Ultimate Assassin Saga: Woodlands

The creature turned and aimed a backhanded slap at her. At the last second, she managed to duck the strike, the sheer force of the fist passing over her head nearly making her feel over. She dug her boots into the stone and she leaped forward, sinking both of her daggers into the dark underbelly of the creature. Not sparing the time to pull the daggers out, she released them and she leaped back, landing out of range of the creature's fists as they came down on the ground. If she'd been there, that would've crushed her into the ground and she'd be dead right now. Thank that gods for agility.

Not stopping, the Barbarian lunged forward after drawing two more daggers from under her cloak as the Yeti was still bent down and she let loose a battle cry as she closed in on the creature. Her dagger slammed into the skull of the Yeti and the creature cried out as blood came pouring from its skull. She slammed the other dagger up under its chin and into its brain.

The Princess released the blades and leaped back, ready to continue fighting if necessary. The moment she leaped back though, the Yeti fell face first into the stone floor and ceased to move. She stared at the creature, blood pouring from its head and she waited for it to rise. Surely it wasn't that easy to kill a Yeti when there were such horrible stories out there about the creature.

When the creature continued to lay there on the ground, she relaxed a little bit. She could hardly believe it. She'd won and won soundly against the creature. Maybe she was a better warrior than she thought and than her brother knew. It would certainly seem that way.

Diana finally relaxed and she walked closer to the creature. When she was at its side, she knelt down and she lay a hand on its back, checking to see if it was breathing. Finding no breath, she let out the breath she'd been holding and she relaxed completely.

The Yeti was dead.

Staring at the white fur covered body, the Barbarian knew that she wouldn't be able to move the whole body. However, she wouldn't have been able to move a body such as a snow wolf or a snow bear either. In fact, most women warriors couldn't do it and some men couldn't drag large game back to the village either. In lieu of dragging an entire body back, they always severed the head and brought it back as proof instead. Having the head of a creature was never questioned and was seen as irrefutable evidence.

The Princess knew what she had to do, and even though she didn't like it, she knew that she had to. It was either sever the head and take it back or return with no proof of her kill. If she did that, she wouldn't be seen as a warrior of the Elk and she would be shamed.

Readying herself, the Human girl threw back her cloak and she reached for the hilt of one of her daggers. She pulled the razor sharp weapon free and she stared at the head of the Yeti. Reaching down, she slid her fingers through the fur of the creature's head and lifted it. She nearly vomited right then and there, but she fought past it as she put her dagger to its throat, setting to work.

After several minutes of work, the head of the Yeti came free from its shoulders and she stared at the dead creature's skull. Blood coated her hands, and even though she wasn't use to it, it didn't bother her much to her surprise. It felt natural for her hands to be coated in blood and so she didn't wipe it away right away.

She cleaned the blade of the dagger she'd used and she sheathed it. Then, she pulled the daggers out of the Yeti's skull and sheathed them as well. Taking a deep breath, she pushed to her feet with the Yeti's head held in her hand against her leg and she walked over to the fire sphere. She couldn't leave it behind or she wouldn't have any light to guide her way out.

When she reached the corner, she bent down and closed her hands around the cool surface of the sphere. She straightened, and holding the sphere in her hand with the Yeti skull in the other hand, she made her way towards the hallway of which she'd come. It was with the skull of this Yeti that she was going to become a warrior of the Elk, and as she walked, she felt pride welling up in her chest.

When she saw the opening of the cavern back out into the Tundra, Diana smiled and pulled her fur hood up over her hair. Then, she stepped out of the cavern.

Today, Diana was a warrior of the Elk Barbarian tribe.

Acheron awoke slowly the next morning, his eyes opening and he stared at the roof of the room that he was in. He hadn't believed that he would get any sleep last night, but somehow, he'd managed to knock off at some point in the night. He didn't know when, but he didn't suppose that it was all that important. All that really mattered was that he'd managed to get some rest last night for the coming battle.

