Ultimate Assassin Saga: Woodlands

Emma didn't seem to notice him anymore having moved away from him and was happily bouncing the ball, giggling as the ball would fly up over her head. It would skid away from her and she would go chasing off after it. It was amazing to him how easily children could be amused and how much a simple, small gesture could mean to them.

Suddenly, his mind drifted off somewhere, and instead of Emma being the one running off with a ball giggling happily, it was his own child. A beautiful little girl with Trissieal's hair and his eyes, a wide smile on her face as she played in the courtyard. In his mind, he looked around at the courtyard, but try as he might, he couldn't figure out where he was. He'd never seen this place before and had never been here, but it felt like home.

That was all that mattered he supposed.

Shaking his hopeful dream from his mind, the Command Assassin pushed to his feet and he smiled as he continued to watch the girl. Her long silver hair flowed out behind her as she chased after the small ball and when she reached a small group of children about her age, they all began to play together, their laughter filling his ears.

Glad that he'd done something good, Acheron turned away from the sight of the children happily playing, but he stopped when he saw a woman standing in the doorway of the hut nearby. She looked at him with a smile on her face and tears filling her eyes. When he looked closer at her, he could see the shape of Emma's face in her's and he came to the conclusion that this woman was Emma's mother. As if reading his mind, the silver haired woman nodded her head before turning around and walking back into her hut, probably to do her chores for the day.

Turning away from the hut, the Chaos Demon began walking once more, this time back towards one of the farmlands on the outskirts of the village. Reaching the edge of the village, he watched as the Star Elf sitting atop the strange machine directed it down the long rows of his farm and he again wondered just how this was helping. Then, he noticed something that he hadn't seen before. There was a metal basket attached to the side of the machine, and the further down he drove the machine, the more the basket was filled with the vegetables he was growing on his farm.

Okay, so that answered one of his questions. The vehicles weren't tearing up anything, but actually harvesting it. The purpose of this was actually quite obvious. If you harvested enough, you never had to worry about food, and considering how many farm plots there were, he would say that the whole village could survive off of the vegetables farmed alone, but they didn't have to. They hunted down animals in the Whispering Jungle each day too, and even though he knew that they could easily hunt the animals to extinction, they seemed to be in abundance. Maybe some magic was keeping them repopulating which kept the Jungle teeming with life.

Also, he didn't understand why it was the farmer's farmed every single day. They ran their vehicles over their farms each and every day, but if they were harvesting, that was a foolish thing to do. There would be times when you would no longer have anything to farm and you would simply be wasting your time.

The Command Assassin stopped at the edge of the farmland and waited for the Star Elf to come back. He was running down one long row with the vehicle, harvesting it and seemingly oblivious to everything else which he probably was. The Star Elves seemed to be a very work-orientated people and he couldn't blame them. If even one person didn't do their respective jobs, the entire village would suffer for it.

He noticed that the farmer had the same threadbare clothing that Emma had had and that made him wonder. Was this farmer her father? He'd already seen her mother and since Star Elves married only once for their long lives, he knew that there had to be a father somewhere. The man had long ink black hair, and when he turned the vehicle around to run down the other road, he noticed that he had the same nose as the little girl.

This was most definitely her father.

Acheron placed his hands on his hips and waited for the farmer to approach him on the vehicle. He looked directly into the man's face, letting him know that the person that he'd come to talk to was his him and he could see the recognition in his eyes. It was obvious that the dark haired Elf knew who he was and he seemed apprehensive about speaking to him. He was a Demon after all, so he could understand the man's apprehension, but he had nothing to fear from Acheron.

The farmer reached the end of the line of vegetables, and with a frown on his face, he turned off the vehicle. He sat back in his seat and he eyed him with narrowed eyes. The sound of the vehicle turning off was near deafening, the loud sound disappearing immediately and it was an obvious change.

