Sky's eyes peered down to the frost dancing across the cracked floors, she could relate, but then again--she couldn't. The Liafador family was so massive she hadn't met many of them. Most of them didn't know she and her mother exist.
"Well you know, you're still alive Alduin, you can forge your own legacy. I mean, your job sounds strenuous; but there's nothing from stopping you from being a father, and a husband now" She knew he mentioned having dawned those titles in the past, the goal was to uplift not to smite the family he'd eventually outgrown.
As she sat thinking about his unusual plight, the thought of living as long as he did cross her mind. She was a descendant of Zeal, could she really out live everyone she cared about?
"Often times, speaking about our problems to complete strangers help. I mean I certainly don't have a reason to judge you. Even though I think I already have....Mr. Muscles. I think had you touched me back then, I wouldn't have frozen you completely, but I don't think it would've been pleasant in the least."
Her eyes turned toward the Earth's protector, her lips curled almost mischievously. Warmth spread throughout her body as if she were getting addicted. "Why don't you touch me and find out?"
Despite her age, Sky spoke with the wisdom and clarity of an old soul. Partially wrapping himself in his fur-covered cloak, the air blowing colder with each passing minute, Alduin wore a gentle smile, his eyes glancing at his reflection on the icy floor once more, "Strenuous, that it is. It is also a role of great solitude, one that keeps me away because I am always somewhere else. Sometimes in the strangest of places. And I am often unsure whether to laugh or make peace with the reality that sometimes I do not fully know where I am", he laughed, his smile fading somewhat, his strong features growing more pensive as he thought of the Black Hallows. Soon however, his eyes returned to Sky.
"Maybe one day I will be those things again", the Ice Dragon smiled warmly, "Though for now I will focus on what I am today. Lord-Protector", he paused before lowering his voice and murmuring to himself as he gazed into empty space, "The unsung hero of this world". Still, there was a strong sense of self-assurance in the Last Viking, a mesmeric confidence that lent itself to his prowess in the battlefield - and his great deeds as a hero. "Then I suppose I will be speaking with you often, Sky", Alduin said, a cool laugh escaping him, his breath misting in the cold air, "Though not always about our problems", he smiled with roguish charm, alluding to something neither was quite sure about. Propping his forearms atop his lower thighs, the Ice Dragon felt his head subtly tilted to the side as Sky, again calling him 'Mr. Muscles', drew him in with an all too impish - and even carnal - smile.
As Sky hung closer now, her disarming smile daring him to reach for her. Matching the risque spirit of her smile with his own, Alduin didn't hesitate, wrapping his strong arm round her waist and boldly pulling her close, till she was on her knees with her body facing his and hovering over his lap. The warmth of their bodies mingled with one another, and as his eyes met hers, her body an inch from his, Alduin felt the rush of it all swarm through his body. He glanced at her lips and threw caution to the wind as he leaned in to kiss her. One arm wrapped round her waist holding her body close, and his other hand held the back of her neck as his lips grazed hers. He was passionate, kissing her deeply, till he felt her chest heave against his and till their kiss was broken only by their need to breathe. For that fleeting moment, the Ice Dragon had forgotten that he was on a quest to reforge his hammer.
In this moment, it was Alduin that somehow managed to freeze the beautiful frost demon. Nibbling on her bottom lip as she retreated, back to her previous position with crimson blush forming on her face. As she tried to speak, the usually mouthy Sky stumbled over her words before submitting to laughter.
"Had you asked me everything I intended to happen on this mountain, Kissing the protector of the Earth? Doesn't even rank" She said chuckling whilst propping her feet up in front of her. Silence again part them, in that moment Sky could be seen turning back and forth glancing at her new...'friend' chuckling with her finger tips lodged into her mouth.
"Yeah, we don't always have to talk about problems. We could talk about how each other's day has gone, and everything in between. I wonder though, will our separate paths hinder our friendship?" She asked sitting within his arm span now.
"What was it like, being a husband and a father?" Sky's own left shortly after her birth, she grew up only with her schizophrenic mother and her string of really bad boyfriends. "What were you children and wife like?"
In that moment, the fires of passion had burned hot enough that the cavern's cold air was almost warmed. Breaking away from their scalding kiss, Alduin couldn't help but wear a daring smile, "Will your bodyguard hate me more for that?", he asked, the clever quip escaping him as he glanced at her lips once more. Returning his eyes to hers, the Ice Dragon laughed and shrugged, bold and unapologetic, "Climbing this mountain, I was convinced that this would rank among the most difficult days of my life. It still might, but this", he paused, referring to their kiss and the steaming tension that hung between them, "Is not so bad", he flirted, his eyes trailing her fingers as she suck on them for a moment.
Though as Sky sat within his reach and asked him a question that left him pensive, Alduin's gaze broke from her. "Our paths shouldn't", he said, grabbing a chunk of ice seated by his left thigh before hurling it across the hallway, the sheer power and speed of his throw igniting the air around it and burning the ice in a short but bright blaze of glowing frost. "But they likely will hinder our friendship", he almost scowled, the flaming frost casting it's amber glow on his eyes before dying. Smiling, his expression more playful now as they waited for the hallway's gate to eventually open, the Ice Dragon turned to gaze upon Sky, "Why? Have you grown fond of me?", he teased, his eyes holding hers in a gaze that echoed his daring attraction to her.
"My wife and children...", he murmured, smiling fondly, "They meant everything to me. My wife, to put it simply, was like me", Alduin chuckled, "Cocky, headstrong, heartless in battle. But above all, she was the greatest hunter I had ever laid my eyes on. She was Una Snow-Spear to me, but she was Una the Dragon-Killer to the Vikings of old. Armed with a bow, arrows and a spear fashioned from the bones of slain dragons and wyverns, all of which were enchanted by our gods... she climbed Scandinavia's mountains and slayed dragon after dragon, wyvern after wyvern - until she grew old. Too old to be as perfect and as precise as she used to be", he said, sorrow subtly creeping into his face.
"She began to commit mistakes. And she committed her greatest one against a wyvern and found her chest punctured by it's venomous tooth. She died on a frozen mountain peak, in pain and alone", he sighed, his words and face marred by a guilt he had carried for far too long. "Maybe if I had been there, perhaps I would have been able to prevent it. I was always going to outlive her, but she did not have to die the way she did, suffering. And my children..", his smile returned to him, "They were good girls. They wanted to be hunters like their mothers, dragon-killers. But as they grew older, they changed", Alduin recalled, "And I never wanted them to be warriors".
