Ultimate Assassin Saga: Woodlands

As it got closer to the ground, he was able to make out its features.

It looked like a regular Dragon, but it didn't have any flesh. Instead, it was all bone, though there was a little bit of membrane between its wings to allow it flight. Other than that, there was no difference to the serpent like frame of the Dragon. Its eyes weren't there, but he had no doubt that it could see and its fangs were razor sharp, looking like they could rend anything that it got in his mouth. However, he knew that wasn't what he had to worry about. What he had to worry about was the thing's breath weapon.

He'd never encountered an Undead Dragon so he had no idea what kind of breath weapon it would have. It could be poison, shadows, fire, frost, lightning, or anything else. There was simply no telling what kind of breath weapon it had and that hindered him greatly.

The Command Assassin heard movement below him, but he didn't turn to look. He couldn't afford to take his eyes off of the Zombie Dragon at this point. If he looked away for even a moment, it could attack him and he would be dead before he could blink. Instead, he reached out with his aura, and upon sensing the Star Elves below him in the trees, he felt better about facing off with this Dragon.

The Dragon was flying around in wide circles, obviously not wanting to land among the trees, but wanting to get as close to his enemy as it could. Most warriors had to wait for Dragons to get close enough for them to attack them, but that wasn't true for him. He smiled and began to draw magic into his left palm.

Suddenly, the Dragon threw back its head and it let loose a loud, bone rattling screech. Then, it dive bombed him, heading right at him with its mouth open and its intent clear. This creature wanted him dead and it was going to do all in its power to make sure it happened. His eyes widened when he saw a focused energy in the Dragon's mouth and he knew what it was immediately: its breath weapon. The energy was a swirling white and that could only mean one thing: a wind based attack.

The Undead Dragon swooped low and aimed the breath weapon at him, the swirling white wind flying right at him. To defend, Acheron lifted his left hand and he fired his own magic blast from his hand. Pure energy fired from his palm, and when it slammed into the wind attack, both attacks cancelled out. The Dragon however wasn't done flying and it was coming right at him.

Cursing when he realized this, the Chaos Demon leaped away, hoping to avoid the back draft of the swooping Dragon. His feet touched the top of another tree, but when the Dragon swooped past where he'd been, a concussive force slammed the area, making him lose his balance. Cursing as he fell from the treetop, he did all he could to right himself even as he fell between the branches and towards the Jungle floor.

At the last second, he managed to catch one thick branch of the tree and he held fast. Diamond Blade still in hand, he dangled from the tree and he looked down. It was a long fall to the Jungle floor, and if he was honest with himself, he really didn't want to fall that far. So, with legs dangling, he sheathed his Diamond Blade and he gripped the branch with both hands. Using all the might he had, he hefted his large frame up to the thick branch of the tree, and when he got his feet under him, he raised his head to the sky.

He could see partly through the branches and he watched the Dragon swoop past once again. It was obviously searching for its prey and getting angry that it wasn't able to find anything. Crouching down on the branch, he looked around the trees and began to take note of the situation. There were several dozens of Star Elves among the branches, most clutching short bows in one hand while they held a single arrow in the other and they looked ready to fight, but frightened at the same time.

The Chaos Demon searched for one of the thirteen Warrior Lords or even the King. However, he couldn't see any of them and that worried him. What had happened to them that he couldn't see any of them? Suddenly, he caught sight of Rachel and he knew that if anyone would know where the Warrior Lords were, it would be her. Waiting until he couldn't see the Undead Dragon anymore, he moved, his feet carrying him from branch to branch quickly until he was on the same branch as Rachel. He quickly moved to her side, pressing his back against the trunk of the tree and he saw her look at him with a curious look on her face.

"Where's the King and the Lords?" Acheron asked softly just in case the Undead Dragon could hear and zoomed in on them. The last thing he wanted to do was bring that damned creature to where they were. That would be a disaster that he didn't want to be responsible for.

