gone through the barrier, he'd closed his eyes, but now that he was through the barrier, he opened them. He blinked a couple of times, finding it hard to believe that the place that he was now was so different from what he'd just come from, but was also very familiar. He was right back where he started in the Whispering Jungle, surrounded by the rune marked trees. 

However, there seemed to be something different about the Jungle. It had a lighter feeling to it, as if it didn't exist in this Plane and had no intention of showing itself. It was a strange feeling that he couldn't remember feeling before or ever reading about. This was something completely new, and for the first time, he found himself questioning his rash decision to leap into a black hole. Had he just trapped himself in an endless loop that he would never escape, to spend the rest of his days repeating the process again and again? 

When he turned to look back at the barrier, he saw that it was gone and the Whispering Jungle spread out behind him. Well, there was no going back that direction in the hopes of backtracking. He shook his head and turned his attention back to the forward path, deciding that there was only one thing that he could do. He had to keep moving forward and not look back. It would do him no good to look back now. 

The Command Assassin walked swiftly through the trees, ignoring the runes and weaving his way through the trees. There was no real sense to where he was going, but his instincts told him that this was the direction he needed to go in. If there was one thing that he'd learned over the years, it was to trust his instincts. That was what he was doing now and that was what he would do as long as he was in the Whispering Jungle. 




Ultimate Assassin Saga: Woodlands



Several more minutes of walking and it was like he'd gotten nowhere. All the trees looked the same, though they were starting to get denser as he walked deeper. He walked up one small hill, and at the top, he looked down into the open area beyond. It was a small glen with tall grasses, but the most noticeable thing was the pool of water in the middle of the area. It was a large pool, twenty feet wide and twenty feet long. From the crystal clear water, he could see steam pouring from it, indicating that it was a hot spring and not a regular pool of water. 

Acheron hadn't bathed in a while, and even though he knew that he needed to keep up his guard, he could still bathe without having to drop his guard. So, he walked slowly down the hill, looking from side to side to search for enemies. Finding no one by the time that he reached the hot spring, he stopped in front of it and he began to reach for his belt, unbuckling it before allowing it to fall to the ground, but he was going to be sure that it was to be near his hands at all times. 

Just as he sat his blade down, the Chaos Demon undid his leather breastplate and allowed it to fall to the ground next to his sword. Then, just as quickly as he'd done that, he pulled off his shirt, pants, and boots, stacking it all near his blade. The Chaos Demon, naked now, looked down into the water, seeing his own reflection in the water, but there was nothing within it. No fish, no worms, no parasites, no life at all. Just the steam from the underground. 

Acheron jumped into the water and allowed the heat of the hot spring to sluice around his skin, allowing him to relax for a little while, his mind drifting off as he bathed in the hot spring. 

XXXXXXXXXX 

A couple of hours later, Acheron climbed out of the hot spring and began to pull on his clothing slowly. Before too long, he was dressed and ready to go once more. However, he didn't really have a destination in mind. He didn't know where he was or where he was going really. All he knew was to follow his instincts. His instincts were telling him to just walk and something would happen that would lead him to the next stage. 

After all, destiny was ever weaving her wet and she didn't exactly give any of her puppets any choice in what she was weaving. She decides what your life is going to be and in between you make the decisions, but she makes the choices for you. There is nothing you can do to fight destiny, and no matter if you believed in it or not, it still came into your life. 

He stopped in a clearing, and noticing the light upon the ground, he frowned before looking up into the sky. The trees were twisted back, revealing the dark blue sky, but that wasn't really what he noticed. What he noticed were the two suns in the sky, both glowing with different lights. One was gold and very large while the other was a deep red color while it was smaller than the golden one. He didn't feel any extra heat that should've been cast by the two suns, but he also didn't think that there should be two suns over the Jungle. 

It was still an interesting concept though and he found himself glad that he was getting to see it. It was something amazing to see, much more than the beauty of the High Forest or the fresh atmosphere of the Tundra. This had its own special features and he was able to easily identify them. He looked around, looking through the trees, looking for any sign of danger, but there was nothing. He could see no glowing eyes in the darkness and he could sense no amazing power level or anything of the sort. 

