Ultimate Assassin Saga: Tundra

They had a surprise in store for them.

Just before the Yeti got within distance, the Command Assassin heard the sound of a crow whistle. Then, he heard several sounds that he wasn't able to identify, but he would be able to in a moment. He looked up into the air and he saw hundreds of arrows filling the sky, flying swiftly to their chosen targets. However, the Command Assassin and the Elk Barbarian weren't the targets.

The Yeti's were.

Acheron watched in amazement as the arrows landed amongst the Yeti's, piercing them all over their bodies and stopping them in their tracks. Crimson blood flowed freely as the creature cried out in pain and they fell in heaps in the snow, twitching for a little while before growing still. The Yeti's were all dead and that much was obvious from the stillness of them, but the real question was who had been the one's that had killed them. They had seen no one, and to be honest, he hadn't even been searching the surrounding area for more enemies. He'd merely been focusing on the Yeti's and he'd allowed himself to drop his guard.

He turned his head and met Darville's equally befuddled look. However, before they could speak a word to one another, there was a sound from the other side of the cliff. It was a trumpet blowing, and shortly after that, he could hear foot steps approaching. It would seem that their benefactors - no, their saviors - were coming to see them.

The Chaos Demon gritted his teeth and turned towards the foot steps, holding his sword down by his side. He didn't want to look like a threat to the one's that had saved them, but if they were there to harm them, they would fight back. He noticed that Darville had done the same thing as he, turning towards the foot steps and holding his weapon down by his leg.

Just as they had both turned to look at the cliff, the first beings appeared from behind the cliff. They were Human, that much was apparent from their looks. However, it was their clothing that gave them away as Barbarians, but not of the Elk. They wore furs and leather armor while they were carrying several different weapons that ranged from swords to spears to hammers.

The Command Assassin noted that among them was a flag that was held high overhead in the middle of the troop. It was a white flag with a large black bear emblazoned on it and the bear was caught in the pose of roaring out at some unseen enemy. It was truly an amazing sight.

Acheron turned his gaze to the man leading the troop of over one hundred men and he took in his features, cataloging them for the future. He was tall, well over six foot tall, and broad shouldered. He had long ink black hair that fell to the middle of his back unrestrained and dark dark brown eyes set in a tanned, roguish face. He wore a long sleeve white tunic with a black leather breastplate over the top of it, white pants, black leather boots, and a black leather belt with a gladius blade sheathed at his right hip.

The man leading the troop was obviously the leader because of the air of power that he held around him like a cloak. However, he looked as capable as any warrior and he looked ready to kill if need be. The look on his face was not one of murder though. It was one of welcoming and trust. Trust for the one's that they'd saved, though why he couldn't figure out why. Why would they trust people that they were yet to even speak with yet? It made no sense at all.

The Barbarians stopped twenty feet from them and they seemed to all stare at the two men. He knew that they made an odd pair, one with black hair and the other with blonde, one being a giant in size while the other was average sized. However, the leader looked unfazed by all of this as he stepped forward towards middle ground and he knew that they had to meet with the man.

Turning his gaze to Darville, the Chaos Demon nodded his head and the other man nodded back. Then, the two men stepped forward towards the center as well. Standing at only a foot across from one another wasn't that bad, but having several armed men right behind the other man was a little bit worrisome. He could order his men to charge them at any time so they would have to be careful of what they said.

"I am called Dalan, King of the Bear Barbarian tribe." the dark haired man suddenly said, his voice filled with strength and conviction. There was no doubt in either one of their minds that the man was who he said he was, and if they didn't believe his words, he had a whole troop of soldiers to back up the claim. Dalan's dark eyes seemed to bore into his emerald green one's when he spoke again. "You are the Demon Acheron and you the Exiled Prince of the Elk Barbarian tribe."