"I had seen friend and family perish in battle and in the hunt. The last thing I wanted was for my children to face such danger. It was fortunate that their interest became diplomacy when they grew older. And like everyone else, they grew too old. They died. Many years ago. And from then till now, I have known no one, been with no one. You, Sky", he paused, his smile fond, not of his treasured memories no, but of Sky, "Are the first one". His hand inched closer to hers but never touched it. Instead, he chuckled, "But I feel as though I have told you my life's story. So now I want to hear yours. Not the Zeal's. Yours".
The story of his wife and children was as much fascinating; as it was heartbreaking. His wife seemed to be one of the best hunters of her time, nothing Sky could ever amount to. The most hunting she ever did was fishing...if that even counts.
"But it sounds as if your entire family were strong, and had some sense of purpose even after you left" In the palm of her hands she crafted an ice ballerina.
"For a man that's been alive as long as you, I hardly think a highlight of your family's life constitutes as a 'Life Story' she said playfully rolling her eyes. "My story isn't at all happy" Her eyes got distant, as if just bringing up certain memories hurt.
"I was born in Colombia, I never met my father because he left shortly after I was born. Same thing my grandfather did to my mom. We lived in this small village, but my mom would sell these amazing Ice Sculptures for money. We had enough, and for the earliest part of my life, I was happy. As I got older my mother started dating, and that's where the problems began, some of the men would hit her, some of them would say crazy things to me. That's when my powers begin to come in. There was one guy that literally drove my mother to schizophrenia, they saw we all have some mental disorder, because of my mother's parents. But hers gets progressively worse. I remember having to stop going to school because I needed to be at home to take care of her."
Though premature, tears could be seen forming in the pit corners of Sky's eyes. "It was...just hard. She wanted hugs but didn't understand why I couldn't. Once I got enough time and money, I could pay for her medicine, which keeps her level-headed. I begin to use the fact that I am of Liafador blood and it's been my calling card ever since."
"But...I hate...my father...and if I ever saw him...I would kill him..." Her eyes were bloodshot, she blamed them all on him; everything she and her mother went through was his fault. "Omg, is this wall not opening yet" embarrassed at all of it her emotions causing her to panic.
Smiling at her, Alduin's heart was swarmed by a rush of pride in his people, his Norse heritage, and his family. "They were strong", the Ice Dragon confirmed, fondness and unshakable confidence in them echoing in his voice, "Everyone was strong. We were born and raised in very harsh lands. Farming was not easy and there were bandits and highwaymen ready to swing their swords at the defenseless. Your village could be prospering today, then pillaged the next. We had to be strong", Alduin paused, glancing at the ice ballerina born from Sky's hand. "If we weren't, we would have died long ago. The weak did not survive long in the world of Vikings. And even less with the dragons and all kinds of beasts roaming our forests and stalking our icy peaks".
There was passion in his words as he spoke of his past, of his ancient homeland and it's harsh embrace. "No I suppose it does not count as my life's story", Alduin chuckled, "My life's story, or at least the beginning, was... difficult". Though as Sky's playful demeanor vanished, giving way to a grimness of the face and a gaze that was distant and darkened by a painful past, the Ice Dragon felt his features soften. Sky's story, her life - it was heartbreaking. Alduin felt a lump thicken in his throat as she waded through the painful memories of her past. He understood it all. The fires of vengeance burned deep within her. Though at the sight of her tears, Alduin reached for her face, "Sky", he began, his voice low and gentle, his hands caressing her cheeks while his thumbs wiped away any tears that dared escape her eyes, "You are very strong. You would have done well in the old days of my homeland", he smiled with a subtle warmth and intimacy.
Alduin had spent many years in solitude, no family, friends or lover to speak with, to connect with. There was only Jörð. Here, now, with Sky seated before him, he struggled. He did not know what to say. It had been too long. What could be said to ease the pain of others? He did not know. So instead of talk, he did. He was gentle, pulling her into his embrace. Whereas he'd kissed her before, he now embraced her, wrapping an arm round her to hold her close, chest to chest, as if for her body to melt into his. Breaking away, he cupped the sides of her face once more and leaned in to kiss - not her lips - but her forehead. He was sweet and gentle, pulling away before taking hold of her hand, "I am sorry about your mother, Sky. But she is fortunate to have a daughter like you. And I understand your hatred for your father".
"When I still had my daughters, I would never think of leaving them. They were my babies", his smile growing soft and fond, "I was their father. And it was my duty as their father, as their parent, to take care of them. I helped bring them into this world, how could I abandon them? My own blood?", he paused, shaking his head at her father's abandonment of her, "If I sleep well, then my children must sleep well also. If I eat well, they must as well. It was my duty, my responsibility and my obligation as a father to do everything for my children. But not every father is the same as I", he lamented with a sigh, his hand yet to leave hers. They'd been speaking for hours. And soon, the hallway's gates would open, and they would face their first guardian. "Do you think your bodyguard is fine?".
Patience, it was one of the keys to progressing forward. Alduin the Demi-God; and Sky the Sorceress paid the price of patience speaking of their past, browsing their futures through narrative. In the confines of this icy prison, they develop a fire; one forged on personal loss and probably more sexual frustration--at least on Sky's end.
His embrace was comforting, losing herself in it was easy, but pulling away she realized, she was no damsel--at least not yet anyway. "My father was...a coward, just like my grandfather was a coward. Everything I am today, I learned from my mother. With no offense to you, Mr.Muscles, she wouldn't want me laying in here crying my brains out"
Sky rose to her feet, fixing her hair and straightening her clothes. "I hope the next time we get to talk like this it'll be over dinner with a nice glass of wine," Her eyes then dart toward the entrance; on the other side rest Aria--at least they hoped.
"Aria is a good looking girl, although she isn't really my..." She started. "Oh you meant is she ok" She corrected with a boisterous laugh.
"Aria is from the False Bay, apparently there are a group of women there trained by my aunt. They are survivors of all types of heinous crimes. Aria's was domestic violence." The walls around them begin to creak eerily heralding the opening of the passages. "She said they trained her taught her how to fight, and practice good mental health, she was then given a choice to stay and protect the bay, or leave and aid others in her former situation. She decided to leave. We met in Solace City... but that's another story altogether."
Without warning, the walls of the passages opened, and through the threshold came Aria.
Shall we continue
"If you two are done, I say we continue through to the Guardian," She said walking pass Alduin with an arrogant scoff. "Shall we continue?" She said strolling pass Sky with her massive battle Axe slung over her shoulder.
