Ultimate Assassin Saga: Tundra

"First off, I would like to congratulate the two of you on finding one another. I had always hoped that you would find someone to share your life and bed with. Now that you've found him, I believe that I need to inform you of your origins." Shido began, folding his fingers together as he sat behind the desk and stared at the two of them, his eyes moving slowly between the two men.

Then, the Blood Lord lowered his hands slowly to the redwood desk and he tapped his nails atop the wooden desk as he waited to draw in his own thoughts. His blood red eyes glowed with his emotions as he thought and both men sat waiting in curiosity to find out what the hell the Blood Lord was talking about.

"As you know, you were born of a full blooded Blood Demon man and a Human woman. What you don't know is the relevance of your father." Shido continued, his voice filled with emotion and it the air seemed heavy with tension as they waited for him to speak again. "Your father wasn't just another Blood Demon male that could be discarded for his crime with ease. Your father was my first and only son."

Tide felt his heart skip a beat and his mouth dropped open in shock. He continued to stare at the Blood Demon Lord, waiting for him to break out in a smile and tell them both that it was a joke, but the look on his face was one of complete seriousness. He cut his eyes to the side, gazing upon his partner and he took notice that there was no emotion on his face or in his blood red eyes.

"It pained me to have to kill him, but I had no choice. It was what law mandated, a law that I myself put into place." Shido said, almost in defense of himself and his actions afterwards. However, it didn't seem to have any affect at all on the Half Demon that was staring at him with no emotion in his eyes or on his face. "When I saw your mother's stomach heavy with my son's child - with my grandchild - I knew that I couldn't kill you after I had just ended your father's life."

The room was silent as a tomb with the revelation and Tide felt like he was going to explode if something wasn't said soon. He wanted his partner to say something, react in some way, but it didn't seem like that was going to happen. He seemed content to just sit there and say nothing. He knew that the man was probably trying to think of something to say to what he had been told, but it was still nerve racking.

Neither Demon seemed ready to broach the subject again and break the silence, but the Amazon was growing anxious. He didn't think that Breal would really care about any of this, but he could be wrong. He could demand that he be named the successor to the throne. If he did, then that would mean that both partners were future leaders and their two peoples would be even more joined together than before. However, it could have negative effects as well.

"This truly means nothing. I am still the same person I was before and I am still loyal to the clan." Breal suddenly said, his emotionless voice breaking the silence and releasing his partner from his edginess. However, he was somewhat surprised that Breal didn't seem to understand that he was now the heir to the Blood Demon clan, not that it really mattered to him of course. "I am loyal to you above all else no matter my parentage or bloodline, my Lord."

The Blood Lord seemed surprised by this, but he smiled and nodded his head.

"I'm glad to hear that, but there is one little thing I would like to take care of to." Shido replied, his voice calm and filled with warmth. He didn't think the man was going to say anything that would upset either one of them too badly, but one could always be surprised. "I would like to name you as my heir and make certain that if I die, you are to take over the Blood Demon clan."

That didn't surprise the Amazon. He had fully expected something like that to happen and so he had been prepared for it. He could sense that his partner had been expecting it as well so he wasn't taken off guard either with that last statement. He was glad that things were coming together for his partner and he was finally being given his due.

"We shall be going now if that is all." Breal said as he rose to his feet and his partner did so as well. The two men stood before the desk side by side looking at the Blood Lord who merely nodded his head and acquiesced to their leaving. They walked to the door, but Breal stopped and looked over his shoulder at the Blood Lord. "Thank you for telling me this. Everyone needs to know where they come from and it explains a lot to me. I don't hate you for what you had to do."

Shido seemed surprised by these words, but before he could react, the Half Demon breezed through the door. Tide looked back at Shido and smiled at him, nodding his head before turning to follow after his partner. Today had been an interesting day and he was looking forward to the rest of it. He just hoped that there were no more surprises like these in store for the rest of the long, warm day.