The surety in his voice bespoke of real concrete knowledge and he had to wonder where they had gotten it from. The last time he checked, there hadn't been any Barbarian tribes spying on him or Darville so they shouldn't know who the hell they were. And yet, they did. He found that to be even more worrisome and he readied himself for a fight. Knowledge was power after all, and at this time, the leader of the Bear tribe had all the power.

"How do you know who we are?" Darville asked suddenly, breaking him from his reverie and his preparations. He had been trying to figure out how he was going to take down this man and not get killed by the Barbarians behind him. When Darville spoke, he was drawn from his plans immediately and he waited eagerly for the answer.

The Bear Barbarian chuckled lightly under his breath and he smiled when he looked at them. It wasn't a cruel or evil smile, but one of true amusement. Their questions had obviously set something off in the man and he was wholly, truly amused by it. They had some sort of foreknowledge of the two of them, that much he was certain, but he didn't know anything else of the Bear tribe or their methods. They could be cruel murderous bastards and he wouldn't know it, but Darville would've more than likely given him a sign of that.

"We have a Seer." Dalan said with an off handed shrug as if it didn't matter and he grinned again. It was a friendly, infectious smile, and if he wasn't careful, he would find himself smiling back. As for now, he resisted the impulse and continued to stare at the man. "She told us of your coming. She also told us that with you lies the future of the Barbarians of the Tundra whatever the hell that means."

The Chaos Demon frowned, not sure that he should believe the man. Then again, he'd known Seer's in the past and few of them were ever charlatans. Also, this Barbarian wouldn't trust a woman that lied to them and told them things that could harm the tribe. So, it all depended on if the other Barbarians of the Bear tribe believed the Seer. The fact that they were meeting here right now would probably go a long way for them to believe her since they were here just like she'd said.

"Come, we will escort you to the village and we can talk." Dalan said once again, obviously unconcerned by their wariness. It was something that was quite obvious and neither one of them could hide it even if they tried, not that they would. This was a situation that anyone would be wary of.

The Command Assassin turned to look at the Elk Barbarian at his side, and when he met his eyes, he nodded his head. The other man nodded back to him and he turned back to the Barbarian force. The Command Assassin sheathed his blade and he heard his comrade do the same.

"Lead on." Acheron said with a slight bow to the man and he saw him smile. The man ran a hand through his ink black hair and nodded his head. Then, he turned around and called to his men, urging them to move out. The men set to walking with their King at their back.

Following after the Bear tribe was Darville and Acheron.

Diana sat at the table in the dining area of the palace all alone and she ate. Her eyes constantly darted around the chamber, checking each door that lead into the room. She was hoping that she could eat fast enough so that she could escape before her brother returned from wherever he had gone. She didn't want to dine with him and listen to him prattle on about his new mission for the Elk.

It was sickening.

Darcine had already informed her that he was going to establish the dominance of the Elk tribe over the Tundra. He hadn't told her any of the details, but she could guess what he meant. He meant to wipe out the other tribes of the Tundra and take no prisoners. She knew that because that was just the kind of person her brother was. He was one sick son of a bitch who practically begged for blood.

She wanted nothing to do with it, but she could do nothing to stop it. She was just a Princess among the Elk, and as so, she was to be protected at all times. That was why there were guards - loyal followers of her brother's - at each door, making sure no one that wasn't permitted to passed. Her brother falsely showed his concern for her, pretending that he cared about her safety when she knew that he was just making sure that she didn't leave the village all together. He was all about control and that was exactly what keeping her there was.

A power play.

While it was true that she was no warrior, she knew how to use a weapon. That was why she had a dagger tucked away in her boot in case of emergency. In case she lost that one, she had another tucked at the small of her back underneath her tunic. If anyone - her brother included - tried to hurt her, they would have to fight to do so, that much she would make sure of. She was no meek lamb to be harmed without a fight.