"I think she might just be a little insulted that you're here," Sky said shrugging her shoulders pushing through to the next chamber.
"There's significantly less human remains here. That's a good sign right?"
The air was growing colder by the second, and as he glanced at the gate at the hallway's end, Alduin caught sight of frost and ice clinging to it's metal bars. Returning his eyes to Sky's, the Ice Dragon's smile grew roguish, "Then just lay in here with me", he flirted, a soft laugh escaping him before, as the time passed, he grew more earnest. "Sky", Alduin began, more serious and assertive, "Your father and grandfather have taken much from you and your mother. They have scarred you both and tossed you into the wind", he paused, standing to his full height, his fur-covered cloak fluttering in the freezing air, "But there is one thing neither one can take from you. Your pride", he said, his voice, his very being echoing his confidence in her. In who he now believed she could become.
"Through their actions, your grandfather and father would see you fall. But instead, you've risen. You were a planted seed, waiting to grow. And you have. You have a date with destiny, and it is for you to walk this world without the fear that possessed your father and grandfather. Because you are better than them", Alduin nodded with a hand on her shoulder. Withdrawing his hand, the Ice Dragon met Sky's mention of one day bonding over dinner and a glass of wine with a tame smile, "I would like that. One day soon". The moment however, was eclipsed by a gust of cold air that blew cruel and strong, fluttering Alduin's cloak and ruffling his golden hair. Turning round, he caught sight of Sky's bodyguard; Aria. Red hair and a warrior's proud stride, she entered the hallway with a battleaxe similar to his own, Ashrune. Meeting Aria's scoff and derision with a taunting smirk and glance, Alduin spoke with the impenetrable confidence of a Viking, "She should get used to me. I have a lot of pride in why I'm here", he paused, peeking past the opening gate.
"It might be a good sign. Or a sign that the first guardian leaves nothing of it's enemies behind". Marching forward just as Sky did, the Ice Dragon crossed the opened gate and immediately, he felt it. A cold unlike any other. The temperature had dropped significantly, their surroundings icier than before. The cold dug through his thick flesh and stabbed at his bones. The chamber was inhospitable to human life. And Alduin had little choice but to call upon the wells of electrical energy in his cells. The air began to crackle around him, and arcs of electricity surged through his body as his eyes glowed blue and his body warmed. Taking a step forward, Alduin scowled, his eyes falling on the sight of the first guardian; Tur'geq the Ice Lich. Hovering close to the icy ceiling, Tur'geq seemed a hermit draped in tattered black robes too large for his small and hunched frame. His flesh was a pale blue and partially decayed with bones poking out. His wrinkled face was blank, his empty and featureless eyes never blinking when his white and stringy hair brushed against them.
But at the sight of Aria, Sky and Alduin, Tur'geq cried out in fury, the sound of shattering ice echoing from his voice as the ground shook and from it's depths a horde emerged. Breaking through from under the floor, Tur'geq's undead thralls, the warped corpses of slain warriors and explorers climbed out. Armed with enchanted weapons and an unnatural strength, Tur'geq's command burned deep in what remained of their minds. With a battle cry, Alduin summoned his weapons of choice, holding his round-shield Warsong with his left hand, and his Ulfberht sword Lightbane with his right. And as the army of the dead attacked, the battle had begun.
"Stand back" The Mazoi Championess screamed, downing her massive battle axe in the thick ice opting for the Artemis Bow resting on her back. This bow belongs to Ziccarra, it was gifted to her when she became the Captain of the Mazoi. Pulling back on the quiver the divine bow came to life; there were no physical arrows but as the quiver bend to her fingers, cackling crimson energy surged from the bow. "Sky get down!" She screamed sending the three power arrows towards the massing army of the dead.
Sky's timely duck allowed the power arrows to plow directly into the hoarding skeletons but did nothing to stop their reconstruction and advance. "Sky, I'll need you to slow down this Army....can you do that" Her voice was a Champion, stern, commanding like a true master of the Mazoi.
"I can do that!"
On Aria's command, Sky turned into a physical manifestation of ice; her actual combat skills were limited only to what Aria was able to teach her. "Alduin, I'll cut the army off. You and Aria take down the guardian!"
From her frozen frame, Ice Shards shot from her body like bullets, impaling many of the dead on impact. With them now reeling from being impaled by ice, Sky cast a wall of Ice between them and the hoarding dead leaving them only the guardian, and a small group of soldiers to deal with.
Aria slammed into the floor with her battle axe in hand aiding Sky in her efforts against the undead soldiers. "Alright, Mr. Muscles. The big guy is yours. Let's see what yah got" She called out.
Sword and shield in one hand, and his heart firmly immersed in the battle at hand, Alduin became a man possessed. For a moment, for a fleeting second, the Ice Dragon glanced over his shoulder, scowling at the sight of the undead, at their cannibalistic and feral snarls as they burned to consume Sky and Aria's flesh. "Be careful, Sky", he cautioned before returning his gaze to Tur'geq the Ice Lich. Consumed by a warrior's pride, Alduin roared an ancient Viking battle cry the lich's way as the chamber trembled from his powerful voice. Answering with a cry of it's own, the sound of shattering ice overwhelming the ear, Tur'geq spat a stream of cryogenic frost to freeze every body in Alduin's body solid.
Raising Warsong for round-shield and frost-stream to meet, Alduin felt the attack and his shield collide, his feet dragging across the icy floor as Tur'geq sought to bully him from his base. Teeth gritting, his every muscle fiber twitching with a demigod's strength as he challenged Tur'geq's might with his own, the Ice Dragon felt it, the frost-stream growing larger and wilder as ice clung to the edges of his shield. "Not bad", Alduin grinned, the rush of battle swarming through him. Holding his shield firm, the Lord-Protector twirled his sword, and with a mighty throw, hurled Lightbane the Ice Lich's way. Tearing through the cold air, it's superheated blade scorching a path towards Tur'geq, the wave of sweltering heat that trailed it persuaded the lich to cease it's attack and glide out the way. And as it's frost-stream withered and died, it was Alduin who attacked.
Darting forward, his body again surging with a torrent of electrical energy, the Ice Dragon leaped for a wall, pushing against it with his feet and propelling himself off it - and towards Tur'geq. And just as his sword had, Alduin carved a sweltering path in his wake, arcs of electricity heating the air red behind him. Electrical energy coursing through him and his shield as he held it firm before him, the Ice Dragon rammed into Tur'geq shield first. THOOM! The chamber shook with the low rumble of thunder as the hot air around Alduin expanded hot and fast. Plucking his sword from the air, Alduin landed, and Tur'geq plummeted, cracking the ground from his violet crash. And in that moment, the lich's undead thralls fell before Sky's ice wall, withering into towering mounds of frost. The battle it seemed, was won. But Alduin wore no smile and sang nothing of their triumph. His scowl remained.