Sitting up, the Chaos Demon allowed the cover to fall into his lap. He ran a hand over his face, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He opened his mouth and yawned widely, his jaw practically cracking at how far his jaw spread with his yawn. Done yawning, he shook his head and sneezed. Then, he pulled the cover back and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

He pushed to his feet and he moved across the room, gathering up his clothing. He donned the clothing as he found it, and finally, he stopped in the middle of the room, fully dressed. He straightened and pulled the back of his midnight black hair out of the back of his tunic, the single braid falling down his back. This done, he walked to the door and opened it, stepping out into the hallway beyond.

The hallway of the palace was already lit with the crystals embedded in the roof and that gave him plenty of light to make his way down the hallway. The Command Assassin could smell cooking food, and if he were honest with himself, he would admit that he was hungry. Breakfast was a good meal, and for the day that he was most likely to have, it was going to be an important one as well. He would need all the energy he could get.

His booted feet echoed with every step, alerting anyone just up ahead to his presence. He wasn't worried about that though. Anyone that was in the palace was an ally and would know him. They wouldn't try to strike him down, and if they tried, the King would see the Star Elf dead for their betrayal.

Acheron nearly smiled at that thought. When he'd been a warrior of Dalkia, he'd never thought that anyone would trust a Demon. He'd believed that they would judge him because he was a Demon and he wasn't wrong on many occasions. However, since he'd come to the Wilds, he'd learned that there was a whole different breed of people all around the world.

The Chaos Demon stepped out into the audience chamber. The large room was empty and completely silent. It was kind of creepy how quiet it was when the last time he'd been in the room it had been so full of people and sound. He shook his head and moved on, his long legs carrying him down one of the many hallways of the palace towards the kitchens.

When he reached the kitchens, he saw a young Elven woman cooking a huge slab of meat over an open fire in one corner and another Elven woman in another corner currently peeling an ear of corn. He watched them for a moment, licking his lips. He was getting so hungry just from watching them. Suddenly, his stomach growled and he cursed inwardly at how loud it was. Surely they would've heard that and would be wondering about him being there with them, watching them as they worked.

One of the young Elven women turned around to face him. The look on her face was one of curiosity, but when she saw him, her curiosity turned into a smile. Her silver hair was gathered up in a tight bun on top of her head and her dark eyes glowed in her pale face. She was clad in a white shirt, flowing white skirts that fell to the back of her knees, black slippers, and a white apron over the top of her clothing. This kind of clothing was common among the kitchen staff and he'd noticed that they all wore similar items of clothing when working in the kitchens. Outside of the kitchens, they rarely wore their aprons and they looked like normal Elves.

"How may I help you, Sir?" the young Elven woman asked in a soft voice. She turned fully to face him with her question and she crossed her hands at the wrists in front of her. It was as if she was trying to appear as small as she possibly could in front of him, but that wasn't a hard thing for her to do. He was more than three feet taller than her after all so she appeared as a small child conversing with a fully grown adult.

The Chaos Demon took a step deeper into the kitchens and he sniffed the air a little bit. The meat over the open fire that she'd been cooking was nearly finished and he salivated at the thought of eating it. He noticed that the other woman in the kitchens was listening, but she hadn't turned to look at them. She wanted to appear as if she wasn't paying attention even while she eavesdropped on their conversation.

He could care less about her eavesdropping. He was their friend and ally so he had nothing to fear or hide from them. He stood straight and rested his left hand on the hilt of his Diamond Blade, regarding her with eyes devoid of all emotion. She shifted under his stare, obviously uncomfortable, but she said nothing nor did she move away from him. She merely continued to wait for his answer and he admired her for that. She was brave, he would give her that much credit.

"I merely came to see how long breakfast was going to be. I see that you're working though and I shall leave you be." Acheron replied, turning on the charm as he looked at the woman. He saw her pale cheeks turn bright red and she looked down. He didn't turn off the charm however. Instead, he turned it up by bowing his head low to her and giving her a wide grin when he straightened his head once more. "I apologize for interrupting you. Carry on."

