Ultimate Assassin Saga: Woodlands

They were a loving people.

That didn't mean they didn't have a mean streak though.

Any Barbarian would willingly raid an enemy outpost by himself and fight to the death. That was just the kind of people they were. They didn't worry about the harm that could be done to them. No, they worried about righting the wrongs that had been done upon them by others. They were a people devoted to justice and they would have it one way or another. That was the system the Elk tribe operated under and that was the system that he fought to protect.

Growing tired finally, Darville let loose a wide, jaw cracking yawn and he stretched his arms up over his head, stretching his muscles. There were low pops of joints and bones, but none of it hurt. It actually felt good and he was glad that he'd stretched. Now that his mind was mostly empty of his chaotic thoughts, he hoped that he would be able to sleep.

Turning to his bed, the Barbarian walked over to the foot of the bed and climbed onto the bed. Laying on his back, he pulled the fur quilt up over his hips and he threaded his fingers behind his head. He stared at the roof for a moment, his dark blue eyes blinking in the darkness. Then, he closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep.

Before Darville knew it, he was fast asleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

Diana sat, cold and alone, in the corner of her dark room, staring at the floor. She had her knees up pressed against her chest and her arms wrapped around them, hugging them to her body. Her mind was a whirl with remembering what had happened to her just a few short months ago and she began to wonder if she would ever forget. Somehow, she didn't think that she would and that frightened her beyond all imagining.

She was short, barely five foot tall, and slender. She had long auburn hair that fell just past her shoulders unrestrained and dull dark blue eyes set in a pale, girlish face. She'd once been a very bright and attractive person, but no longer was she that way. She simply couldn't be. The rape had taken more than her trust in people, it had taken away her love of life. There were days that the despair was so horrible that she wanted nothing more than to find a blade and end it, but she knew that she couldn't. She was simply too cowardly to do such a thing and it would hurt her brother.

Darville didn't deserve such pain, not after being forced to kill their brother.

She tried to hide her pain from her brother, but she knew that she wasn't successful. He was always coming by and finding her in the corner, unable to cry. When he saw this, he would always kneel before her, wrap her in his arms, and whisper in her ear until she was able to fall into a deep, fitful sleep. When she woke up, she always woke up on her bed with her quilt covering her and she knew that her brother had put her there. He hated that he was so helpless to help her, and even though it wasn't his fault, he still felt responsible.

It was that guilt that Darville felt over her being violated that nearly drove her mad. She wanted nothing more than to end her brother's suffering, but she didn't think it was possible. The only way she could see out of this conundrum was to kill herself, but at the same time, she knew that it would cause her even greater pain. She couldn't do that to him. She loved him far too much to do that to him.

Diana was wearing a light blue nightgown with a low cut neckline and a high hem. It was one of her nightgowns that she normally slept in, but she didn't know how much longer she could take wearing them. It made her feel exposed and vulnerable, but being naked made it even worse. She had to wear something to bed and her furs and leathers were simply too uncomfortable or she would wear them to bed. It was a losing situation for her and she could find no way out, but she picked the least of the two evils.

So, she continued to wear the nightgowns and fight back her feelings of vulnerability.

It was all she could do really.

It was nights like these that she wished Acheron were here. He had been in her life for such a short time, but she'd come to care for him greatly. To her, he was a part of the family and she loved him. She'd felt his compassion and seen it in his eyes. She'd heard the whispers about him in the village when he'd lived with them, and despite the disparaging remarks, she'd said nothing. They didn't deserve her to waste her anger on them and so she'd kept silent when she heard the whispers. She knew the truth and that was all that matters.

Many might've thought that she was sexually attracted to him, but that wasn't the connection she felt to him. There had been a little awkwardness at the beginning of their friendship, but they'd settled into their friendship easily enough. When her father had been killed, he'd sort of replaced her father after his death, making her feel safe when she shouldn't have felt safe at all. In many ways, he'd become like a second father to her and she was glad for that. He was a good man who'd taken time out of making allies with the Elk tribe to notice her and to treat her like she was his own daughter.