Acheron walked slowly behind the Bear Barbarian King, but he was cautious of his surroundings. He knew that a complacent man was a dead one and he wasn't going to end up like that. He wasn't the Command Assassin for no reason. He had survived his entire life because of his caution and strength so he was confident that he could defend himself against anything these men could throw at him.

They didn't seem to be plotting anything however. They didn't walk around the two men with swords drawn and guarding them, thinking that they were going to attack them. No, instead they walked in FRONT of the two strangers, presenting their backs to them and obviously trusting them not to stab them in the back. In Dalkia, such an action would've been considered the ultimate bastion for a slaughter and anyone would've taken them up on the offer to sink a knife into their backs. However, they weren't in Dalkia and this wasn't how this place worked.

These people trusted them, and even thought trust was an alien concept to him, he would try his hardest not to break that instant trust. They needed that trust after all. If they could ally with the Bear tribe, they would be well on their way to searching out and finding the other tribes to ally with them as well. Then, with the full might of the Barbarian tribes of the Tundra behind them, they could return to the Elk tribe and put its rightful King back in his throne.

The uniting of the Barbarian tribes was the only thing that either man could think of as a large enough token that would win him out of exile and they had decided to go for it. After all, what did they have to lose? The Chaos Demon knew that if any trouble went down, he could cut down any Barbarians that would stand in their way and escape. However, he didn't think that would happen because of the trick that he had up his sleeve and it was quite the trick.

The Demon among the Elk tribe, manipulating and controlling them.

No matter what, the other Barbarian tribes would have to listen to that. If there was a Demon among them manipulating the events that came from that tribe, then they would have to put a stop to it. Whether they chose to wipe out the Elk completely in the hopes of getting the Demon was their only worry about revealing such information. The two men had judged it as a necessary risk though, and if things went wrong, then Darville would accompany him out of the Tundra. He didn't want to leave the Tundra without alliances, but if he could salvage none, he would.

The snow was blowing around them, but it didn't seem to hinder the Barbarians at all. He hadn't expected that it would though. They had lived amongst the harsh environments of the Tundra their entire lives and by now they would have grown use to it. Even though he couldn't feel the extremes of weather, the Chaos Demon did find it a bit disconcerting that a place could be so cold and seemingly lifeless while supporting so much life at the same time.

The Command Assassin saw Dalan up ahead, walking with the rest of his men and speaking with them as if he wasn't a King. He looked more than at home among his men and he had to respect that. It was obvious that Dalan saw himself as just another Barbarian, no better or more important than the last despite who he was to the tribe.

Acheron saw no women among their warrior ranks and he had to wonder if that was because their women were oppressed, barred from doing anything other than baring children. While he knew that women were just as important to the world as men, he also recognized the fact that men were definitely the more capable warriors. Men were stronger, faster, and had a better mind for warfare than women, but women made good warriors as well.

He had seen more than one woman outmatch a man in battle and it was because of that he respected a woman's ability to fight. Because of their smaller frames, women tended to be more agile than men and could often pull off attacks that no man would ever think of. However, women gave themselves over to emotion in battle sometimes and that could prove catastrophic to an army if that woman went to far.

Through eyes that weren't blinded by politics and religion, the Chaos Demon could see both the benefits and the drawbacks of having women fighting in armies. He wholeheartedly believed in equality, but he also believed in merit as well. In his mind, no one should get a job based on gender whether they be male or female, but on their own actions and deeds over their career. If they deserved it, they should be promoted to their position above any other.

That was why politics had no place in warfare.

The Command Assassin turned his gaze to his companion and he noted that Darville was staring straight ahead, a perplexed look on his face. It was obvious that he didn't understand why the Bear tribe would trust them so readily. Also, just what could they get out of this by helping them? They would be drawn into a war and that was about it, though if it was a war of necessity it was a little easier to understand, but not by much.