And as he glanced back at Sky, a woman he'd grown fond of, and Aria, the Amazon warrior who detested him, the Lord-Protector warned, "This battle is not over!". And as though fate itself agreed, the mounds of frost, the remains of the undead thralls began to move, speeding across the floor of ice and clinging to Tur'geq's unconscious body... joining him.. transforming him into a monstrosity rarely seen. Standing at over 15 feet in height, his grey flesh misshapen and solidified into armored segments of ice crystals, Tur'geq had assumed his truest form. Ice crystals fused to his bones and grew into his flesh. A bluish liquid glowed and leaked from the ice crystals sprouting from his enormous frame, and as he forged a colossal war hammer from arcane ice, he roared, shaking the chamber and cursing Alduin, Sky, and Aria.
And with one mighty swing of his arm, Tur'geq blasted the Lord-Protector across the chamber and into a wall, cracking it and threatening to collapse the entire chamber. Wincing and his spine aching, Alduin was slow to rise to his feet. Tur'geq had grown far stronger than before. Setting his sights on Aria and Sky, the Ice Guardian swung his war hammer their way, the hammer's thick head threatening to butcher them beyond recognition. "MOVE!", Alduin shouted, darting forward and into the heart of the battle once more.
@alduin: (You ain't about to murder me like you do everyone else. lol)
Alduin's battle prowess didn't go unnoticed, even with the stench of the undead obscuring their vision both Sky and Aria manages to catch small snippets of the Lord Protector at work.
With Sky's wall halting the forward advancement of the undead, for now, Aria readied the legendary Artemis bow with the intent of lashing out at the guardian.
Agile like a feline, but with the speed that could easily rival Olympic athletes Aria cartwheeled into position with her bow fixed on Tur'geq, but before she was able to make her mark in this bout the mighty Alduin succeeded in striking down the Frost Demon on his own.
"Move!"
His voice boomed, and almost instinctually Aria executed a high front tuck over the hammer, before again firing her Artemis bow several times tagging the Guardian in several places along his ice fortified torso.
One by one, Aria's explosive arrows begin to explode off the torso painting the frosty air in-between them an ornate hue. "I'll keep its attention. Take it down from the legs"
Aria was an extension of "The Goddess" Keltic born warrior sparred with the Mazoi Princess on many occasions, she'd been responsible for training and developing entire sections of the Mazoi Army. In truth, her position as Sky's 'Bodyguard' was a step below, but in the real world, she needed the money.
Exhibiting astute balance in surmounting the icy terrain, Aria's bow scorched the very essence of the freezing chamber inciting a thick veil of heat each time she fired the arrowless bow.
Aria and Alduin were proven warriors in their own right, they understood where to attack; how to attack and in what frequency. To people like them, victory was obtained first mentally and then physically.
To people like Sky, all actions were impulsive. Nothing was orchestrated beforehand. She was the true novice of the outfit, but with the likes of Alduin and Aria leading the way...she has happy to oblige with commands.
"I got its legs!" She called out before channeling the archaic magics of the zeal. The "M" lining the palms of her hand slowly stirred before erupting in a blinding majestic blue hue. Thrusting forward, the energy launch from her hands, so powerful the energy recoil sent her sliding back into her own Ice wall.
Under Sky's potent arcane assault, The Guardian's knee buckled reducing him to one knee. As his torso took explosive shots from the arrowless bow, his lower extremities were under siege by the Swimsuit model's Zeal Awakening. "He's all yours Alduin" she said, having fit into Aria's strategy perfectly. Under siege at the top and bottom The 1st Guardian seemingly had zero defense against what was yet to come.
Tearing the air asunder with a gust of burning frost trailing their tails, Aria's arrows scorched their way into Tur'geq's chest, erupting into a firestorm that swallowed the Ice Lich whole. The sweltering heat consumed him, searing it's way through Tur'geq's armor of ice and cooking his flesh. Crying out in pain, his loud and sharp voice offending the ears, the lich's grip had weakened, and with a thud - his hammer dropped, shaking the chamber as powdered ice fell from the ceiling. And from where he stood, Alduin watched, his features earnest and his eyes glancing from Aria to Sky to gaze upon the Lost Liafador's attack; a powerful blast of arcane energies. One that glowed so bright, it cast a blinding light across the room.
Eating away at the Ice Lich's legs, Sky's blast had brought the 1st Guardian to a knee. And in that moment, the Snow Prince played the role of executioner, darting forward and leaping into the air above Tur'geq's head, his sword-hand holding Lightbane firm as his muscle fibers twitched with a demigod's might - and he swung downwards, cleaving Lightbane into Tur'geq's skull. "RAAGH!", Alduin roared, the aether in his blade burning a path till he'd cleaved Tur'geq's cauterized skull in two. Landing with a thud, Alduin cast his sword and shield away, vanishing them in thin air as Tur'geq collapsed. Dead. Circling the 1st Guardian's corpse, a quiet intensity on his face as he examined the body, Alduin scowled for a second or two before allowing his features to soften, "He's dead". Individually, he, Sky and Aria were no match for the Ice Lich. But together? They made for a hardy trio.
Raahna the Dreadmore
And off the heels of their victory, Tur'geq's body withered into frost and flakes of snow. Meeting Aria's gaze with a smirk, Alduin folded his arms before his chest, "It seems that we do not have to like each other to make a good team", he taunted harmlessly. Soon however, the gate at the end of the chamber lowered to open a path to the next guardian. Glancing at the opened gate, the Snow Prince strode around the chamber, his pale blue eyes searching for something, for any clue as to what they'd be tasked with facing now. Squinting, he inched closer to the gate, his eyes making out the vague sight of words etched on the wall next to it. Though as he drew close, the words glowed in Old Norse, his native tongue. And it read:
"Beyond this gate lies a place of darkness where nightmares and terror are given form" "Where horrors rain it's sky and creep in it's corners" "It is where the sounds of cruelty and fear are wrapped in Her hideous laughter" "It is the home of the second guardian. A nightmare monster whose true form is unseen" "She shifts, from a ragged collection of bones draped in tattered robes, to a four-armed abomination wearing the flesh of her victims like a twisted suit.. to whatever form she so desires" "She is Raahna the Dreadmore"
Lowering his gaze, Alduin sighed before turning round to face Aria and Sky. First his eyes settled on Aria, a woman he knew nothing of but would trust with his life in the field of battle. Then, his gaze moved to Sky, and his face softened. They'd spent four hours with each other before battling Tur'geq. They'd shared a kiss, learned of each other's fears and insecurities. And it seemed that the next guardian was ready to latch onto their psyches and prey on their fears. "The next guardian.. even where we are to set foot in next", he paused, glancing over his shoulder and past the lowered gate to see - nothing. Only an emptiness that seemed to stretch with no end in sight. "It will all be a battle of the mind".