"What can I do for you?" the farmer asked in a gruff, masculine voice. He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes even more. He could sense the suspicion radiating off of the farmer and he really couldn't blame the other man. He could see that it would be odd for a Demon to come to speak with a lowly farmer and that it would be quite suspicious to him.

"I just came over here to ask you what that machine is." Acheron replied in a calm, even tone. He met the other man's gaze and he saw him from. It was obvious from the look on his face that he didn't understand why he would be so curious about the vehicle he was sitting on so he decided to clarify. "I've never seen anything like it before and I was wondering what exactly it did."

The Star Elf raised a hand and brushed his long ink black hair out of his face. He had it pulled back in a ponytail at the back of his head, but some of it had escaped and was falling into his face. It was obvious that it annoyed him and that was why he was brushing it back.

"It's a simple machine really." the farmer replied suddenly as he leaned forward and rested his arms on the steering wheel in front of him. His eyes glowed from his face and a corner of his mouth turned up in a slight smile. "It's called a tractor. It's a more convenient and faster way of pulling up our vegetables. All in all, it just makes things easier on us so we don't have to work as hard."

"I see." Acheron said, even though he didn't. True, he could understand why people would want to make things easier on themselves, but it seemed like they'd eliminated work all together. If they could, they would one day be able to run the tractors without an operator and then they would have nothing to do for a job so they would be able to sit around getting fat while everyone else did their own jobs. That was the only thing that he didn't like about this convenient technology. "Tell me though, why do you farm every day? It seems like the vegetables wouldn't be there the very next day after harvesting them the day before."

The Star Elf smiled a little bit at this and leaned back in his seat. Then, he swung one long leg over to the same side of the machine as the other and he pushed off of the seat. When his feet touched the ground, he straightened his spine and he ran the back of his hand over his forehead, wiping away the sweat that had accumulated there during his work.

"The fields are magicked." the farmer said simply and he turned to look at the fields behind him. A small smile appeared on his face as he stared at the fields and he turned back to face the Chaos Demon. "The vegetables regrow each morning and we harvest them each day. It keeps us at work and it keeps us fed as well. That's all that society runs on after all: keeping fed and being occupied."

The Command Assassin frowned at that, and while he could see that it was pretty genius, there had to be such a thing as too much food. He opened his mouth to say as much, but before the words could come out, a shrill scream echoed across the village and into his ears, sending a shiver up his spine. Eyes widening, he turned his head quickly and searched for the one who had screamed, his eyes darting around the village.

Almost as soon as he started looking, Acheron found the source of the scream and the reason behind the scream at the same time. It was the girl from before, Emma, and she was being dragged high up into the air by a single cloaked Wraith.

He gaped at the creature, surprised. Just how the hell had it gotten into the village without him knowing it? Besides that, how had it grabbed Emma without anyone calling out a warning? The creature was as dark as night and it wasn't small so someone seeing it should've been very possible.

The Chaos Demon quickly banished his reverie and reached for his sword. There was no time to figure out how the Wraith had gotten into the village and why he hadn't sensed it. No, he had to stop that creature before it kidnapped or killed its victim. To do that, he needed to quickly engage the Wraith and kill it.

Gritting his teeth, the Command Assassin gathered magic in his palm and he flung a ball of lightning at the Wraith. Physical attacks from blades or anything like that wouldn't work so magic was the only way he was going to be able to kill the creature. Even as he flung the ball of lightning, he was running, his feet moving swiftly across the ground and moving towards where the Wraith was.

The Wraith's screech of pain filled the village as the lightning ball slammed into it and sent it flying backwards. Immediately, the Wraith dropped Emma and the little girl screamed again as she fell through the air, gravity taking over. He ran faster, watching the girl plummet to the earth and he cursed himself for not getting closer before he flung the magic attack. If the girl died, it was going to be his fault.

He kicked his speed into overdrive, appearing as nothing more than a black and silver blur.