For that, she was grateful and would love him forever.

The Barbarian girl hoped to see him one day, but she didn't honestly think that would happen. Sure, the Elk were allies with him, but she didn't think that he would return to the village to see her. It simply didn't work that way. He would call on the Elk when he needed them and the warriors would be the only one's allowed to leave the village to assist. That was what he would need after all: warriors. It was at that moment she had an idea.

She could become a warrior.

Diana was a tiny slip of a girl that much was true, but she was just as stubborn and hard working as either one of her brother's. Also, she had the intelligence her father had had and she was sure that could be a huge help to her becoming a warrior. She would just have to talk to her brother and start her training with him. If she wanted to see Acheron again, she would have to become a warrior, and when Acheron called on the Elk tribe for help, she would be a warrior who would help him.

She would see Acheron again, no matter what.

With that resolved in her mind, Diana got up from the floor and she walked across her room to her bed. Without a moment's hesitation, she lay down on the sheets and she grabbed the blanket. She pulled the fur blanket up to her chin and she clutched it tightly in her fingers so it couldn't be ripped off while she was sleeping. This was just another precaution she took while she was sleeping and no one could blame here for it. She was a survivor of rape and she was going to live her life. That was the promise she made herself.

Acheron walked at the back of the procession of the Star elves, his long legs carrying him faster and faster. He didn't know what would happen when they reached the village once more, but he wasn't all that worried about it. He was with the Star Elves after all and the rest of the Elves would accept him no matter what. Once they returned to the village, he would need to go to the King and inform him of what he'd felt.

They would want to know about the great power somewhere in the Whispering Jungle. Maybe he could convince the Elf King to allow him to take a procession of Elves back out into the Jungle to find the source of that power. For some reason, he had a feeling that the source of that power would be the source of the affliction of the Elves. When he took out the source of that power, it would all be over and he could continue on to the next province of the Wilds.

He would have to convince the Elf King first though.

The Chaos Demon walked on, his boots making hardly no noise on the Jungle floor. He'd walked heavily when they were leaving because he hadn't expected to be attacked. However, now that the Undead had attacked them, he was much more cautious. He didn't want to be attacked again before they reached the village again. He wasn't scared or anything. He just didn't want to have to fight again and possibly lose some of the Elves.

The sun had sunk a little lower and was close to lowering down below the horizon. The trees were obscuring the golden light of the sun, but some of the rays poured through the leaves to reveal the path below. There were still a few more miles to walk, but he wasn't too worried about it. He simply listened to the sounds of the insects among the Jungle, making their usual noises.

The Command Assassin slid a hand down and wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his sword. He wasn't going to draw the weapon, but he liked being able to feel it. It made him feel better about being in a strange place and not knowing what else was in the Jungle.

Acheron looked around the trees, noting the runes carved into the thick trees. He knew that on the other side of the dimensional rift, the trees were marked with the same runes, but he didn't know why these trees would be marked with the same. He'd assumed that the runes were what powered traveling over to the other side to the mirror dimension, but obviously he'd been wrong.

There had to be some other reason for the runes. But what they could be for, he had no idea. He'd made an assumption, and now that that assumption was proven wrong, he didn't have another idea for what it could be for. He knew that he wouldn't figure out unless he asked someone, but he wasn't exactly sure who he could ask that would actually answer him. It could be a secret of the Star Elves and they probably wouldn't want to answer him.

The Chaos Demon noticed that one of the Star Elves was looking at him. He met the young woman's eyes and she smiled at him. It was a small, shy smile and one that was quite cute to be honest. Seeing this, he was certain that he could get some information out of this woman if he finessed it correctly.

He smiled at her, showing his pearl white teeth and he crooked a finger at her. She arched a single brow at his motion and she turned her head, looking at the rest of the Star Elves. He knew what that was about because it was quite obvious. She was making sure that no one was looking if she decided to speak with the Demon in their midst. While she was doing this, he ran his eyes over her features and took in those features.

