Ultimate Assassin Saga: Escape

With that, Acheron whirled around and ran swiftly down the tunnels towards the mastermind of this whole thing and towards saving the life of Twister. He would be victorious and he would end all of this. He had to.

Chapter 27

Tide eyed the black skinned creature and wondered what would happen now. He could still hear the boot steps of Acheron as he was running down the tunnels, but they were quickly fading and would soon disappear. However, he'd been left behind with this creature - a Shade he knew it to be from past battles with the Dark Races- and the creature didn't look willing to simply stand aside so he could move on. No, this creature wanted to battle him to the death for some odd reason and he had no idea why that might be.

He cut his eyes over to the Elf, Gareth and he saw that he was yet to move. He didn't think that the Elf was dead, but he didn't actually know. It wasn't like he'd gone over there and checked his pulse. He held no rancor for the Elf because of his deeds, and the longer that they had fought together, the more respect he'd attained for the Elf. It would seem that his preconceptions about the Elves were wrong and they were useful warriors as well as trustworthy allies. That wasn't something he'd expected, but now that he knew the truth, he would be sure to try to foster a relationship between the two peoples.

The Guard Captain turned his gaze to the Shade and he gripped the hilt of his greatsword just a little bit tighter. This creature was known for its agility and he would just have to be faster than the creature. No easy feat of course. Then again, when dealing with the Dark Races, nothing was ever so easy and he knew that from experience. This Shade was going to prove difficult, but overall, he was certain that he could defeat the creature and move on to help Acheron if need be. Not that he thought that Acheron would need any help. No, the Demon was quite capable himself with a blade of which he'd seen time and time again.

"You wonder why I wanted to fight you, yes?" the Shade asked in his guttural voice, breaking through his reverie. He looked into the creature's blood red eyes which glowed with malice and homicidal glee. The creature smiled widely, showing off its needle-like fangs. Then, he reached behind his own back and drew a long, serrated broadsword. "You see, I'm operating on the orders of my Master. My Master knows that I can't handle Acheron, but he wants to disrupt the Throne of the Amazons. Thus, that is why I am battling you and the Human Mage is battling Acheron."

The Amazon blinked a couple of times, surprised by this. Human Mage? It had been a Human all this time behind the Minions? But it wasn't suppose to be possible for a Human to summon the Minions! Acheron had said so himself and he'd said so with certainty. Had he been wrong all this time? Had he been fed false information to throw him off track? That could very well be possible considering where he'd probably learned of the Minions: in the Abyss. The Abyss was a land of fire and lies, hatred running rampant as easily as air did on the Mortal Plane. You never could trust anything that came from the Abyss and that was why most mortal races despised the Demons.

The Shade shot forward, his sword held down by his leg, but that soon changed. He slashed at Tide's throat and it would've been a kill strike. However, Tide managed to lift his blade and block the attack, knocking the Shade's serrated sword aside. The Shade was overbalanced by this and Tide struck out with his fist, intending to smash his cheekbone with a hard punch. Before the punch could land, the Shade ducked the attack and dropped to his knees, landing a hard punch to Tide's own stomach. He felt the breath rush out of him at the strike and he felt the need to bend at the middle, but he fought it because he knew that if he did the Shade would take his head off.

Instead, the Guard Captain held tight to the hilt of his greatsword and he stumbled back a couple of steps, taking him out of range of the Shade. Steeling his nerves, he hefted his sword once more and he darted at the Shade. He swung his sword over his head and he brought it down hard where the Shade was, intending to cleave him in two. At the last second, the Shade jumped to the side, avoiding the blade and his greatsword slammed into the rocky ground of the tunnel, sending up slivers of rocks. Turning his head to the side, his eyes widened when he saw that the Shade's feet were on the rocky wall of the tunnel, and just as he caught sight of the creature, he pushed himself off of the wall with his serrated sword held out in front of him.

The Amazon watched the blade coming towards him, and if he didn't move, the blade would push right through his chest. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to block or parry the strike because of the sheer force behind it, he side stepped the attack at the last second and allowed the Shade to go flying past him. Once it did, he swung out with his greatsword, intending to cut him from behind. The creature dropped into a roll and flipped across the tunnel floor, coming up on its feet, facing him with a wide smirk on its face.