Over the years, she had trusted her protection to others, but no more. With her father dead and Darville exiled, she no longer had anyone who truly cared about her safety around. She had decided when she found out her brother's plans that she would keep up her guard and make certain that she didn't meet a similar end to those that opposed Darcine. She would have to be smarter than that and attempt to avoid the fate of death until Darville returned.

There wasn't a doubt in her mind that Darville would return. He was her mighty older brother after all, and in her mind, he could do anything. Any doubts that might have existed otherwise were banished because of the presence of Acheron with her brother. She knew that Acheron would watch out for her brother and make sure that he returned as the rightful King of the Elk once again.

In the short month that Diana had been around the Demon, she had grown to think of him like a second father. He was a kind man despite his imposing stature and amazing strength. She knew that he would never harm her or anyone else under his care if he could help it. She had felt no rancor from the Demon at any time and there were times that she had found herself forgetting that he was even a Demon.

She had noticed him watching over her and making sure that she was okay. He had become one of those that watched out for her, making sure that she was okay physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Because of this watchfulness, she had developed a sort of crush on the man, but she knew that nothing would ever come of it. He saw her as a daughter of sorts and that would never change, no matter how beautiful she grew to be in the future.

If her late mother was any indication, she would be a drop dead gorgeous woman. Her mother had been the most loving and peaceful woman in the world. It was said that she'd tamed King Darr in their years of courtship and it was because of her that he strove for peace. Other than her personality, the Elk people often spoke of the Queen's beauty and how there was none that could compare to her.

The late Queen had had the most luxurious red hair that was more of a burgundy color rather than crimson and the softest green eyes that always expressed her inner emotions. Her skin had been a bronze color that had contrasted quite nicely with the snow of the Tundra and it had accentuated the beauty of both her hair and her eyes. Her lips had been the softest, pinkest color that there could be and her tongue long and wicked when it wanted to be.

That was usually when the perverts came out of the woodwork and began talking about the late Queen's voluptuous body. Her breasts had been twice the size of your average melons and perfectly rounded with nipples that were always clear through the silk tunics that she wore. Her stomach had been flat and taunt, even after having her children. Her hips had been wide and well rounded, giving her a big, well rounded buttocks that many boys who had never even seen the Queen drool at the thought.

In short, the late Queen was described as a Goddess of beauty and desire, a being that could fire the blood of either men or women. There would never be another woman like her, or at least that's what the people of the Elk said. However, it was her own father who had told her that she was more like her mother than her brother's. He'd told her that the only thing different about her from her mother was her blue eyes and he expected that when she grew up she would be twice the beauty her mother was.

Of course, that might've been a father living in pride of his daughter and boosting her confidence, but she didn't think so. Darr had always been a truthful man, even if it hurt and his children were no exception. King Darr had always told his children the truth about something and even went so far sometimes as to call them out on their stupid decision. She had loved her father for his blunt truths, even though sometimes they did hurt her feelings, but she knew that he didn't mean any harm. He was just telling the truth and she loved him more for his truths than to find out that he'd lied to her her entire life.

Finishing the last of her meal, Diana straightened and coughed a little from the excess air she'd swallowed while hurrying her food down her throat. She rubbed her stomach some as she got up and took her dishes to a washing basin. Sitting them in the water, she didn't take the time to wash them, but decided instead to see if she could get away from her guardians.

The girl walked back through the dining room and towards one of the sets of guards that was meant to protect her while she was eating. Knowing that there was no way to get around all the guards, she knew that she would have to devise a plan of how to get away from him once they were on their way to the halls. With that thought in mind, she walked towards opening and she looked up one of the stone faced men who were to protect her.

He was truly an ugly man with pockmarks all over his face and acne scars as well, but the pointed black beard was quite menacing. His hair was thin and nearly balding, but his eyes were sharp. He wasn't an ignorant man and she found that he was actually quite intelligent. He could tell when she was scheming, and when he looked at her then, he narrowed his eyes on her, obviously wise to the fact that she was scheming something.