With that, he turned and left the kitchens. He left the way he came, but he took a left and went out into the dining area. He stopped in the doorway and stared at the long silver table, empty. However, he knew that it would be filled in a couple of hours, and after breakfast, battle plans would be drawn up. By about mid-day, the battle party would leave and there would be no turning back.

The Command Assassin walked to the window and stared out it at the Jungle beyond. When he'd come to the Whispering Jungle, he'd never believed that things would be the way that they were now. True, he'd come for allies and he'd hoped beyond hope that it would be easy to make allies. He could've never known that it would've been foretold that he and the Star Elves would be allies. That he would join with the Star Elves to help drive back and destroy the thing that plagued his brand new allies.

Even if he'd known that before, it wouldn't have stopped him. If anything, it would've hastened him to the Whispering Jungle and he wouldn't have worried too much over them. Of all the things that had happened over the past couple of years, this was the strangest part of his journey. It was a welcome part of his journey though, and if he had to do it over again, he would do so. Freedom had been what he'd sought after when he'd left Dalkia, and over the past couple of years, he'd begun to grow more confident that he could attain it.

The Command Assassin heard voices approaching down the hall so he turned to face them. He waited until the people stepped through the hallway and he blanked his expression. He watched as the Warrior Lord who wielded the two bladed javelin and the Warrior Lord who wielded the Waraxe came through the hall into the dining area. They were speaking with one another while they were laughing, showing their brotherhood.

Both men stopped talking when they saw him standing there and they stared at him. He stared back, not the least bit uncomfortable. Then, the javelin wielding Star Elf stepped towards him and held out a hand to him with a smile. Nodding his head once, he took the Elf's hand and shook it. When their hands fell away from one another, he repeated the process with the other Star Elf.

"Forgive me, Acheron. I never did introduce myself." the javelin wielding Star Elf said with an apologetic voice. He bowed his head low and smiled at him. "My name is Sirius and my esteemed colleague here is called Orion. In case you couldn't tell, we're brothers."

The Chaos Demon was slightly surprised by this, but once he heard it, he could see it. They had the same shaped faces and their lips were much the same. Their eye color was exactly the same color of dark silver, an almost grey color. However, it was the way they held themselves that hinted the most at their brotherhood. They had the same straight backed and thrown back shoulder way of standing, their heads slightly leaning to one side. It was very distinctive and he kicked himself for not seeing it before.

"As I'm sure both of you know already, my name is Acheron." Acheron replied almost cheekily and he allowed his mask of indifference to slip. There was no reason to keep up his emotionless look when he was in the presence of friends and they were most definitely friends. He'd fought side by side with them against the Undead and he was intending to do the same today. If they weren't good enough to be considered friends, then he didn't know what was. "It's nice to meet both of you."

The two Elves nodded again, but they said nothing as they turned away from him. They walked over to the long table and they took a seat at the table. He blinked and looked at them, surprised by their matter of fact actions, but he didn't suppose he should be surprised. This was their home after all and they could do whatever it was they pleased. He was the one who needed to feel a little on edge even though he was considered a friend and ally of the Star Elves now.

Before to long, others began to arrive and the table was filled quickly. Most of them were the Warrior Lords, come to meet and discuss what they were going to do. He had little doubt that each of the Lords was curious about their own part in the battle. The Chaos Demon was curious about his own part that he would play in this battle after all so it would be natural for them to wonder the same thing. For all the people there, the King was missing and that left two seats open, one at one end of the table and the other at the other end of the table.

Deciding it was best to wait in the arms of company, the Command Assassin walked across the room and sat down at the end of the table. He noticed that the table was conspicuously empty of all plates, cups, and other cutlery. He supposed that that was brought out with the food, and speaking of the food, he wondered just how much longer they would have to wait.