"You have done very well so far. For a Human that is." the Shade said with appreciation. Then, it let loose a dark chuckle and it spun its serrated blade in a tight circle. Its eyes lit up with rage and battle lust. That look appeared much like his own he knew and that worried him. This creature cared as much for battle as he did and that was going to make him hard to defeat. He tightened his hands around the hilt of his greatsword, ready for the Shade to attack. "But your luck is about to give out."

With that, the Shade darted forward at a speed that Tide couldn't follow with his eyes. The creature was little more than a black and silver blur. However, he could follow the blur and he could hope for the best. Not being able to see the creature's attack, Tide lifted his blade and he let loose a mighty battle cry before lunging forward, aiming his blade at the black and silver blur. The Shade appeared from the blur just long enough for it to leap up over the blade's strike and land on the blade. Then, the Shade ran down the length of the greatsword and kicked him hard in the face before leaping off of it while he fell backwards onto the ground from the sheer strength of his kick.

He groaned as he hit the ground and he knew that he needed to get up, but he couldn't seem to find the strength in him to do so. He could feel something warm running over his top lip, and when he brought his hand to it, he looked into his palm to see his own crimson blood. Son of a bitch that hurt! Gritting his teeth and knowing that he couldn't give up now, he rolled over onto his front so he could get to his feet. Amazingly, the Shade was merely standing there and watching him as he pushed to his feet. The moment his feet were under him, the Shade lunged for him once more with its sword slashing at the air and there was only one thing that he could do: block.

The Shade's serrated blade slammed against his greatsword, knocking it aside and it slashed at his chest. He was able to dodge back enough that it wasn't a fatal blow, but the serrated blade sliced his leather breastplate to pieces. He gritted his teeth, and while watching the Shade, he used one hand to pull the armor completely from his body. Then, he gripped the hilt of his greatsword in both hands and he darted at the creature, swinging at his waist. Before the blade struck, the Shade flipped over the blade and it passed harmlessly under him. When the Shade landed, it slashed at him again and he hissed in pain as the serrated blade bit into his stomach.

Blood welled up from the light wound to his stomach and he stumbled back a couple of steps. He panted in pain and tried to relieve it by mind over matter, but it wasn't that simple. The pain was too overwhelming and he could barely function. His eyes were filled with tears, but he fought them back and was able to focus on the Shade with ease. His greatsword lowered slightly and that was when the Shade struck.

The beast shot forward, its serrated blade heading right for his neck. He watched the blade for a moment and he had no time to dodge the strike. The best he could do was let his legs give way and he fell to the ground, barely dodging the strike that had come for his neck. The Shade stumbled, its boots not allowing it to catch its balance and he struck. He lifted his greatsword and he plunged the blade towards its chest. The blade sunk into the Shade's chest and it sunk deep. The creature cried out in agonizing pain as it attempted to flee from the blade, but he was stuck and Tide was already getting up, shoving the blade deeper into its chest until it was up to the hilt.

Finally up to the hilt, the Guard Captain smiled into the eyes of the Shade as it stared at him in shock and horror. The black skinned creature was probably just now realizing that it was going to die now that its blood was leaking out of its chest. He heard the sound of its serrated sword hitting the cavern floor and he smiled widely, turning the massive blade inside of its chest causing a lot of blood to pour forth. The Shade grabbed at the blade, trying futilely to pull it out, but it meant nothing.

"Beaten by a Human. Aren't you just so ashamed?" Tide asked in dark humor and the creature stared at him. Its blood red eyes were slowly darkening and he could tell the creature was close to death. Well, he should hurry it along for him then. He pulled the sword free of his chest, but before it could fall, he spun in a quick circle, decapitating the Shade. Its head rolled on the ground as its headless body fell to the ground with blood pouring from its head for a moment before it stopped. He chuckled low under his breath and he stumbled back a couple of steps.