War was an eternal thing that would never cease as long as there were sentient beings on the earth. Many races thought that it was everyone else but them that were the warmongers. The Elves for instance blamed the Humans for all the wars on the face of the earth, but at the same time, they forgot their own history of infighting with one another, making any Human massacre look like a bedtime story next to their own killings.

There wasn't a single sentient race in the world that could claim innocence of the crimes of war and they all knew that, though they did try to cover up history in clever little ways. History was written by the winner after all and most of the time stories were made up to justify one people going in to kill another. Of course, this wasn't always true, but ninety percent of all wars had been lied about how they were started and how they were ended.

Children needed heroes to look up to and people couldn't exactly paint themselves as the bad guys in a war. They had to come up with one reason or another that they had been in the right when they went to war and wiped out this faction or another. That was something that spanned to all five continents of the world and every nation of the world. It was a truth that would never stop, no matter how many times the races of the world tried to cover the mouth of the truth.

They rounded a huge snow covered cliff, and the moment they stepped out from behind it, Acheron was amazed by what he saw. There was a huge mass of tents made of different types of hide, but all nearly blending in with the snow beneath them that spanned out for two miles in a circular pattern. Each tent was only a foot from the other on each side and there were smaller circles that lead inward until finally reaching the very center where one tent stood alone. He had no doubt that the tent in the center was the tent of the Bear Barbarian tribe King, Dalan.

Darville didn't seem all that impressed with the sight, but then again, he had grown up as a nomad and he wouldn't. He had lived among a tribe that traveled from spot to spot, avoiding enemies and making certain that they weren't in any place that would put them in harm's way, but that was all over for the Elk tribe now. The Elk had decided to settle down, but with Darcine as the new King, no one really knew how long that would last. Everyone among the Elk knew that Darcine was one for tradition and one of the most holy traditions of the Elk was that they were nomads.

The Bear King turned his head, and when he saw them, he smiled. The Chaos Demon didn't know what that smile was about, but he didn't suppose that was important as they walked along towards the village. It wasn't a sinister smile and that was all that really mattered to him. The Bear tribe was treating them kindly and they didn't seem to be luring them into a trap at this time. They all seemed genuine in their trust of them and their kindness towards them.

That didn't mean that the Command Assassin had let down his guard though. No, he never let down his guard, not even among people who had proven themselves again and again that they were trustworthy. The most noteworthy of peoples who had done that were the Amazons and the Wood Elves of the High Forest. They had been his first allies and he would never forget what they had done for him, but he had to make sure that they survived.

A lot of good an alliance would do if they all ended up dead because of him.

The soldiers in front of the Barbarian King broke off and went to their own tents, leaving the two men alone with the King. This seemed odd to him, but he made no comment about it. He wasn't about to say that they shouldn't trust them so easily when it was benefiting them. It would be ludicrous to sabotage your own good fortune and he wasn't about to do it.

They walked between the tents, moving slowly but confidently. It was as if Dalan already had a plan for where they would go and he wouldn't put it past the man. After all, they had known that they were coming because of some Seer that they had, then they had probably discussed and come to a conclusion about where the two visitors would be staying.

Suddenly, the Barbarian King stopped in front of a rather large tent and he turned to face them. His smile was patient and kind as he waited for them to approach. They stopped directly across from him, and while Darville ran his dark blue eyes across the outside of the tent, Acheron was staring into the face of the Barbarian King. He wanted to make sure that he didn't miss any sinister smile or conniving look in his eyes if there was one.

"This is where you'll both be staying while in our company." Dalan said kindly, his eyes glowing with warmth and kindness. He didn't look like he was hiding anything, but appearances could be deceiving and he knew that best. People could stare into your eyes, give you a genuine smile, and lie through their teeth just to get you to trust them before sinking their blades into your back. He wouldn't be caught off guard no matter what. That didn't seem to be the problem here however. "I would appreciate it if the two of you will stay inside the tent until I send someone for you. It will be then that I will be ready for a meeting with the two of you to tell you what I know and what our plans are."