The Chaos Demon walked for what felt like hours through the trees, dodging the bushes and stepping over them to keep from getting stuck with thorns. He was starting to get tired and he had no idea why. After all, he hadn't been traveling that long today and he should've had plenty of energy to do so. He put his hand on the side of a tree trunk as he stepped forward, but he stopped and stared out at the scene before him. There were several creatures gathered here in the middle of the glen in front of him and each one looked ready to kill. 

There were Wraiths floating above the ground moving to and for, their scythes strapped to their backs while their long black cloaks floated around them, obscuring their features. Zombies of all kinds - some from the Human race, the Elven race, and even a couple of Dwarves - were milling around the area, obviously growing impatient with their need to kill. There were about fifty Zombies of all kinds and they all looked quite dangerous. The wraiths had well over a hundred in number and they were all similarly armed. 

While he knew that he could kill these creatures and come out the victor, he also knew that there were too many of them for him not to get fatally injured. It would simply be impossible for him to attack these creatures and not be overwhelmed. Numbers always won out eventually, overcoming even the most powerful of warriors and driving them down into the annals of history. 

Cursing inwardly, the Chaos Demon carefully stepped back and was already running over the many different ways that he could avoid battle with these creatures. He wasn't afraid of them, but there was no reason for him to do battle with the Undead and possibly end up injured. He stopped when he heard shuffling movement behind him and he whirled around, hand gripping the hilt of his Diamond Blade. What he saw there was something that he wasn't going to be able to escape. 

There were dozens of Zombies shuffling towards him, their arms outstretched to take him. He gripped the hilt of his Diamond Blade even harder and he began to draw the weapon. Suddenly, he felt his whole body being filled with electricity and his hand spasmed, falling from the hilt of his sword. He sank to his knees, his power completely sapped from him with the attack, but he was still able to lift his head, looking for the one that had attacked him. 

The Command Assassin found the one that had attacked him floating nearby, hovering ten feet off of the ground with its scythe aimed at him. Lightning still sparked down the length of the blade of its scythe and back again. The Wraith made a moaning sound, its features lost completely in the hood of the cloak, and from what he knew about Wraiths, even if the hood came off there would be no face there. They were featureless, malignant spirits who sought only to kill and kill some more. 

Killing was all Wraiths were about because they searched for their own mortality with each kill. He found himself at the mercy of such a creature and he found that hard to swallow. Of course, at this time, everything was hard to swallow with a high voltage of electricity rolling through him. He noticed the electricity sparking down the scythe once again, but this time it was moving even faster from shaft to tip of the wickedly curved blade. 

Lightning fired from the scythe once more, and unable to move from his kneeling spot, the attack struck him fully. Acheron fell over onto his side, twitching from the attack and his consciousness quickly fading. He could see the blackness around the edges of his vision, but he wasn't out just yet. He could still see the Zombies all around him and the Wraith floating around him, looking like some sort of absurd angel of death. He could hardly believe that he was going to die like this. He'd pictured himself going out in a blaze of glory in the middle of a war, but here he was now, felled by a damned Wraith. It was quite humiliating actually. 

Unable to stop it any longer, Acheron's eyes drifted closed, and before he could form a single coherent thought, his world went black. 

Acheron awoke slowly, moaning from the pain in his chest, arms, and legs. He was in pain everywhere and the fact that he felt any pain at all told him that he wasn't dead. If he was dead, then he was frying in one of the depths of hell and he didn't think that was possible. He wasn't feeling enough pain for that after all. He'd done many bad things in his life, and if he was to fry in eternal damnation, his soul would be in a lot more pain than it was at this very moment. 

It was obvious to him that he'd survived, but how he had no idea. He'd been struck down by the Wraith and the Zombies should've swarmed him shortly after that. It was apparent that they hadn't though because he was still alive and he could feel every limb of his body. So he knew that he hadn't been killed or dismembered at all, but he didn't feel that he'd been restrained in either way either. He kept his eyes closed as he flexed and moved his arms and legs, making sure that he wasn't restrained. 