The Guard Captain felt the pain in his stomach, and when he looked down, he saw the blood freely flowing from the wound. He cursed his wound and he placed a hand over it as he pressed his back against the wall across from Gareth. Then, he sank to the ground and he expected to meet his death soon. His consciousness was going in and out, but he kept fighting not to lose consciousness. He feared that if he completely lost consciousness, he would die and he didn't want to die. No, it was more than that. He didn't want the Shade and whoever its master was to get what they wanted: the disruption of the Amazon Throne.

The Amazon Prince could hear noise coming from the tunnels from behind and he furrowed up his brow. What the hell was that? Oh, this was not good. If that was another enemy come to attack him, he wouldn't be able to fight the creature off in this condition and he really would die. However, he wouldn't go down without a fight, and with that thought in mind, he lifted his greatsword with one hand, preparing himself for a fight. When the figure came around the corner, he blinked a couple of times, and then, he lowered his sword as he stared at the being walking closer to him.

"Hello, big brother." said the voice of Tsunami as she stepped deeper into the tunnels and towards him slowly. Her eyes were devoid of all emotion, but he could tell by the way her dark eyes lit up that she saw the wound on his stomach. She stepped closer to him and she knelt at his side. She gave him a small smile and she ripped a long strip of her cloak from her body. "It looks like you got yourself pretty banged up. Let me patch you up here. Sit up for me please."

The Guard Captain said nothing, but he did follow her orders. He sat up and waited for whatever she was going to do. She grabbed his wrist and removed his hand from his wound which was still bleeding heavily. She inspected the wound for a bit and shook her head. Then, she ran the long strip of thick cloth behind him and she tied it several times over his wound. The blood was quickly staining the piece of cloth, but it was tied tightly to apply pressure to the wound and preventing any more blood flow. When she was done, she sat back on her haunches and she examined her brother's face, searching for any sign of death. He was certain that his skin was pale from the loss of blood, but other than that, he was fine.

"You will not die on me, big brother. If you die, I will draw your soul back every single day and I will tie it to me so you won't enjoy your afterlife. You will haunt me through force, I will make sure of that." Tsunami told him in monotone, and even though her words suggested a joke, he didn't doubt that what his sister said was true. She was the macabre one of the three siblings and she was the most dedicated to the Throne which meant that she would protect him no matter what. After all, he was the Heir to the Throne of Amazon and her big brother. She loved him and would do anything to make sure that he survived, even giving up her own life.

"Go." Tide replied suddenly and he laid his back against the rocky wall. He blinked to clear his vision and he stared at his baby sister's face. The soft lines and the strong nose was definitely their father's, but her compassion and kindness was all their mother. She stared at him with eyes devoid of all emotion and her expression didn't change as she looked at him. "You must go and help Acheron. He's going to put an end to all of this and I want you there just in case he needs help."

The Spy stared at him for a couple of seconds, and then, she nodded her head. She reached out and stroked his cheek for a moment. Then, she rose to her feet, and after a look back at him, she turned around to disappear into the tunnels. After his sister's frame faded from view, he sat there and stared at the Elf. Gareth hadn't moved in all of this, but he could see the man's chest moving up and down with breath. He was still very much alive and he was glad for that. He didn't know when he'd grown fond of the Elf, but maybe it was because of the skills that he'd shown to be present in him when fighting. He was a very accomplished and skilled warrior.

Pulling his mind from those thoughts, Tide sat up straighter and he waited. He waited for the end of the old ways and the beginning of the new. The only way for that to happen was for Acheron to defeat the leader of the Minions and the one that had been behind this whole thing. When that was done, maybe the Wood Elves and the Amazons could begin to mend their relationship with one another, moving forward together. At least, that's what he hoped for.

That's all he could really do after all: hope.

XXXXXXXXXX

Acheron walked deeper into the tunnels, his nose being filled with the smell of the waterfall and his ears able to hear the sound of the water crashing down into the pool. It created a powerful image of nature and he knew that there was nothing more powerful. For all the power that was locked within this cliff behind the waterfall, the most powerful being around was the actual waterfall and the surrounding nature. No matter how many times you killed nature, it always came back and it always flourished. There was nothing that no one could do to stop nature and he knew that as well as anyone.