Diana smiled sweetly at him, trying to knock him off guard, but his expression never changed. He stared at her with suspicion in his eyes, and when she smiled, his lips peeled back in an ugly sneer. He was letting her know that he was onto her and that he would foil whatever mischievous plan she had in mind. She merely smiled to herself.

"Escort me back to my room?" Diana asked him sweetly, looking up at him with her bet little girl look. She was going for innocence, but he didn't look like he believed her. If anything, he looked even more suspicious now and she cursed herself. She shouldn't have laid it on so thick because now he was even more suspicious. Oh well, nothing she could do for it now.

The Barbarian girl began walking down the hallway and she listened intently as she heard his boots fall into step behind her. She did her best to sway her hips, trying to appear seductive, but she knew that she had little chance of that. She was just a little girl and this man was likely to think of her as such, but she had to try.

If she didn't try, then she might as well hang it up. This was the best plan that she could come up with and she wasn't about to abandon it now that she'd started it. She swung her hips more, doing her best to saunter seductively and draw his attention to her buttocks, but she knew that there wasn't much there. Her butt was pretty flat and she knew it, but it couldn't hurt to try.

Several minutes later, she stood outside of her room and she turned to smile at him. The look in his eyes was one of suspicion, but she could also see something else hidden back further in his eyes. There was lust there and she supposed that it was because of the way she had moved. Now that she had his attention, it was time to spring her trap and escape.

"Would you like to come inside?" Diana asked in her best sultry voice and she stared up at him with innocent blue eyes. She wanted to gag over her actions, but she knew she had no choice if she was going to manage her escape. It was night time after all and this was the only guard that stood in her way to freedom. She had to at least try. "A girl could use some company from a big, strong man like yourself at night you know."

She winced inwardly, thinking that she'd laid it on a little bit too thick with that last part. There was no way that he was going to fall for that. She'd done way to much. To her surprise though, his lips spread back into a grin and she noticed his eyes roaming her body, obviously taking in the feminine form that she was seemingly offering him freely. Then, much to her surprise and fear, he nodded his head eagerly.

Knowing that she had no choice now, the Princess smiled widely despite her feelings on the manner and she turned back to her door. Taking a moment to say a prayer that this would work, she turned the knob and opened the door. She stepped into her room and sauntered her way over to the bed, leaving the door open for him to enter as well. She stopped at the foot of the bed, took a breath, and turned back around to face him, sitting down on the foot of the bed while looking at him like he was the sexiest man on the planet.

With a wide fake grin, Diana slid further back on the bed until she had her back against the wall and she smiled at him, trying to lure him in. He didn't even take a moment's notice and he damn sure didn't think twice. He practically pounced on top of her in the bed, kissing her cheeks, her eyelids, her neck, and finally her lips. She had to repress the urge to gag at his kiss, tasting something that tasted along the lines of shit.

The moment he grasped one of her breasts through her tunic, she knew she had to act soon or all would be lost. Opening her eyes while he forced his tongue deep into her mouth, she looked over at the table where a heavy iron statue lay. She had purposefully put it there so she could use it on him and escape. Trying not to be obvious, she reached over for the statue and wrapped her fingers around the base of it. He raised his lips from her's, grinning down at her, but the moment he did so, she swung the statue, bashing him in the face.

The force of her strike to his face knocked him off of her, but she discovered to her horror that she hadn't hit him hard enough. He was still moving and still conscious. Shit, this was so not good. Her plan had depended on being able to knock him out with one blow and yet here he was still moving, though a little bit slower than before. Before she could get her wits about her to run or hide, his eyes flashed open and he stared at her, rage burning in his eyes.

"You little bitch!" the man shouted angrily and he sat up. She felt fear and dread wash through her, practically drowning her. She wanted nothing more than to flee, but she didn't seem to be able to move. She noticed once more that she still held the statue in her hand and she raised her hand to bash him in the face with it once more, but he saw it coming. "Oh no you don't!"