In fact, the Chaos Demon could feel linen laying across his obviously nude body. He frowned, and even though he wasn't comfortable being naked in some strange place, he wasn't going to lose his mind. He still had to be covert about his actions just in case he was under some sort of imprisonment and they didn't want him to leave. He blinked open his eyes slowly, darting his eyes from side to side and taking in the scenes of the room that he was in because he wasn't outside, but inside. 

He frowned before sitting up. He looked around the room, taking in every nook and cranny of the room, storing the knowledge away in his brain somewhere in case he needed it for later. He didn't know why he would need it later, but one could never be too careful. 

The room was circular in shape, making it the first room other than an audience chamber that he'd ever been in that was that shape. The roof was more than fifteen feet above his head so whatever structure he was in, it was tall and probably thick. He had no idea just from this one room how many people could be housed in this structure, but he was sure it was going to be a lot more than what he was use to. 

When he swung his legs over the side of the bed he was laying in, he looked down at the floor and he frowned. The floors were made of smooth stone without any sign of carpeting or any sort of padding whatsoever. That was strange to him because even in the smallest rooms with people who could barely afford food, they had carpet, and for this place not to have any, it made him wonder if this was a place of squalor that he'd never experienced before. 

Shaking his head, the Command Assassin pushed out of the bed, coming to stand at his full height. He stretched his muscles, relieving pains that he'd never felt before in his entire life. He'd gone through many times when he'd grown stiff and in pain from immobility, but never anything like this. This felt like he hadn't moved in a long time, and for the first time since waking up, he found himself wondering just how long he'd been out cold. 

He would learn that soon enough. For now, he had to find out what where he was and whether he was a prisoner or not. 

Acheron looked around the room, searching for his clothing, but he couldn't see much in the dark room. There wasn't a single window in the circular shaped room so it prevented any light from outside to fall in. Knowing that he had no other choice, he held out his hand palm up and drew magic into his palm. Before to long, a small spark of golden light appeared in his hand. The light grew from a tiny spark and expanded to fill his whole palm, creating a globe of golden light. 

The golden light illuminated the room better, lighting the shadows that took up the corners of the room. There was a small, knee high stone table against the right wall and atop that table were his clothes, folded perfectly atop one another. Seeing this, he narrowed his eyes, but he didn't see his sword. Had they taken the Diamond Blade so he wouldn't be a threat? If they had taken his sword, he would get it back soon enough, but as for now, he had to find out who they were. 

First though, he needed to get dressed. 

The Chaos Demon walked slowly over to the table with the golden light settled nicely in his palm, not burning or draining him of energy. He hurt all over, especially in his head and he attributed most of that to being struck by the Wraith's lightning bolts twice. However, it was possible that some of his pain was from not using his muscles for however long he'd been out. For that to happen though, he would've had to be in that bed much longer than he thought. 

The Command Assassin turned his eyes back and forth, searching for a way out of the room. Strangely enough, he saw that there was a door like apparatus on the floor near the furthest wall and it had an iron ring on it to pull on. He frowned at the sight of the trap door which had no lock on it and would allow him to go through it any time he wanted to. However, he had more important things to do right now. Like get dressed. 

He sighed and turned his attention to the stone table. He dissipated the golden globe of light, and even though the darkness had encroached once before, he knew where the clothing was. He reached out in the darkness, and when he felt the fabric of his clothing, he picked them up. He was able to feel that it was his pants so he bent and pulled the pants up his legs, fastening them. 

Acheron grabbed his short sleeve black shirt and pulled it over his head. The fabric of the shirt clung to his wide chest, his broad shoulders, and his large biceps. With that done, he grabbed the leather breastplate from the table, and after taking the time to unbuckle it properly at the waist, he slid it over his torso before clasping it back correctly. Grabbing boots and belt off of the table, he walked back over to his bed, sitting down on it, setting the belt aside. 