Holding Aria and Sky's gazes in earnest, the Ice Dragon continued, "Our fears and nightmares and everything in between. There, I feel, we will be tricked and deceived, left paranoid and our emotions and worst fears toyed with", he warned. "I pray to Jörð that the two of you.. and I are ready".
"Hmph" Aria's displeasure with Alduin's comment quickly crawled across her face. Her dislike for him wasn't anything personal, rather her past experience with men. Before moonlighting as the Captain of the Mazoi, she was a rather young house wife. She offered years of endless devotion to her husband, but routinely find herself on the ground when he turned his bottle up. Like Sky, she wasn't much of an organized fighter, it was only when Sabella Liafador brought her refuge that she became a Champion fighter.
"The Queen's Guard" as they were called, were the Mazoi's elite forces sworn to protect the royal family. Aria was their leader. Much like Sabella had come to her, she came to Sky; with the intent on training the lost Liafador before moving on to the next soul--Alduin seemingly impeded that training.
"It will do us wonders to ensure our flesh is fed, and our thirst is quenched. Proceeding without proper nutrition will take us out the fight before it even begins."
From her pocket, Aria pulled two capsules. "I got this from my Princess. She says they will materialize into food. Some sort of Ninja invention" Taping the capsule, a full steak, potatoes, and greens materialized with a paper plate under Aria's feet.
Tossing the other hearty meal to Alduin, and the lighter one to Sky the Mazoi champion sat down to eat.
Sky's focus on the capsule before her meal materialized just in front of her. "Thanks, I wasn't going to say anything but I'm starving. Alduin. Sit, Eat. Let's go over some strategies. What will be the best way to stay mentally sound?"
Looking over his shoulder, Alduin stole a final glance past the lowered gate and scowled at the murky blackness that awaited them. Finally turning away he felt his fur cloak drape over his arms once more, his eyes now on Aria and Sky as the two sat and ate their meals. Catching the tossed capsule in midair, the Lord-Protector smiled as Sky urged him to sit and feast with them, "Are you so sure she won't growl or spit on me?", he teased, casting a playful but mettlesome gaze Aria's way. Seating himself next to Sky and watching the capsule transform into a warm meal, Alduin allowed his mind to mull over Sky's words as he chomped on a loaf of bread. Thoughtful and intense, he chewed, swallowed, then spoke.
"There is no right way to do this. Not unless one of us is a powerful psychic", he warned, his eyes glancing from Sky to Aria and back. "The next guardian, Raahna the Dreadmore, will look to use our fears and doubts against us. Possibly to keep us from being working well enough together. That much we know", Alduin paused, clearing his throat. "But these things in our minds. They're still our fears. We can know of them but their effect is still strong. Whatever our fears, we will have to do our best to remind ourselves that whatever we are exposed to in there", gesturing towards what lied past the lowered gate, "Is not real". Lifting his winged helm from his head, Alduin's long and golden hair blew wildly from a small gust of air. Placing his helm by his left thigh, the Lord-Protector continued, his eyes sure to drift between Aria and Sky.
"But there are two things I feel we can do", Alduin paused, "We tell each other our greatest fears so that once we are there and forced to confront them, we might be able to help each other face them". Reaching for a simple shard of hard ice on the ground, Alduin held it for Aria and Sky to see. "And we use this to harness the power of belief. We know what we will be facing in there. How we will feel and how we will react. Sky, you have great courage", he asserted with a nod that instilled confidence. "And Aria", he added, his eyes now resting on the Amazon warrior, "You and I are warriors. We face death every time we draw our weapons in battle. But in there. We will all be afraid", the Ice Dragon admitted. "So we use this. We tell ourselves, convince ourselves that with these ice shards, we will be better equipped to face our fears".
"And we must convince ourselves until we believe it to be true. It will help us confront what awaits us". Finishing his meal, he breathed in then out, his chest rising then falling as he braced himself, "Seeing as it was my idea. I will begin. My greatest fear", he paused, and it was one that Sky now knew well, "Is being forgotten", he confessed, his features growing grim and his gaze lowering. "It is having my memory lost to time. It is not knowing what they will write upon my grave. It is not knowing what I am leaving behind after I die. Will I be leaving behind anything that will make people remember or miss me?".
Sky's eyes shift back and forth between Aria and Alduin, in just the short time after the fight with the Guardian they both seemed unphased physically. Even in the midst of Aludin's comment and Aria's corresponding glare, she could see the two of them eventually getting along; especially once Alduin's idea of revealing their fears came full circle.
She'd already known what plagued him, leaving his life to protect the world, out-living his family; and so many others. No one would ever live long enough to recollect his journey, no one would be able to tell his story. His efforts would continue to be front page news to every new generation, but then, as he lived his life; those stories would wither...until the next. It was sad; she understood why he felt that way.
Before Sky could open her mouth to spill her fears, Aria's commanding voice filled the chamber; she too finished the rest of her massive capsule meal.
"My greatest fear is to fail those that need me the most. I have no children. I have no family. So those women, those warriors on the Island; women I trained. They've been the closest thing to family. Some of them will stay on the Island forever, truthfully fearful of returning to this world. But those that leave? I want them to succeed. I want them to remember everything I've taught them so that one day; they can take someone under their wings--like I've done you with you Sky."
Aria stood to full form easily 6 feet, long crimson hair with the physique of an olympian goddess, she wore an earnest look upon her pasty face; a look that was repelled by Sky's curious brow.
"Because I know that should anyone of them fails, then that means I have failed them." She continued before rotating her shoulder, the wages of battle seemingly becoming an irritant.
"Well..." Sky started, before lightly chuckling; not because anything was funny, but because this was hardly the atmosphere to have after a victory.