Acheron saw that he wasn't going to get there in quite enough time if he kept to the ground, so he did the only thing that he could: he took to the air. Gathering all the strength he had in his legs, he leaped into the air, rocketing towards the girl at break neck speed, his emerald green eyes on her solely. Ten feet above the ground, his arms crashed around her, pulling her tightly to his chest even as he landed on the ground and skidded for several feet, dust being kicked up behind him.

He looked down into the face of the little girl, her fear a palpable thing. She looked up into his eyes, her's wide and filled with her fright. He smiled calmly at her and he loosened his arms from her. Setting her on her feet on the ground, he placed his large hand on top of her head and smiled kindly. He was about to tell her that everything was okay when he heard it. The shuffling sound accompanied by moans and groans, coming from the Jungle beyond. That could only mean one thing: the Undead had come.

"Go and find a place to hide, little Emma." Acheron told her calmly and patted her head. She stared up at him, trembling before him and all he wanted to do was take her in his arms to comfort her, but he knew that he couldn't. He had other things that he had to do and they were more important. "I will make certain that you are safe. I promise you that."

The silver haired little girl looked like she wanted to argue with him, but then, she nodded her head once. She turned and fled, her little legs pumping as she ran towards one of the nearby huts. When she disappeared into the hut, he took a deep breath and stood back up, turning around to face the Undead, more than ready for a fight. They'd picked on a helpless little girl, and for that, they would pay.

The Chaos Demon walked to the edge of the village and he stared out at the tress of the Jungle. There was nothing obvious just yet, but he knew that they would come soon enough. He could sense them and they were moving quicker than ever before. It was at that moment that he realized that the Star Elves of the village didn't know what was going on and they didn't have their weapons. They were unarmed and they were about to be attacked. He needed to rectify that situation.

Without turning, the Command Assassin opened his mouth and shouted as loudly as he could, "The Undead are coming! Prepare for battle!"

Acheron didn't turn to see if they heeded his cry because at that moment, the Undead began stepping from the trees towards him. He gritted his teeth at the huge number of creatures and he counted them unconsciously, nearing three hundred already.

Well, this wasn't going to be the easiest battle he'd ever had.

The Chaos Demon drew his Diamond Blade and held the weapon down by his leg as he watched the Undead getting closer to him. They were moving towards him, solely focused on him because he was the one right in front of them and they groaned loudly, sending shivers up his spine. He really hated animated dead people. Oh well, only one thing to do really.

Reaching the only conclusion he really could, Acheron dove forward at the Undead with a battle cry and the intent to destroy every single one of these creatures.

Acre crouched low among the shrubbery of the Jungle, waiting for his prey. Normally, hunters went out and found the meat, but he'd wanted to catch his own food today. He'd been bored and had nothing better to do. Also, he hadn't used stealth in a while so this was a good challenge for him, making him really use the skills that he hadn't used in a long time for a useful outcome.

His dark eyes searched the darkness of the Jungle, watching the foliage and searching for anything that might be among them. He tightened his hand around the wood of the short bow he held in his left hand and in his right he held a single arrow with red arrows in the end to help it fly. Bows and arrows were the general equipment for hunters when they went into the Jungle to find their food for the day.

Of course, he still had his broadsword sheathed at his left hip just in case he ran into trouble. The Warrior Lord wasn't worried over running into trouble thought. He hadn't gone that far from the village in the first place, only two miles to the west. If he needed any help, he could turn tail and run back home, not that he planned on having to do that.

The Star Elf's eyes searched the foliage once again, but saw nothing still. His ears listened to the land around him, but he heard nothing. He frowned. Wait, he heard nothing. No birds chirping, no insects making their noses, no frogs croaking, and no rabbits slipping through the grass. That was very odd and could only mean one thing: something dangerous was in the area.

The only thing that dangerous in this area that could make the animals go silent was the Undead. Cursing himself for not being more wary, he slowly backpedaled away from his hiding spot, holding his crouched form and making sure he was caught by surprise. The Undead weren't exactly known for their stealth though so he wasn't to concerned over that. However, better safe than sorry.