He pulled on the boots and stood up with belt in hand. Securing the belt around his waist, he moved his head from side to side, the sound of bone popping filling the little room. That done, he decided that it was time for him to leave the room and find out what was going on. He needed to know where he was and who had brought him here as well as if they were friend or foe. 

The Chaos Demon blew out a breath and walked slowly across the room. He knelt down where he remembered the trap door being and he slid his hand out. His fingers brushed across the cool metal of the ring attached to the door and he pulled the door open. The trap door pulled up into the room without a sound and he stared down into the next level, but what he saw there was very different from what was in his room. 

There was a metallic stairway that started at the ground floor and lead all the way up to just below the trap door he'd just opened. Also, there was light within this room, and from what he could see, it wasn't a bedroom like this one. There was light in this room as well, casting its artificial glow as far as he could see, but he couldn't see all the room just yet. All he could tell about the room was that it was circular like his own and made from stone just like his own room. 

Deciding that he needed to see more, the Command Assassin turned and began to lower himself down the ladder. He had to turn his back while he was climbing so he could descend the stairs correctly and not bump his head on the roof. He ducked his head closer to his torso as he descended the stairs and he stared down at the stone floor below to tell how close he was to the floor of the next floor. Touching his boots down on the ground, he turned his head and began to look around the room. 

It was barren of any decoration or tapestries, but it held an austere aura of power that he couldn't shake off. He saw no hallways in the room and that worried him a little bit. If there was no hallway, how would he get out of this place? He walked to the middle of the room and he looked around, trying to discover whether or not there was a hallway, that he'd just missed it completely. He examined all the walls closely and even using his magic, but there was nothing. 

He walked around the room a little more, trying to figure a way out of the room. There had to be a way in and out of the room. He just wasn't seeing it for some reason. He stopped in the corner of the room and he leaned back in the corner, sighing heavily. He had no idea how to get out of here. There seemed to be no way out of this room and that worried him. 

Running a hand over his face, Acheron was just about to give up when he saw it. On the floor in front of him was another trap door with a silver ring through it. As he looked closer, he noticed that there was more than just the one trap door that lead down, but when he looked up at the roof, he saw that there were several other trap doors that lead upstairs to the next level. But why was there no stairway to ascend to those levels when there was a door from his room? 

Just as that thought entered his mind, the trap door that lead into his room shut closed tight, and as he watched, the stairway disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place. He stared at the space where the stairway had been, unable to comprehend how that could be possible. What sort of magic was this? This was something that he never would've constructed himself and never would've even thought of. Someone would have to know the exact layout of the building to get to one place or another and not get lost in the huge building. 

Shaking his head, the Chaos Demon knew that there was no point in giving up now. The only choice he had was to keep going. The best that he could do was guess about where he was going and hope that he was right. If he wasn't right about his guess', he would be lost in the building, probably to never be seen again. If any siege army attempted to take this place, it would be a very difficult thing for them to get in and out without getting lost in the onslaught. 

The Command Assassin turned his gaze downward to the trap door and he decided that it was what was best. He knelt down and gripped the ring, pulling the trap door upwards before looking down into the room below. This one was also lit like the one he was in now, but it seemed different somehow. There was actually carpet of green laying on the floor, covering the hard stone and putting up at least an air of luxury. He turned around and slid down the metal stairway, moving as quickly as he could. 

Feet touching the ground, Acheron turned away from the stairway and he took in the features of this room. Like the last two, it was circular, but unlike the last there was a painting on the wall. He couldn't make out exactly what it was about, but in the painting he could see clearly the night sky with the stars burning bright. There was a large, eagle like animal in the air and overlaying the eagle like animal was a thin veil of silver that should've looked out of place, but didn't. 

Also, there was a single hallway to one side with a high arch that looked like anything from a humanoid to a fully grown Dragon could pass through the arches without having to stoop their heads. There were stones embedded in the roof of all different sizes that cast golden light into the room, illuminating it completely. He knew there was nothing else for him to do so he turned towards the hallway and made his way across the room towards the hallway. He stopped at the entrance to the hallway and he turned back to where the trap door in the roof shut, the stairway disappearing. 