"I think I fear the truth. I mean, I've been looking for the secrets of the Zeal for a little while now, but I'm not actually sure if I'm ready to handle what it cost to be one. I mean...they did kidnap and enslave people. If It came down to me having to do that to bring them back, then...I guess I won't.
As they sat on a floor of ice, more vulnerable with each other than they'd ever been, Alduin felt a sense of camaraderie with Sky and even Aria. "Fear of failure", the Ice Dragon thought to himself, nodding as he met Aria's eyes with his own. He held her gaze but said nothing, instead he expressed everything with a glance of confidence in her, as if to tell her she had nothing to fear before returning his eyes to Sky. Still Alduin said nothing. Instead he sat silently, taking in everything that'd been shared among them before finally ending the silence. "I do not know much of you, Sky", the Ice Dragon began, his deep voice rumbling low like thunder, "And even less of you, Aria", he added.
"But of the two things I know with certainty is that you both have courage", he asserted, his words firm and backed by his confidence. Rising to his feet, Alduin rolled his neck and wore his winged helm once more. "Sky, you are no warrior, you are untrained and raw. Yet you still joined me in battle to defeat an enemy I could not slay on my own. You fear learning the truth yet you march on in search of it. Knowing your fears and daring to face them is what makes us brave", Alduin smiled, turning to face Aria. "And you fear the failure of your pupils, of women you have trained to face the outside world and not only survive but thrive. You turn for them a strange and dangerous land into a place of proving. Even in fearing their failure, you still allow them to face the unknown. That is courage. To do something you're afraid of".
"And now", Alduin paused, turning to face the dark abyss that awaited them past the lowered gate, "We must face our fears in their most tangible forms and have the courage to vanquish them". Leaning down to reach for a shard of hard ice, the Lord-Protector reminded, "Do not forget the power of belief. These shards, if we believe them to, will protect us from our fears". Tying the shard to his left forearm guard with a strand of his hair, Alduin rolled his neck and strode forward, a warrior's ironclad confidence in his stride, and determination on his face as he entered the domain of the 2nd Guardian, Raahna the Dreadmore. Unarmed, Alduin breathed in then out, calming himself as he stepped into a blackness that didn't seem to end.
There would be no physical battle. Only a war with their own psyche.
In the midst of Alduin's comments, Aria said nothing; rather nodding in a show of agreement--the first since their initial meeting. Alduin and Aria's physical strength were showcased through their honed physiques, whereas Sky harbored none of those features.
Through his rhetoric, the descendant of Zeal deduced that Alduin's mental stability was fortified through years of conditioning. Aria's training with her Aunt, suggest she too was versed in the conditioning of her mind but where exactly did that leave Sky?
Unknown to her de facto bodyguards, this simple swimsuit model also possessed mental strength, years of training culminated in the formation of a certain mental resilience. She trained herself to see through initial interactions, understand how to exploit worst cast scenarios, and promoted extensive positive thinking. How effective this would be matched up against the Guardian of the mind remained to be seen, but for the first time since they'd entered these caverns, Sky was confident.
The room was grey, full of billowing smoke and what she could only call "Shadow Images", things she thought exist but wasn't quite sure. Aria and Alduin were gone. This was her own journey, her own test to get through.
Soon the room morphed into a black ceiling and black floors, for as far as her eyes could see were huge masonic pillars in every direction. Sky was the only living entity in this conundrum.
An eerie presence settled amongst her, it was the kind of feeling she got when being watched, only there was no one around to watch her was there?
At one point, she moved past a pillar and discovered what appeared to be a reflection. "Darkness so dark it reflects" she whispered, lightly tapping the 'mirror".
"None of it ever makes sense does it" A voice boomed forcing the Mystic to violently turned. A woman stood before her cloaked with her hands extended to the right and left.
"Greetings Sky Carmichael, last daughter of Zeal." The woman said eerily. "My name is Fae, I am a descendant of the Zeal too. Listen carefully because I do not have much time. I have infiltrated your trials to warn you. The plight of The Lord Protector is not yours, off the coast of California is an Island. A facility where people are being taken. You must go to this island Sky...and destroy it."
"What? why? Sky asked adhering to Aria's training by keeping her guard up.
"Your friend. The redhead ask her about your aunt's files on a man called the Architect. She will explain what it is you need to know. It's imperative that you destroy this island Sky. Please Sky, you're their only hope."
Sky's shard begins to glow before she is deposited back in the chamber. Her trial complete only because of Fae's interruption.
Solace City. Early adapter of RFID technology. Home to one of the worlds most secure prisons for super-criminals.
On the surface it looked so bright. So clean.
But there was something evil under the surface. Solace City was host to legalized modern day slavery and Tetradenthatite, a drug that gave it's users temporary super powers-- then killed them.
Above stretched the black veil of the sky, punctured by the glittering light of stars and the warm silvery glow of the moon. Hawkshade stood atop a steel shipping container in a distant corner of the Solace City port. He had tracked the container from California to here and broken into the shipping yards data server using an default Admin password to delete all records of the containers existence.
He called it the ghost box.
It was stocked with MREs, bottled water, a motorcycle and inflatable raft, spare parts for his bike, two clean costumes, a second homemade utility belt, duck tape, bandages and assorted medical supplies, a generator and wired to provide light and power for the small workbench tucked into the corner.
Gothic was a long way from Madripoor and Solace City. He needed a base of operations on this side of the world and the Ghost Box would provide it.
But there was something evil under the surface. Solace City was host to legalized modern day slavery and Tetradenthatite, a drug that gave it's users temporary super powers-- then killed them.
Interested! Did you just make that up or is that a build on something someone else already made?
@hawkshade: Y'know, I was gonna do that before posting. Then I was gonna include a lampshade on the fact I was too lazy to check (although in my defence, my laptop takes forever to load webpages); something like "now watch me look like a fool when someone points out its in the OP." Then I forgot to include the lampshade.
@rosso: Heh, it happens. The OP is pretty good though. I'm glad I read it. Some interesting stuff but without going completely overboard with fantastical elements.
"Is the product loaded yet, or do I need to toss another one of you into the harbor?"
At the bark of her voice, three of the slovenly hirelings who had been pausing for a smoke break started and quickly scuttled back to work. Noriko was in a foul mood; she had been for quite some time. Babysitting shipments was probably about one of her least favorite things to do, not least because it offered her few opportunities to take her frustrations out on anyone. That meant she had to take full advantage of the opportunities she did have.