"That sounds acceptable." Acheron replied instantly, not waiting for the Barbarian at his side to approve of what he was saying. He stared into the Barbarian King's eyes, his own emerald green eyes hard and unforgiving. "I must warn you that if this is a trick and you are trying to kill us, you will find yourself sorely disappointed. I will not allow you to kill my friend or myself, and if you try, you will die."

Dalan stared back at him, his smile never wavering. He looked unaffected that his life had just been threatened and within the confines of his village none the less. He must've understood what he was talking about and why he would be so skeptical. It wasn't everyday that strangers were treated so kindly by the one's that were suppose to be their enemies after all. Dalan merely nodded his head and bowed low at the waist.

"You make yourself loud and clear." Dalan replied, his voice tinged with amusement. There was nothing truly amusing about the situation, but he allowed it to slide. After all, they were within his village and to tell him that it wasn't funny would be counterproductive. They needed an alliance with the Bear, not to alienate them. "I will send a guard for the two of your later in the day. Until then, I wish you a pleasant day."

With that, the Bear King turned sharply and he walked away from them. The Chaos Demon watched him walk towards the middle of the center circle towards the very center tent. That was his home of course, and when he ducked into the tent without announcing himself, he knew that he'd been right. The tent was in fact the Bear King's and he could come and go however he wanted to.

Sighing, the Command Assassin turned away from the sight of the Barbarian King ducking into his tent and he looked right into the face of his companion. Darville didn't look worried, and in fact, he grinned widely, his dark blue eyes glowing. He shook his head, but said nothing to Darville as he walked towards the tent that they were to stay in and he pulled open the flap. He looked over his shoulder at the other man and noted that he was standing there, not following just yet. However, he knew the man would indeed follow him into the tent when he was ready to.

Acheron ducked into the tent.

XXXXXXXXXX

Darville stood outside among the Bear tribe and he stared out at the expanse of the tents that surrounded him. When he had been a child, he had been told that every Barbarian tribe tried to kill one another and that they would never take in any Barbarian of another tribe. However, he was seeing different here and it rose to challenge the things that he'd been taught as a child.

He had come such a long way in such a short time that it amazed him. Just a few days ago, he had been an exile without a plan and looking at a lifetime of traveling around the Tundra. Now, he was within the borders of the Bear Barbarian tribe and he was here looking for an alliance with them. If they did manage to ally with one another, it didn't mean that the others would come so easily. There would be much haggling and many that would distrust him, but he had to have faith that they would succeed.

He knew that his future depended on one person and one person only. That person was sitting in the tent behind him in the comfortable warmth and he knew that he should join him. If he didn't join him pretty soon, Acheron might get worried and come looking for him. Then again, he could probably sense that the Barbarian was right outside the tent and wasn't in any danger so maybe he would leave him be.

The Exile would've never guessed that this was where they would be when this whole thing began. It had started with him going off looking for his sister who had been lost during their moving to their final place for the Elk and it had come down to them being here with the Bear Barbarian tribe, looking for an alliance. He never thought that so much could happen in such a short time, but he was proven wrong by his own deeds and the events as of late.

Knowing that there was no purpose to his musings, Darville turned to the tent and he pulled open the flap. He didn't even have to crouch down to walk into it because the roof of the skin tent was so high, but when he stepped inside, he was amazed at what he saw.

The inside of the tent was circular just like the base of the tent, and when he looked up, he saw the small hole in the cone shaped top of it to allow smoke out of the tent when a fire was started. There was kindling in the middle of the tent, settled on a bed of rocks so the flames wouldn't spread and catch the whole tent on fire. The floor of the tent was made of thick leather and would keep the heat out perfectly. There were several fur sleeping mats all around the tent, creating different pallets that they could sleep on or sit on, whichever they chose.