Ignoring the amazement that he still felt, the Chaos Demon turned back to face the hallway and he noticed the small golden torches every five feet down the hall. Settled where there would be a flame was a small globe of glass and the glass was illuminated with golden light. However, the light didn't really show much of anything. The floor was carpeted in the hallway the same color it had been in the last room, but there wasn't a single painting within the hallway. 

His boots made little noise as he walked down the hallway, and the closer he got to the end of the hallway, the more his heart beat. He could feel his heart fill up with anticipation and anxiety, but there wasn't an ounce of fear. He didn't know where he was, but he wasn't afraid of not knowing. He was confident that even if he was in the den of an enemy, he could handle it and find a way to escape. 




Ultimate Assassin Saga: Woodlands



The air was heavy in the room, seemingly pressing down on him, but he wasn't worried. There was nothing that could be in this building that he couldn't handle. He'd seen a lot of things in his time and there was little that surprised him. Hell, he'd survived the Abyss for more than a century of life and that was before he could properly defend himself so he was sure that he could handle anything on the Mortal Plane. Then again, he didn't know that he was still on the Mortal Plane. He'd gone through what seemed like a portal after all, and even though he'd been in the Whispering Jungle once more after going through the portal, he didn't know where he was now. 

The Command Assassin reached the hallway and he stopped as he looked across the room, but he was yet to see anyone. He was yet to see anyone in the building and that worried him to an extent. There was no one around and that could mean many things. This building could be abandoned and the outside could be any Plane. He knew how the Abyss felt and he could sense that he wasn't in the Abyss, but he could be much of anywhere now. He didn't know the other Planes, and hopefully, he was still on the Mortal Plane. 

The room was larger than any of the others that he'd been through so far, but he didn't know how long it was going to take him to get out of this room. He could be doing this for hours and maybe even days. However, he wasn't going to worry about that. He narrowed his eyes and he could see the thick stone door on the other side of the room. There was a large brass knob on the door that would lead him outside, and seeing as how he wanted to get out of here as fast as possible, he walked across the room to the door. 

He turned the knob and opened the door, stepping outside. He stood on the stone porch on the outside and he looked around, but he wasn't quite sure what he was looking at. There were several levels of hills, in a formation that looked like steps for the gods and covered in grass. Settled on those little hills were houses made of wood and they stretched all around in the huge circle the hills created down to the center where there was a large, sprawling castle made of what looked to be both wood and stone. 

At first, Acheron didn't see anyone. Then, as his gaze adjusted to the area around him, he noticed several people moving around, but they were obviously not Human. He could see that they were all rapier thin with long hair of different colors such as black, silver, and a velvet color. There wasn't any sort of set clothing that everyone wore, men and women wearing different clothing of different material. Some had weapons, some did not, but every last one of them looked like they could handle themselves. Well, except for the children who scurried around the feet of their parents and the other adults in the area, laughing, playing, and causing general mischief among the population. There was the one thing though that told him exactly what these creatures were: the delicately pointed ears told him that they were Elves, though of which caste he couldn't tell. 

Wood Elves tended to have the hair colors that varied from blonde to brunette and the occasional black, but that was rare. Also, Wood Elves could be thin or muscular, but the majority of them were thin. Wood Elves could be pretentious creatures, but what they lacked in social skills or toning down their arrogance, they made up for with their marksmanship. Their primary weapons were the bow and the arrow which made them mostly long range fighters, but they could fight hand to hand if they had to. 

Sun Elves tended to have golden hair or different shades of red, but there was even the occasional brown. Their eye colors varied from every color from golden to pink, but not one Elf possessed red eyes. Red eyes were the indication of evil and wickedness. Every last one of them were thin, though what could be seen as thin was one thing and Elf thin was completely different. Sun Elves also happened to be skilled Mages, and while they did train with bladed weapons, the majority of them preferred to fight solely with magic. 