She stepped up to the last of the shipping containers as it was loaded, packed with people plucked from the streets, from shelters, taverns, and even back alleys. In other words, people that nobody would ever miss. They would be locked up in the containers and shipped to one of her employer's facilities. More than a few of them would die en route, but that was on purpose; it would weed out the weakest.
A commotion behind her drew her attention, and she turned to see two of the burly toughs dragging a smallish, disheveled man out from behind a stack of pallets. Ignoring the man's feeble protests, one of the toughs dug through his pockets until he found the man's wallet, which he glanced at before tossing to Noriko. Investigative journalist. Typical.
The man's protests were cut off in a strangled gasp as Noriko stepped up to him and almost casually lifted him by the throat. "Too bad you can't write an article about how dying feels, huh?" she said with a sneer. "Bet that would get you a Pulitzer." With that, she squeezed.
"Toss the body in the last container," she ordered, as the man's twitching body hit the ground. "It's a long trip; someone might get hungry enough."
He never would have known except for one small detail; he was putting the final welds on a Iaculum in the Ghost Box. The device completed he applied spray paint and let it dry while he drank a protein drink and energy bar.
When it was dry he put it with the others in his homemade leather utility belt and slipped out the exit into the shadows of the harbor and started to make his way out of the area when he saw several men carrying a body.
No one carried a body through the night in a shipping yard because they were upstanding citizens.
He climbed a nearby stack of cargo containers for a vantage point and flipped on the light amplification in his Strigidae cowl.
A group. By her body language the woman is in charge. Human traffickers.
He took a Iaculum from his belt and sent it airborne with a backhanded swing of his powerful right arm. It sailed through the air into the midst of the group and the black casing burst midair as Hawkshade remotely detonated the white phosphorus core laced with black dye that sent choking black smoke exploding in all directions, creating a dark cloud that hung low over the group while he leaped from the stack of cargo containers, landing with both feet on one of the confused thugs, driving his skull into the ground with a loud thunk and swapping to his cowl's thermographic mode to see through the smoke.
Fist and feet flew as the confused toughs attempted to fight back against a man they couldn't see. Couldn't hear. Couldn't defend themselves against as he went through them like a buzz saw.
The wind cleared the smoke. He stood surrounded by unconscious bodies, facing the woman with his fists clenched at his side.
Noriko had time for one surprised "what the-" before she was overtaken by a coughing fit brought on by the smoke. By the time both the smoke and her hacking cleared, her hapless hirelings were lying in insensate piles around her, and the only other one standing was a mysterious masked figure. She took a moment to size him up as she straightened. She was pretty big; he was notably bigger.
"Surrender? Seriously?" She took a moment to wipe her eyes, which were still slightly irritated by the smoke. Her mood, on the other hand, was already improving considerably. Looked like this assignment might not be as boring as she thought. "You expect me to believe that you're the chivalrous type; wouldn't hit a lady while she's choking on smoke? Or do you want what's about to happen as much as I do?"
With a twisted grin, she smoothly shifted her body, her left leg sliding forward as she lowered her hips. Her eyes shifted to Richard's hips, watching for any telltale hint of movement, and her right had cocked back with a closed fist as her left lifted to shoulder height and beckoned him forward. "This time, let me see what you've got, big guy."
The tall woman took up a martial artists stance and Hawkshade slipped his right foot forward and took up a martial artists stance as well.
He smirked. "Don't blink."
Then he transferred his weight forward into a cross toward the woman's jaw, intending to knock her out in strike that flashed through the air between them like a bolt of lightning, aiming to deliver the thunder directly to the point of her jaw in a knockout blow-- having no idea that should the strike land it was likely to hurt his hand more than it was her chin.
Her increased tissue density gave her incredible durability, but as one of her trainers had once said, physics was still physics. Richard may not have been superhumanly strong, but he did push the limits of unmodified human ability. Combined with his greater weight and the precision with which his blow was thrown, the force of the impact spun her completely around and sent her tumbling across the docks, not stopping for a good dozen feet.
She lay flat on her back for a moment, before sitting up and giving Richard an appreciative look. "Now that," she began, rubbing slightly at her jaw, "was a solid hit. You've been trained, a lot, by someone who really knew what they were doing, haven't you?" She got to her feet, dusting herself off. "But the people who made me the way I am knew what they were doing, too." She spread her arms wide, to her sides. "Go on. Try something else."
It felt like punching a brick wall. Powers. He thought as he looked down at his hand; swelling was already visible through his glove. Middle metacarpal break.
Hawkshade's hand flew, drawing a Iaculum from his belt and letting it fly, sending it soaring into the air at a ninety degree angle away from the pair as he exploded into a forward sprint, throwing his entire body into a flying side kick toward her jaw a second time-- knowing full well it was unlikely to harm her--
--but intending the dramatic movement to yank her attention onto him for one critical moment, while the electroshock Iaculum made a lazy circle through the air, just like a boomerang, and swept in from behind her back (just out of her line of sight) to ideally drive two electric prongs into her upper shoulder and stick fast with the on-board adhesive even if the prongs couldn't penetrate her skin.. then deliver 40 milliamps of electricity straight into her skeletal muscle system and incapacitate her.
Noriko was a skilled fighter, but her greatest weakness was that, since gaining her powers, she had become overconfident. Convinced that very little could hurt her, she tended to ignore her own defense, trusting in her durability and focusing entirely on attack (and crushing her enemy's confidence and morale; she loved that). It had been her undoing in her fight with Nastya, and she was too arrogant to have let that defeat affect her tactics, much.
She took Richard's kick full-on turning her head just enough so that the force didn't once again knock her prone, while reaching out in an attempt to get a grip on the big man's throat. If she got a grip, she would squeeze, with all her enhanced strength. She wanted to look into his eyes as unconsciousness took him. In fact, she was so focused on this that she barely even noticed his weapon as it connected unerringly with her back.
"Nnnngggaaahhhh!" Her body jerked spasmodically as the Iaculum pumped it full of electricity, her limbs jerking out in random directions as she lost control of them before she collapsed on the ground in a twitching heap.
He had seen those videos of his mother. She would have twisted around in mid air like a cat and avoided the superpowered woman's grasp. But Hawkshade could not-- her fist wrapped around his throat and squeezed. The ribbing in his cowl was strong but it was designed to absorb the energy of sudden, intense impacts such as bullets blades; not resist slow, squeezing pressure. Especially not the force a superhuman could generate.
The ribbing in the cowl snapped. He let out a strangled grunt as his throat was slowly crushed, red and blue spots flashing in front of his eyes until the Iaculum struck home and Assassinatrix collapsed.