He shook his head at his own impatience, his emotion out of place. Normally, he was a very patient person and nothing bothered him. Since he'd been in the Whispering Jungle though, everything had gone haywire. He had to wonder if that had something to do with the massive power that he'd sensed in the Jungle. Was there something in the Jungle that was able to alter or even exacerbate one's emotions? He'd never heard of such a thing, but then again, he'd never heard of Elves from the stars either. He wasn't all knowing so he knew that there was a distinct possibility that such a thing could exist.

Just as he began to really get into those thoughts, the next person walked through the doorway into the dining area. It was King Taro himself and each step he took looked to be well thought out. He was nothing if not a tactician, and from what he could tell of the man, a very good one. He was very intelligent, that much was evident in the first time you met him. It was the strength that he had within him that he hadn't guessed at and he never would've believed that he could be so powerful, but he'd been proven otherwise.

Acheron watched the Star Elf walk across the room and take his seat at the head of the table. He stared straight ahead and met Acheron's gaze, nodding his head once. Then, he turned his eyes to the Lord at his left and the two men fell into conversation.

The Chaos Demon could've very easily listened in, but he didn't want to. There was nothing that they were talking about that he should be interested in. When their meeting started, then the interesting conversation would be held. Until then, he wasn't going to worry about the conversations going on simultaneously around him, and when food came, he was going to eat quickly. There was no reason to take forever on a meal when they had much more important things to get to today.

Just as that thought entered his mind, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He cut his eyes in that direction and he watched as three female Star Elves walked out of the kitchens. Each one was holding a plate of something different. One had meats on her plate, another had the vegetables, and another carried two pitchers of what looked to be tea.

The women approached the table and they sat the plates of food and drank in the middle of the table. Then, they disappeared back into the kitchens only to reappear with bare plates and empty glasses this time. They walked around, depositing plates and glasses in front of each man, giving the Warriors a little bow each time. Each Warrior thanked the women, and when the women got to the Command Assassin, he thanked them as well.

He watched them disappear into the kitchens once more, but this time, they didn't come back out. Their job was done which meant that they could go about the rest of their day. He heard movement around him and he looked around. The Lords around him were already reaching for the food, filling their plates and their glasses for their meal. In other places it might've been a free for all frenzy, but here, they seemed to value courtesy towards one another and the loading of plates and filling of glasses was slow going though uncluttered.

Picking up the fork that lay beside his plate, Acheron began to get his own food and he was careful to be just as courteous to those around him. He loaded his plate with thick chunks of ham as well as a healthy amount of corn, green beans, and slices of carrots. With that done, he sat the plate down and reached out for the pitcher of tea, pouring his cup full of the liquid.

Just to make sure it was what the thought it was, the Chaos Demon lifted his glass and took a drink of the tea. Flavor exploded on his tongue and he drank it down eagerly. Ah yes, their sweet tea that tasted nothing like the pine needle tea that he was use to. However, this was a welcome change and he sat the glass back down on the table.

Satisfied that he'd gotten enough food, Acheron picked up his fork once again and he began to eat.

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Acre ate his food slowly and without mess. He had been trained from birth to be a manner filled person in everything from speaking to eating. He took his manners very seriously and he wouldn't tolerate if he ever belched in public. He'd never heard anyone actually do that, but he knew it happened. People on the outside simply didn't care for manners and he found that to be deplorable.

His eyes rose from his plate, his mouth closed while he chewed his foot. His gaze met the face of Acheron and he saw - to his surprise - that he was eating just as a Star Elf would. He found it amazing that a Demon such as Acheron would have any manners. When he'd pictured Demons when they ate, he'd always pictured them tearing into their food and not caring how much got on their faces or clothes.

Acheron was directly the opposite.

The Star Elf shook his head and went back to his meal. Unlike most meals, this one was completely quiet, everyone too absorbed in their own thoughts to think about cracking a joke or enjoying a round of merriment. They knew what was going to happen today and they all knew that it wasn't going to be good. They could all die and leave their families behind. That wasn't something that any of them wanted.