Moon Elves had black, silver, and white hair period. There were no other variants of hair color with pure blood Moon Elves. Their eyes were either dark colors such as black, brown, blue, and even silver here and there, but they were rare. Their fighting style was hands on. They were the warriors who came out of nowhere with their swords and they preferred to fight hand to hand. If they lost their blade, they could fight with their fists and still have a hope to win the fight. 

Not one of these Elves looked like the other castes as they walked around their own village, doing what they did every day. The Chaos Demon didn't know exactly what to do at this time and he worried about what would happen if he was seen outside of the building he'd just walked out of. At that thought, he stepped off of the porch and turned around to look up at the building that he'd just walked out of, somehow easily finding his way out. 

It was a huge black stone building built in a circular pattern and rose for several stories into the sky, possibly over one hundred stories into the air. There wasn't a single window in the huge edifice that he could see and it looked as sturdy as any fortress. He had no idea what this place was, but it seemed that it had been built in the style of a prison, but there was no barring of the door so no one could get out so he had no idea what this building was suppose to be for. 

He shook his head and the Chaos Demon turned around, looking back over the area, but he stopped when he noticed something that he hadn't noticed before. There was a light sheen in the air that covered every inch of the air from the grass to the sky, creating a shimmering veil of power. He reached out with his aura and attempted to touch against the veil, but his aura was repelled, leaving him blind to what exactly the veil of energy was that lay over the land like solidified air all around him. 

The veil even stretched over each of the homes and each of the Elves around. However, they didn't seem to notice it at all. If they knew it was there, they didn't take any notice of it. Then again, if they had been the one's to put it in place in the first place, then they wouldn't notice any such thing. By now, they would've grown use to the old magic around them and it wouldn't bother them anymore. It would be an everyday part of their life, and when one was surrounded with such things every day, they tended to forget that it wasn't common in other parts of the world. 

He was drawn from his musings when one of the Elves broke away from the rest and began to make his way towards the Command Assassin. He couldn't flee now that he'd been seen so he stood his ground and he ran his eyes over the male Elf, taking in his features. He was tall, around six foot two, and lanky of build. He had long midnight black hair with a silver streak on the right side and jade green eyes glowing out of an alabaster, ethereally handsome face. He wore a silver chain mail shirt, tight black linen pants, ankle high black leather boots with a silver buckle in the middle of them, an ankle length black coat, and a heavy black leather belt with a double edged, double serrated broadsword strapped to his left hip. 

The Elf's stride was one of sure confidence. It was as if he knew no one around here would challenge him, and from the looks of the man, he wouldn't blame anyone if they left him alone. He had quite the dangerous aura about him and the way he held himself made the Elf appear as an important individual. The way he held his head was of noble stature and he had a feeling that this Elf was very important in his society in some way or another. 

The Elf stopped right in front of him, his jade green eyes burning as he stared at him. The Chaos Demon raised a brow and straightened his own spine, staring back at the Elf without hesitation. He held no fear of this Elf and he could see no anger in the man's eyes. It was obvious the creature wasn't here to kill him or try to keep him captive. In fact, he had a feeling that this man had something to do with why he was still alive. 

"I am called Acre." the Elf said, introducing himself without any further explanation and the Elf actually smiled. The Elf inclined his head slightly, showing his respect for him even though the Elf didn't know him from another being on the planet. While he was sure the Elf knew that he was a Demon, he wasn't exactly sure. After all, he didn't even know what kind of Elf he was. "I can see your confusion and all will be explained soon, but first, I would like to bring you to my King. Please, come with me." 

The Command Assassin said nothing as the Elf turned around and walked back towards the hill area with all the homes. However, he was taking a straight path down towards the palace as he'd expected. Even though he didn't know the nature of these Elves, he was fairly sure that they were of the goodly races and they would make good allies. He followed after the Elf, his boot steps crunching the grass beneath his feet as he walked towards the palace. 

Taking a deep breath, Acheron didn't allow anything to get to him and he trudged after the Elf - his name was Acre, if he remembered correctly - following without trying to look at anyone. He didn't want to piss anyone off and get them after him. He was here to make allies, not to make new enemies. That was the last thing he needed right now as enemies after all. 

He had enough of those as it was. 