She was petite, standing at five foot two or three, and a little thicker than the other women that he'd seen in their village. She had long ink black hair that fell to just past her shoulders in a high ponytail and dark grey eyes set in an ivory, girlish though serious face. She wore a short sleeve black short, black pants, ankle high black leather boots, a silver metal breastplate with tight shoulder guards, and a black leather belt with a heavy silver hilt broadsword sheathed at his left hip.

The young woman was attractive, especially from behind. Her buttocks filled out the pants she wore all too well and he found his gaze directly on that ass. He licked his lips and tried to tear his gaze away, but he couldn't seem to find the ability to do it. He knew that he had to though before she turned around and caught him looking.

If she saw him, she might be mad and clam up. If he couldn't get any information out of her, then there was no reason to talk to her. Finally, he was able to pull his eyes from her buttocks and she looked up into her face. He found himself staring directly into her eyes and he cursed inwardly. Great, she'd caught him staring at her ass and she was going to be mad at him.

When the Command Assassin stared into her eyes however, he didn't see any anger. She had a small smile on her face and she looked amused by his staring at her buttocks. He found it surprising that she would be amused by this. This woman was definitely different from any other woman he'd ever known.

The Chaos Demon walked slower, allowing himself to trail behind the Star Elves further. He noted that the woman had done the same, allowing the procession to go on ahead so they could speak. She took a couple of steps backwards to him, waiting for him to catch up to where she was. He stepped up next to her and the two of them walked side by side through the Jungle, quiet for right now.

"My name is Acheron." Acheron he spoke softly, his words carefully thought out. He still gripped the hilt of his Diamond Blade and his other hand was on his hip. He could feel his braid sliding against his back, rubbing over the leather of the armor that he'd received from the Amazons of the High Forest. "May I know what your name is, young lady?"

The young Star Elf turned her head and she looked up at him. Her gray eyes darkened with her emotions, though what those emotions were he didn't know. He had a feeling that she was annoyed by the "young lady" remark that he'd just made, but he wasn't going to take it back. No matter how many centuries old she was, he knew that he was older than her.

"My name is Rachel." the Star Elf replied in a soft, demure voice. She reached up and tucked a strand of her long, dark hair behind her delicately pointed ears. She turned her head, and because they both walked slowly, they were still further behind the Star Elves than they'd been before. "I am but one soldier in a village of many. How may I be of any help to you?"

The Chaos Demon smiled at her words and he allowed his hands to fall from his hips. His arms swung a little as he walked, picking up his pace a little. She'd shown him humility by telling him she was just one soldier in a village of soldiers. That was an honorable quality that she had in her and he respected that dearly. However, he still needed the questions that he had answered.

"I want to know about these runes in these trees." Acheron replied, turning his head away from her. He walked over to one of the trees and he touched the rune carved into the tree. He traced the silver rune and it seemed to pulsate with power. He closed his eyes and he reveled in the power of the rune, but he didn't allow it to flow into him. He didn't know how powerful the rune was and he didn't know if it could hurt him or not. "I saw them on the other side of this dimension and I thought that it was what powered the crossing into this mirror dimension. However, I see the runes here and I don't know that if I was right or not."

He felt a slender hand on his shoulder and he knew immediately who it was. He turned his head and looked over his shoulder at her. She was standing there, looking at him with a confused expression on her face. He smiled softly to her and he turned to face her. As soon as he turned, she pulled her hand from his shoulder and she took a step back away from him.

The Command Assassin stared at her, wondering what she would say. She looked down, her chin on her chest and her eyes staring at the grassy ground of the Whispering Jungle. Her hands were in front of her, her fingers laced together and she looked to be trying to think up a good way of answering the question that he'd asked her. Then, she raised her head and stared directly into his eyes, her dark gray one's steady as she opened her mouth to answer his question.