"When you fell, they took to the treetops. They wanted to make sure that the Dragon was stopped." Rachel respond in an equally quiet voice. He could hear the short bow in her hand creak as she tightened her hand around it and he knew that she was frightened. He couldn't blame her for that fear. Any normal being would be afraid. The fact that he wasn't afraid meant nothing.

Hearing the Dragon roar once again, he could feel the magic that came from it and he knew that it had let loose its breath weapon once again. He heard no cries of pain and no bodies fell from the treetops. Good, that meant the King and the Warrior Lords were managing to hold their own. However, they wouldn't last long if this kept up he knew. There was no way they could continue to fight the Dragon and hope to win without a little more help.

Nodding to the Warrior woman, he pushed away from the tree and he quickly raised his eyes to the sky. Not seeing the Dragon swooping around, he drew his Diamond Blade and held it straight up in front of his face. Quietly, he chanted a couple of words, and just like that, the sword began to glow with a white light. Seeing the white light surrounding the blade, he took a deep breath and he raised his eyes once more to the sky. Still no Dragon, but it would be there soon enough.

While he waited, the Chaos Demon leaped higher into the tree branches until he was on the branch right under the treetops. He was still well hidden from the top by the branch and leaf cover, giving him the perfect opportunity. He crouched low, his eyes scanning the air and he waited. While he waited, he drew magic into the soles of his boots, knowing he would need the jumping ability soon enough.

Finally, he saw it. The Dragon had circled around and was coming back for more. Just as it was unleashing its breath weapon, he saw several waves of different kinds of magic fly forth and cancel out the attack, leaving it harmless. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that those attacks came from the thirteen Warrior Lords and the King himself. Either way it gave him the opening he needed.

When the Undead Dragon passed over his head, the Command Assassin leaped high into the air with a battle cry and his sword held straight up. He broke through the treetops easily and he flew towards the huge mass of bone that was the Undead Dragon. The creature's head dipped down and it caught sight of him, but it was too late for the creature to do anything to stop him.

The razor sharp blade of his enchanted sword slid into the bone just where the heart would've been and the creature cried out in pain. However, it wasn't done. Just as the blade sunk into the bone, the white light that had encased the sword washed over the entire frame of the Undead Dragon, and with a dying scream, the Undead Dragon was obliterated into nothing more than dust.

The Command Assassin flew through the dust and higher into the air, the sun beating down on his face. However, gravity was already starting to take over, dragging him back to earth. Lowering his blade down by his leg, he looked down and he angled his body correctly. Landing on top of one of the trees, he turned his head and he saw the fourteen warriors spread out among the treetops, all looking at him in amazement.

"What the hell kind of attack was that?" one Star Elf that he wasn't familiar with asked in shock and surprise. His short cropped dark hair blew in the wind and he held his double ended javelin in one end down by his leg. He was staring right at him and waiting for an answer.

"I imbued my Diamond Blade with Holy magic." Acheron respond easily enough and shrugged one shoulder. He saw several of the Elves stare at him in shock, obviously not having expected a Demon to be able to use Holy magic. "I figured that one hit from a blade enchanted with Holy magic would kill the Dragon. It would seem that I guessed right after all."

The javelin armed Warrior Lord said nothing else, turning away from his brethren. None of the others said anything either, but he noticed that the King was moving towards him. The Elf King leaped to the treetop right next to him and he stared at him, holding both of his weapons down by his legs as he stood staring at him.

"I thank you for the help against the Undead." Taro said in a calm, even tone that bespoke of his kindness. Sighing, he shook his head and smiled again. "We had decided yesterday that all thirteen Waves would stand behind you in your journey. You may pick who you want to go with you to search out and destroy that power."

The Chaos Demon was slightly surprised by this, but for some reason, not all that much. He'd expected the Elves to help him for some reason though there was no good reason - yesterday - for them to help him. Now however, there was plenty of reasons. He'd just helped to save their village from the Undead and the Undead Dragon. If it wasn't for him, the Dragon would've gotten to the village and maybe wiped it out before they were aware that it was there. Now, the Dragon was dead and not one of the Elves had died in the process.