The Chaos Demon took in the features of the palace, and even though it was made of wood, it still looked quite sturdy. It was large and sprawling, settled in the middle of the hilly area with the homes of the other Elves surrounding it on all sides, creating a defense for the one within the palace. The doors in the front of the home were tall and made of sturdy wood, but even with the armed guards out front, it still looked inviting to him. It looked like the type of place that would accept just about anyone inside. 

He could be wrong of course, but he didn't think so. If he was, the guards at the front doors of the palace would point their razor sharp spears on him and run him through before he could get through the doors. Then again, he was being accompanied by Acre and Acre held himself like an important individual. He didn't know why, but he believed that he was some sort of noble or general of some kind. 

"I come to see King Taro." Acre said to the guards once he stopped five feet away from the doors. Not taking any chances, the Command Assassin stopped behind Acre and waited to see what the guards were going to do. There was a brief moment when he thought they were going to be turned away and refused entrance. However, one of the guards nodded his head and both turned to the doors, gripping the handles to the big, double doors. 

They pulled the double doors and they swung open quickly, making little creaking noise. He stared into the hallway beyond and he noted that it was well lit by the same crystals that had been embedded in the roof and walls of the tower. The floors were made of no nonsense wood and the walls were covered in thick mahogany. The walls weren't decorated with any sort of tapestries or paintings of any kind on the walls, but that didn't take away from the presence of power that seemed to permeate around the palace. 

The Elf turned back to look at him, his jade green eyes empty of all emotion. It seemed that the Elf didn't care one way or another about him, but he'd just met the man so he didn't really care either. All he wanted at this point was to figure out what exactly they were and how he'd gotten here. He hadn't been here when he'd lost consciousness after all. He'd been struck down by a Wraith, and even though Wraiths weren't that powerful, they could kill just about anything by using their magic enough. 

Well, he would be getting his answers soon and that was enough to galvanize him into motion, walking with the Elf into the palace of the Elf King. He heard the door shut behind him and he felt like the start of a new chapter had just begun, and if he'd known what the future would bring, he would've realized just how prophetic his own thoughts were. 

Acheron waited patiently in a room in the palace. He was yet to have anything explained to him and it was starting to get on his nerves. His patience was swiftly drying up, and if something was done soon, he was going to explode. He'd come here because he'd thought that he was being brought to this King Taro that Acre had mentioned, but that wasn't what had happened at all. 

Instead, he'd been taken to a room and told to stay inside until someone returned to get him. He had been here for hours and there had even been someone at his door before to bring him dinner. It had been a sumptuous feast of roasted chicken, corn, green beans, and some sort of potato that he wasn't sure was, but it tasted good. Also, there had been the large cup of cool tea that was amazingly cold and had tasted different from the usual pine needle tea that he was use to. The tea had been a completely different color too, a clear light green color instead of the muddy brown. 

It had all been quite good and he'd eaten every last bit of it. However, other than that, he hadn't had any contact with anyone in the palace. It was starting to annoy him and he was starting to make him think that there was something wrong here. He found himself wondering if they were stalling him until they came for him at full force with their blades and magic ready to cut him down. 

The Chaos Demon shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. He felt the pounding behind his eyes, his headache starting once more, but he knew that it was going to leave him soon enough. He was a Demon and Demons were able to do away with any sickness that they might come down with, but it did cost them some energy that they might need for later. They didn't often fight off sickness' because they needed the energy to fight, and besides, sickness didn't really harm or slow them down at all. 

He turned his thoughts to what had lead him to this place and he shook his head. He'd had to go through quite a bit to get to this place, and even though it had been a hard thing for him to do, he'd allowed himself to be taken in with no resistance or argument. He'd been come to by one person claiming to be the representative of the King of these people, hadn't had a thing explained to him, and somehow he trusted everything the man had said. 

