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Through glimpes of shrouded dreams I can still see the man, face buried, piercing gaze, staring at me from across the village as my world burned around me. As I dream deeper I can remember the dark smoke and agonizing wails of my family as they burned alive. The dawn was faint and I could barely tell the transition between dark and light because of the smoke filled sky. But he was there, somewhere, and smiling under his bandana, the man who took everything. I turned my head and I came to, startled by my friend Surji's shake of my shoulder. "Wake up, dammit! They have arrived and are all around us! This is the day you have been waiting for my friend!" I shook my head and came to. The world was no longer dark and I could no longer smell the stench or see the shadowy man. I grabbed my long spear and took position in our ranks. We were the order of Nine, a mercenary outfit formed by surivivors of the ten-year war. We were all young when we first got here, but through battle and bloodshed, we were bonded as brothers. Our order consisted of orphans, scattered because of war; bloodthirsty, and seeking revenge. Now after years of training, my moment had finally come. We found ourselves surrounded by the enemy, and as the sun rose in the east, I watched as a familiar man's face appeared in the back of the enemy's ranks. Hidden by a silhouette, his eyes pierced through the darkened veil, and dreams of vengeance filled my soul. The man who made me who I am, and the monster who massacred my village was finally here. The enemy pounced and we stood, backs against one another and braced them back with our spears. "Wait for it!" I commanded, and the men stood stoic, defending themselves but not pushing forward. "Now!" I shouted as our mages cast Hellfire and engulfed the enemy soldiers in a firey death. Now we had a fighting chance! Our warriors of Nine began slashing through the enemy and I saw him, engaged in combat and killing my brothers. I called out to him in the madness, " Njeni, black death and scourge of this earth, it is your time to die!" The shade of a man smiled in my direction and without hesitation, or much regard, turned to face me while slashing another Nine in half. He charged me, and I sprinted forward, leaping high above and coming down hard with a downward slash of my spear. The man dissappeared and I fell squatting with my back turned and realized he was coming down above me with his blade. I watched as my brother Surji tried to parry the blow meant for me, and as his arm was severed from his shoulder. I took this moment to jump backwards, regaining my composure. I closed my eyes and fell into the Wind Stance and leaned forward with my spear held back behind me and my right elbow foward. In this moment I channelled my ad focused before reaching a state of complete balance. No sound nor feeling could be sensed, the world was calm, and I was in a place of complete emptiness. And with the way of the wind I turned and met the reappearing Shadow, spear point meeting flesh and sinew as I arced down and severed the man from his neck to his torso. I attempted to help my brothers and tend to their wounds. Surji had bled out quickly, and many were gone. This battle was won and the enemy was dead, and my nemesis will forever remain a shade in death, forgotten with the wind. ~Geese | |