When he felt that he'd gone far enough, Acre turned around and began to dart back towards the village. As he ran, his mind was a whirl with thoughts, all negative. The Undead were here, and if they were here, that meant that they were coming for the village. What if he didn't get back in time and everyone was killed? No, Acheron was there, and for all the things he might be, he was a powerful warrior. He could handle the Undead until he got there and probably even longer.

The Star Elf slid the arrow back into its quiver and slid the bow over his shoulder. He drew his sword with a metallic ring and he held it at his side as he ran. His boots ate up the ground as he ran, his long hair flying out behind him and his dark eyes set on the horizon where he knew the village was.

The Warrior Lord came to a stop at the edge of the clearing that lead into the village and he stared out. There was nothing going on that he could see as of yet, but he knew that it was coming. The Undead were around and they would be able to smell the live flesh of the Star Elves. They would be coming as fast as they could, but now that he was there, he felt a little more confident that they could survive. Maybe he was being arrogant, but he knew that he was one of the most skilled of the Warrior Lords and that was why he was the one leading the First Wave of the Star Elf warriors.

Suddenly, a shrill scream reached his ears and he searched the area for the source of the scream. The moment he started looking, he saw it: a Wraith. The black cloaked creature was floating up from the ground directly up into the air, but it held something in its arms. He narrowed his eyes, staring at the creature's arms and they widened when he saw what the creature held in its arms: a girl child.

Pulling his bow from his back, Acre pulled an arrow from her quiver and she knocked the arrow back in the bow, aiming it at the Wraith. He was a crack shot and he knew that he could strike the creature with a single arrow, bringing it down. However, there was the matter of the child. If he shot the Wraith out of the air, it would no doubt drop the Elf child and send her plummeting to her death. He didn't want the child to die and he knew that if he sacrificed her for his own selfish needs, then he would be vilified by his peers.

Before he could make up his mind what to do, he saw a bolt of blue energy fly towards the Wraith. The blast struck the Wraith and it cried out before it fell from the sky. The Wraith dropped the girl child in the process and he watched as the child plummeted to her death.

The Star Elf lowered his bow and watched with horror as the child fell in the distance. He had a clear line between the houses of the Star Elf village so when the child hit the ground, he would be able to see it. He didn't want to see it, but at the same time, his eyes were drawn to the child, not wanting to see the child die, but needing to see it.

When the child was just ten feet from the ground, a dark form leaped into the air and enveloped her in its arms. The Warrior Lord frowned, watching the person carry the child to safety and he wondered who it was. Who could be that fast that they could catch a plummeting child so effortlessly? He had to get closer to find out so he set off in a mad dash towards the edge of the village.

Running down the pathway created by the huts, he stopped at the end and stared at the man who'd caught the child. He was kneeling in front of her with his hand on her head, seemingly comforting her and he could see the man's face. It was the Demon, Acheron. If he hadn't trusted the man before, he did now. Only a good man would save a child from certain death.

Acre placed his arrow back in the quiver and slung his bow over his shoulders. However, he knew that the battle couldn't be over just yet. There was no way that just one of the Undead would've come to the Star Elf village. The Undead didn't travel alone, but in packs and that was how he knew that the battle wasn't over. So, he drew his broadsword and he stepped further into the village, moving towards the Demon to lend a hand.

He stopped though when the child ran off, to hide probably, and Acheron straightened from his crouch. Acheron turned to face the edge of the village and he drew his Diamond Blade. It was obvious that Acheron sensed the Undead coming and the Star Elf prepared himself for the battle against the Undead.

The Star Elf saw that many of the Star Elf men were moving around, in and out of their huts to gather their weapons for a battle. Then, he saw Rachel coming towards him and she was holding two Pulse Rifles, one in each hand. She stopped and nodded to him before throwing one of the Pulse Rifles through the air towards him. When the Rifle got close enough, he reached out his free hand and he caught the Rifle in his hand, smiling at the feel of the lightweight weapon in his left hand.