He'd never thought he could trust someone so quickly and so completely, but he had. The Command Assassin snorted and touched his belt where his Diamond Blade should've been. It was obvious from the confiscating of his sword that these Elves didn't trust him though. He didn't really mind not being trusted though because he was a Demon and it was likely that they already knew that. If they did know that, it surprised him that they would trust him enough to even be in the house where their King was suppose to be. Of course, that could be a lie to, but he hadn't sensed any deception in him. 

Acheron's head rose up when there came a knock at his door and he found himself surprised by that. Why would they knock on the door when this was their place? Wasn't he basically a prisoner with no expectation of privacy afforded to him? Maybe they didn't think of it that way and that made him think that maybe things were a little better than he thought it was in the first place. 

"Enter." Acheron called out calmly and he straightened his spine. He wasn't going to appear to be just anyone and he wasn't going to show any fear of these people. He was in their territory so they had the upper hand at this point and he wasn't going to give them any more ammunition than they already had. 

The door opened slowly, making no noise whatsoever except for the sound of air shifting. When the door was fully open, he saw a single female standing in the doorway, looking right at him. Her eyes seemed to glow in the low light, but there wasn't an ounce of hatred or rancor in her gaze. Nor was there either of those emotions in her aura. She seemed to genuniely not care what he was and that brought him some comfort. 

After all, if they were going to send someone to kill him, they would be heavy with hatred. Then again, maybe she was just bringing him to his execution. His thoughts whirling, the Chaos Demon rose from the bed and he stared down at the woman, taking in her features. She was gracefully tall with long black hair and glowing silver hair, but that was all that he could really say about her. Her clothing was simple, not made of any special silks or anything of the sort in a simple mute shade of green that didn't hint at any sort of riches, but it didn't denounce her as poor either. 

He didn't know - or really care - about this woman's status among her people. The only thing he cared about at this time was getting some answers and maybe making friends with these people. He could use all the allies he could get, and even with the one's that he had, he feared that he wouldn't have enough by the time he was finished traveling through the Wilds. After all, they had set number of people in the Wilds, and even if he brought them all under one banner, it might not necessarily mean anything. Especially not when Azrieal could open a portal to the Abyss, summon Demons of all Flights, and bend them to his will. 

"If you will come with me, I will take you to King Taro and all will be revealed to you." the woman said in a soft, soothing voice. There was no doubt from her curves that she was a woman, but if there had been any doubt before, her voice would've definitely put those doubts to rest. Her voice was decidedly and completely feminine with no masculine influence whatsoever. However, just because she was a woman and seemingly unassuming, didn't mean that she wasn't a threat to him and that she wouldn't sink a dagger into his back. 

After all, she was one of these people, and no matter how nice she was, he couldn't afford to trust anyone at this time. If he let his guard down for even a moment, a dagger could slip between his ribs and end his life. Unlike other people's, these Elves might actually know how to kill him and he couldn't afford to take that chance. He carefully blanked his features and said nothing, not wanting to give away any emotions in his voice, but he did not his head to show her that he understood. 

She stared at him for a moment, and after a few seconds more of staring at him, she turned away from him. The Elf woman walked straight out the door and down the hallway beyond, obviously expecting him to follow her. Not wanting to be left behind and maybe get lost, the Command Assassin followed quickly after her, but he decided to be careful about it so he kept just one step behind her just in case. No reason to appear to eager and overrun her after all. He didn't need any of these Elves having negative feelings or thoughts about him. 

The decoration of the hallways was exquisite with several different paintings showing different scenery. There were paintings of battle where the Elves were going against different species, some that he'd never even seen before and that was rare for him. There were one's of nature scenes, like a great forest that seemed to rise up into the clouds and cast a shadow over everything else with a setting sun in the distance, but when he looked closer, he noticed something odd about the sky. 

There wasn't one sun, but two. 

Acheron frowned and he stopped in his tracks, staring at the scenery. One of the suns was golden just like the one he'd seen the other day, but the other one was blood red. In fact, it was the same color as the blood red sky of Dalkia, but he didn't think that had anything to do with it. Just what the hell kind of setting was this that there would be two suns instead of just one? After all, the Mortal Plane only had one sun and it was gold. There was no red sun, so just where had they come up with the idea for a second sun of that color?