As he watched, the Warrior Lords all dropped below the treetops, disappearing below the trees. He knew that they couldn't go today. They'd already been through one battle today and they would need to be at full strength for when they dealt with the power that he'd felt. If not, they would be overwhelmed and destroyed. With that thought in mind, he faced the Elf King and straightened his spine.

"We will leave tomorrow. We need to rest for now, but I will choose who I wish to take with me tonight." Acheron told the Elf King. The other man nodded his head once and he turned away, dropping below the treetops. Alone now, Acheron sighed and he turned his eyes to the sky. The sun was already starting to sink low below the horizon and he realized just how long the battle had taken. It had been early morning when the battle had started and now it was nearly night time.

Wiping the blood from his Diamond Blade, he sheathed the weapon and he leaped from the treetop down into one of the branches below. He leaped from branch to branch, heading back towards the Star Elf village with the Elves right ahead of him. He knew that he could easily overtake them, but he chose not to. He didn't want to show up his friends and allies. That might breed resentment and that was the last thing that he needed right now. What they needed right now was unity.

That was the only way to win and Acheron could only hope that he could keep it together long enough to end the powerful force. If he couldn't, then all of this would be for naught and Trissieal would be left alone to defend herself from the Dalkian Empire. He couldn't allow that to happen. He couldn't allow the woman that he loved more than anything to have to fight against his brother and ultimately die because that was what would ultimately happen if she fought his brother.

Azrieal was too powerful and that was the only reason he was doing what he was doing now. It was the only way to win and the only way that he could keep his freedom. Freedom and love were the two most powerful things in the world and they were both driving him. He would remain free and he would have the woman he loved, even if it killed him which it probably would.

If it did, Acheron would welcome his death if it meant that Trissieal would be safe.

The sound of metal slamming into wood filled the room again and again. Darville stood to one side of the training gym and he watched his sister as she threw knife after knife at her target. She was getting more accurate even as she threw them and he felt pride wash through him at her increased skills.

Just over the past couple of days she'd increased her abilities in hand to hand combat and she'd become a challenge in a fight for once. Diana had nearly knocked him to the ground once, employing a left hook feint that made him dodge backwards and when he'd done that, she'd aimed a leg sweep at his ankles. A lesser man would've fallen for it and been on his back on the mats with his sister on top of them, but he'd managed to react quickly enough, leaping over her leg sweep.

She hadn't been discouraged though. No, she'd only tried harder and it had gotten to where she nearly had him with each strike. Each punch, kick, and hold she nearly was able to strike him. If he'd known that she was such a capable warrior, he would've been training her from childhood and by now she would be an asset to the Elk tribe. As it stood now, she was swiftly building her abilities and before too long, she would be a near perfect warrior for the Elk tribe.

The Elk King knew there were those that weren't sure about her being trained in this way. They didn't like that she was throwing herself into training after being raped and some said that she would try to take vengeance on every single man in the tribe. However, he'd assured them that she didn't blame men for her attack and violation, but the one man that was too blame for her attack was already dead.

Everyone tended to tiptoe around his sister, trying not to show to much attention to her for fear of making her afraid of them. The women didn't have much to worry about considering that it hadn't been a woman to hurt her, but the men were another story. She hadn't outright attacked any men yet, but he had no doubt that if a man put his hands on her without her permission, he would lose that hand. As well he should though.

The Barbarian was drawn from his reverie when the sound of metal slamming into wood stopped. He raised his eyes and he focused on his sister standing in her normal spot, staring at the target with intense eyes. Raising a brow, he turned his eyes to look at the wooden target and his eyes widened in surprise. Every single one of her twenty daggers had hit in the chest area, all fatal strikes, and all only a scant quarter of an inch apart from one another.

Well, her accuracy had definitely improved.