The Chaos Demon stepped into the last open cavern and he could see the wall of water that was the waterfall off to the right, but that wasn't what his eyes were first drawn to. His emerald gaze went right to the middle of the open cavern and the two individuals there. Twister knelt on the floor with irons around her ankles, wrists, and neck. He could see even from the great distance that the iron restraints were marked with the same runes that had marked the previous walls and he had to wonder what those runes were. However, he was more concerned with the fact that Twister was naked save for the black leather skirt around her hips, covering her sex and buttocks.

The Command Assassin's gaze was drawn to the other individual, a man, and he frowned. This had to be the leader of the Minions, but at the same time, he couldn't be. He could sense the man's aura and he could sense that the man was all Human. There wasn't an ounce of Demon blood in this man, but that was impossible. There was no way he could control the Minions if he wasn't a Demon! Then, he pushed further with his aura and he could sense it: another aura within another aura. A Human in a symbiotic relationship with a Demon? That was unheard of, but very possible.

It was rumored that in the last moments of a Demon's life, it could push its aura on another being and take life inside that creature. The host wouldn't notice it at first, but slowly, the Demon would continue to grow stronger, and eventually take over the host body completely, wearing it like a skin. However, the thing that made the symbiotic Demon strong was also what made it weak: the Human host. After all, Human bodies weren't able to handle as much pressure as Demon vessels so they could be pushed as far and couldn't use as much power. Basically, he was powerful, but he was held back by his Human vessel.

Then, he turned his eyes to the man's features and he took them in. He was tall, over six foot tall, and lanky, though he wasn't without muscle. He had short golden blonde hair that rose in spikes atop his head, it was his eyes that really gave him away. One was a dark green and the other was a glowing bright red. He wore all black and there wasn't any sign of any blades on him, but he'd expected that from the symbiotic Demon. After all, he had levels of magic far beyond any mortals and he would continue to use his magic to make himself even more powerful.

"Well well, the general pain in my ass has arrived." the man said in a smooth, entirely Human voice. However, he wasn't fooled and he knew that it was the Demon that had control. The Chaos Demon stepped forward with blood-soaked broadsword in hand and he readied himself to do battle with this creature. The Demon reached out with one hand and stroke the silver hair of the half-naked woman kneeling at his side. "Look at who is with us, my friend. She will sit here and she will watch you die."

"Who is your host? I want to know who would betray the Human race this way by taking in a Demon as a parasite within his body." Acheron replied and he stepped closer. He wrapped both hands around the hilt of his broadsword and he settled his emerald green eyes on the other man. He raised a blonde brow and chuckled low under his breath, the sound dark and menacing with the waterfall crashing in the background.

"My host betrayed no one. He was on the brink of death as was I and I reached out to him with the offer of a mutually beneficial partnership. He accepted and here we are today." the Demon answered immediately and he stepped away from the High Shaman. He smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest and he stared at the Demon. "As far as the host's name, its one that Twister here knows well. My hosts name is Zarich, the former High Shaman of the Amazon people."

The Command Assassin stopped and looked at the woman for the truth. She stared right back at him, her golden eyes telling him that the creature was telling the truth. Gritting his teeth, he gripped his sword even tighter and he darted forward, a battle cry on his lips as he slashed at the man's neck. Before the blade could strike, he found himself being flung backwards by some unseen force and he slammed hard into the wall across the room. The man chuckled and stepped forward towards him, his hand glowing with blue flames. Then, he held out his hand and blue flames poured from his hands towards him.

"Mirror wall!" Acheron exclaimed and held out his hand, releasing the defensive spell. An invisible wall appeared in front of him and he knew that once the flames hit the wall, it would bounce back at the man. The flames struck the wall and did indeed bounce back at the Demon. However, he didn't move and watched the flames coming towards him. The Demon held up his hand and grasped the flames once more, chuckling low under his breath. Acheron cursed and dropped the wall of magic before darting forward, gathering his own magic in his hand, intending to counter his spell with one of his own.