Hawkshade stumbled backwards, one hand holding his throat as he gasped for air. But there was no time to waist and he fumbled with his utility belt as he fell to one knee beside the woman and attempted to put every pair of handcuffs he had on the super strong woman before the charge in the Iaculum was drained, then yanking a roll of ducktape out and wrapping the entire thing about her wrists and arms.
I hope it's enough.
Spots still swam in front of his vision as he walked on unsteady legs to one of the unconscious thugs, pulling his cellphone of of his pocket and dialing the Solace City emergency number. Then another, then another until he had dialed the police on eight different cell phones.
That should get their attention.
Then the vigilante walked to the supply crates that the woman had been loading and took a set of lockpicks from his utility belt, unlocking each crate in a few deft movements of his wrist and fingers and throwing the doors wide, freeing the prisoners. "Go." He rasped through his half-crushed esophagus. "You're free."
And then he slipped into the maze of crates and was gone.
The first thing Noriko's brain registered as her senses realigned was the sound of duct tape. Oh, you've gotta be...
She struggled, flexing and jerking her inhumanly powerful thews against the restraints. One or even a couple of sets of cuffs she'd be able to snap, but the sheer number of them, and the positioning of her immobilized limbs ensured that she couldn't get enough leverage to bring her strength to bear. She glared at Richard, as he went about methodically disassembling what should have been a routine operation. "I don't know who you are, you masked moron, but I will! I'm going to break every bone in your body, toss you into one of these containers, and push it into the harbor!"
She kept up a tirade of increasingly creative threats until well after Richard had disappeared from view.
@phantomshell: "Play dead" is a favored tactic of hers. ;)
@hawkshade: It was fun! Maybe we'll get to see if lightning can strike twice. >;)
Noriko simply sat in her cell, elbows on knees, chin resting on clasped hands, and stared at the far wall. She'd given them nothing, of course. She'd refused to even speak, much less answer questions, carried no ID, and her fingerprints and other identifying features would be found in no law enforcement databases. After several hours of unsuccessful interrogation, the local chief had finally just had her locked up while they waited for someone from...whatever federal department handled these sorts of things to come and get her.
She wasn't worried. She knew her own people would get here first, but she couldn't say she was looking forward to it. These wouldn't be lawyers, or bail bondsmen. They would be her employer's "problem-solvers," and like most of her coworkers, they were a bit on the...twisted side.
She glanced up, as her nose caught a faint smell. Gas. Looks like it was time. Noriko stood, crossed over to the side of her cell that she estimated was closest to an exterior wall, and braced herself.
When the cell exploded, it sent her flying through the wall, and she wound up partially embedded in the wall of the building across the street. After fumbling out none-too-gracefully, she tried to get her bearings as she waited for the ringing in her ears to subside. Where were...ah, there. She stumbled towards the unmarked black van that sat just outside of the blast radius, banged four times on the back door, and then climbed in when it opened. The vehicle sped down the street, and was out of sight just as the stunned occupants of the damaged police station began stumbling out into the street and sirens began blaring.
Richard set upon the glass-floored balcony on the fifty seventh floor of his hotel wearing a black bathrobe, far above the cloud of fog that choked the bustling city below and newspaper in his lap. It was in Mandarin, which he spoke fluently. Page six was a jailbreak in Solace City. The only known escapee was an unidentified woman who was freed by means of an explosion that should have been lethal. Powers of course. The paper's anti-mutant slant was apparent.
Blue eyes turned toward the horizon and he folded the paper up and set it on the coffee table beside him.
The powerfully built vigilante stood on the edge of one of Solace Cities gleaming towers. He wondered if it was built with money from human trafficking.
Of late he had heard rumors in the superhero community. Rumors that some elements within the US Government were considering a crackdown on vigilante activity.
That could be a problem. The Shadow Knights were based in the USA. Traditionally the US government tolerated a certain level of vigilantism if for no other reason that juries often wouldn't convict vigilantes. If that changed..
It was too important to leave to chance. Hawkshade needed information. So he had reached out to a member of the Department of Super-Human Affairs. The DSA.
He had sent the archer an anonymous packet with a time and date, stamped with his hawk insignia asking him to meet here, in Madripoor. Neutral ground.
This better not be a scam. Drake's mind was restless, ideas being conceived, overthought and then thrown away at a faster rate than the tapping of his right foot. Arms crossed, heart palpitating, eyes fixed on the crimson-lit display at the elevator, the passing of floors seemingly slower the closer he got to his destination. Anxiety gradually rising, the infinite meanings of a package carrying a single insignia he didn't quite recognize, as well as a time and date at, arguably, one of the shadiest places he had ever been to, ran through his mind.
For better or worse, he would find out soon enough.
Insignia at hands, flipping it as he would do to a coin, he climbed the stairs remaining to get to the rooftop quite hastily. Heart almost leaving through his mouth.
Oh...
A somber figure, hooded, waiting... Honestly, the Herculean build and overall dangerous atmosphere encompassing the man warned Drake he wouldn't be much work if his purpose was to dispatch the archer, the cowl and fact he was still breathing far away from home eased his mind, however, since it would seem his demise would be certain had someone wished for it.
A final flip of the symbol, grasping it midair.
"So... Why exactly are we doing this miles away from home?" Solace City, not the fondest of memories at this place, chasing syndicates could sometimes prove very troublesome, especially here. Eyes darting around, trying to make sense of his surroundings if he ever needed an escape route. Not much to do from up high.
The vigilante turned and blue eyes inspected Drake from under the cowl. About five eleven. Hundred and eighty or ninety pounds. Archer. He filed Drake's face away in his memory palace along with the sound of his voice and the nuances of his body language.
Looks capable. Resourceful.
"I'm Hawkshade." He growled, deep voice rumbling across the rooftop between them. "I'm sorry, I don't know your code name."
"Why here? Because it's far from the DSA's jurisdiction." The son of the Shogun crossed his thickly muscled arms over his broad chest. "I don't know if I can trust you yet."
"And I know the Government doesn't trust me." He growled. "And they shouldn't. They've been corrupt for too long. Derelict in their duty for too long. Innocents die while they wrap themselves in red tape."
"But their suspicion now threatens my work. There is a man. He wears the red white and blue. Almost certainly affiliated with the US Government in some way. And he's been making waves about my activities being illegal. Which they are. But I'm saving lives."
The six foot four man drew a crumpled, low resolution picture of the man from his utility belt and offered it to the archer. "I need to know if the DSA is on his side or if they intend to sit this one out."
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