"The Runes do give power to the traveling into the mirror dimension." Rachel replied, her voice assuring him that he was right to an extent. She unlaced her fingers and she allowed them to fall by her sides. She took her eyes from his and she walked up the tree he was standing in front of, reaching out to trace the rune carved deep into the tree. She sighed heavily and she allowed her hand to drop from the tree, looking over at him. "However, one can travel using the trees back and forth between the mirror dimension and the Mortal Plane."

The Chaos Demon frowned, his brow furrowing and his lips tightening. He was glad to actually get a real answer for something that he was curious about and he looked at the runes all around him. Each one of these trees was a portal into the Mortal Plane and he could leave any time he wanted. However, he had no intention of vacating the mirror dimension until everything was done and he had the alliance with the Star Elves.

The Command Assassin nodded his head, smiling at her in thanks. She smiled back and she looked like she wanted to pounce on him. Her gray eyes darkened even more and she looked over his frame, looking first up and then down. It was obvious that she was attracted to him, and even though he found her attractive, he wouldn't do that to Trissieal. He couldn't. Actually, he could and she wouldn't mind, but he wasn't sure that he wanted to. He had more important things to deal with than sex.

"I would like for you to come to my hut tonight." Rachel said with a small, hesitant smile. Her cheeks were dark red with embarrassment over what she was doing, but she didn't seem to be able to stop herself. "I will make you dinner. We can talk while we eat. Anything you want to talk about, I'll happily oblige you."

The Star Elf reached out with one hand and she lay her hand on his armored chest. She rubbed her fingers against the leather of his armor and he almost found himself wanting to have those fingers on his bare flesh. He shook off those thoughts as she pressed herself closer to him, her legs brushing against his. He felt his heart skip a beat and then starting beating faster than before. At the same time, his blood fired down to below the belt and his cock stiffened, growing rock hard.

It was obvious from the way her eyes widened that she felt how she affected him. She purred low in her throat and she raised her leg, rubbing her thigh against his hard cock through his pants. He groaned low under his breath and he would like nothing more than to throw this woman to the floor so he could take her. However, he knew that he couldn't do that. They were expected back at the village, and when that thought occurred to him, his head came up, his eyes searching the procession of the Star Elves.

The Command Assassin couldn't see any of them and he assumed that they'd gone on. They probably weren't even aware that the two of them had disappeared from the group. He found that hard to believe considering he was a Demon and the Elves no doubt didn't quite trust him as much as they made him believe. He'd expected to be watched for any sort of deceptive moves, and if he did anything wrong, he expected to be killed for it. Also, the woman he was with was the only woman of the group and he'd expected for them to notice if there wasn't a woman among them.

He was drawn from his reverie when he felt his cock being grabbed through his pants. His eyes widened in surprise and he looked down at the little Star Elf woman who was looking up at him with narrowed, lust filled eyes. Despite her red cheeks, she didn't stop rubbing him through his pants.

Nearly incapable of stopping himself, the Chaos Demon wrapped his arms around her hips and slid his hands down to her butt, squeezing it firmly. She moaned as she stroked him from bottom to top through his pants and he thrusted into her hand. His ears picked up the sound of foot steps however and he felt his lust recede immediately. He pulled away from her, disentangling himself from her and he held her away from him.

The black haired Elf frowned and stared up at him. She looked like she wanted to protest, but before she could, she turned her head, obviously hearing the sounds of foot steps that were growing closer. Just as she turned to look, a Star Elf that they both knew well stepped through and stood there, looking at the two of them. Acre stood only fifteen feet away from them, his hands on his hips and an annoyed look on his face.

"What are you two doing?" Acre asked, his voice low and filled with his annoyance. If there was one thing that could be said about him, it was that he couldn't hide his feelings very well. As soon as he asked the question, he took a couple of steps towards them, but the look on his face hadn't changed. He still looked as annoyed as ever.