He turned to look at Diana and he took in her different features. She'd become a different woman when she'd started training so she'd started dressing different and she'd even cut her hair some. Her hair barely brushed her shoulders and the bangs were cut all the way back to allow for maximum sight. Dressed in all black leathers, she looked like a deadly assassin, and from the look on her face - a intense, deadly look - one would assume that she was just that: an assassin.

"Too slow." Diana said, her voice disappointed. He blinked, unsure of what she was talking about and he stared at her. She was yet to turn her gaze away from the target and was continuing to stare at the razor sharp throwing knives that she'd put into the wooden outline of a person. "My throws are still too slow. It takes me exactly one second to throw my next knife. I need to throw faster."

The Barbarian King stared at his sister in surprise. One second between throws was too slow for her? Hell, he couldn't even manage that! She was pushing herself far beyond the limits of other Barbarians, and if she wasn't careful, she was going to burn herself out. Stress could do a lot to a Human body, and like it or not, she was Human so it would eventually start taking its toll.

"That isn't too slow, little sister." Darville said, softly contradicting her. She turned her head and looked at him with a sharp look, but that sharp look fell away as quickly as it had entered her dark blue eyes. He frowned at that, but he didn't comment on it. "Most Barbarians are nowhere near that fast with a throwing knife. Hell, I'm slower than that and I'm suppose to be the best warrior the Elk has to offer."

The female Barbarian sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She scratched her scalp before letting her hand fall to her side and she turned once again to look at the wooden target. With the dozen daggers stuck in it, almost all in the same place, it was an amazing sight. That wasn't what she seemed to see though. She seemed to see the negative, the failure in being faster and being perfect.

If she continued to stress herself out with her own skills, she would become a wreck and she wouldn't be much good to anyone. He remembered when he'd been training as a child and he'd been much the same way. However, his father had curbed that need to be perfect quickly enough and he longed for the wisdom of his father to calm his sister. He shook his head, knowing that he had no little tidbits of wisdom to impart to his sister that would make her calm down. If anything, she would try even harder and place even more pressure upon herself. It wasn't healthy for her, but he couldn't see a way to get her to stop either.

He drew himself from his reverie and he stared at his sister. She seemed to be getting madder and madder at herself. If he didn't calm her down soon, she was going to lose it and he didn't want to listen to her screaming. He was afraid that she would fall apart any second now, but he could think of nothing to do. Then, an idea popped into his mind and he smiled.

"Go get one of those daggers." Darville said suddenly, his voice echoing in the silent room. She turned her head to regard him with confusion burning in her eyes. He'd expected that, but he wasn't going to tell her anything. He uncrossed his arms from his chest and allowed his hands to fall down by his sides. "In fact, get two of them."

The red haired woman frowned, but she turned and walked over to the target. She pulled two of the daggers free of the target and she walked back over to him. He held out a hand and she placed one of the daggers into his hand. He felt the weight of the steel and he tossed it a little in his hand before clutching it tightly. Then, he leaped back away from her, and when he felt that he was far enough away from her, he fell into a fighting stance with the razor sharp dagger held just behind his back.

"What are you doing?" Diana asked in confusion, her soft voice echoing to him. He smiled as he took in her stance. She was yet to move, simply standing there and she held the dagger loosely in her hand. It was obvious that she didn't think they were going to be training in this way, but he'd decided that this was the best way to get her mind off not being fast enough in her own mind.

"Defend yourself, sister." Darville responded with a wide grin on his face. He moved his foot further forward and he waited for her to react. Instead of falling into a fighting stance though, she continued to stare at him with a confused look in her dark blue eyes and her dagger barely held in her hand. "I will test your agility and dodging ability today. The best way to do that is with a dagger fight."

The female Barbarian blinked, surprised by this, but then, she smiled a little. It was a small smile, but a smile none the less. The girl fell into a fighting stance immediately, one much like that of when she was fighting hand to hand, and she held her dagger out in front of her horizontally to show her defense. It was a good, solid stance, everything proportioned and placed correctly to create the best defense one could. Most instructors would call her stance the perfect defense, but he disagreed.