Vessel of Dark and Light Ch. 01

He looked across and sighed, "You have better than average skills for a human. I will give you that. The deadfall injured one of my men and it took us a few days to tend to his wounds. Trisna was pissed at herself for getting caught by your bow strike. You took her emergency exit out. She found another but it slowed her rendezvous with the rest of my team. I thought it might be best if we started over."

Chazzen nodded to him but did not lower his bow from his hand, "I knew someone was in my home. I set markers that were disturbed."

He nodded, "I know. I meant for you to find those. What they do not tell you is how many are here." Chazzen soon found 4 swords pointed at his neck. He lowered the bow. He nodded, "No it would not. Even though I can hear 2 more breathing."

The Sword Lord laughed and smiled. He saw the woman and another appear after that. He unstrung his bow. Chazzen looked at him, "You want to start over then you might want to get the one from behind me to step out as well."

He smiled again, "Training you would be much easier than some. You have trained yourself well."

chazzen waited for the halfling to come around and sheath his two daggers. Chazzen nodded at him. "Might I suggest not eating the local Rizen sausage. It leaves a certain smell in the air."

The others chuckled at the halfling being 'caught' by food. The Sword Lord looked at him, "Why did you run?"

Chazzen sighed, "I had no reason to trust you. Definitely not her."

The Sword Lord looked at her, "Why?"

Chazzen stared, "She told me I had to kill the magistrate. She old me CC was dead and all I could do was avenge her. Your people were watching her and you let her die."

The Sword Lord hung his head, "She was dead when she heard you testify in front of the Magister."

Chazzen nodded, "I thought about that and that caused me not to trust you because you ensured I answered those questions in front of her. Sealing her death as it were."

He nodded, "I can see how you got there. Your conclusions. Not that they were right. She was already in their service. She did not know it but she talked too much about you and that scar. That was how I came to be waiting for you along with the other 3. I heard it from a source who passed through the area and then those 3 showed.

I knew if they sent 3 hunters you were important to them. I did not know why until you talked with me that evening. She may have been a fine girl but she was a gossip. When you need stealth, a gossip is the last one you would protect. Even for you. Especially for you."

The Sword Lord paused and looked at Chazzen, "You stopped and waited for us?"

He nodded, "I did. I needed more answers and knew if your reputation was half as good as the legends were, you would find me. I know you have been here for a couple of weeks at least."

The Sword Lord smiled at him, "Almost four weeks. Long enough to disarm this place."

Chazzen smiled, "I rearmed this place and added new traps every day before leaving. Your invisibility spells and the like notwithstanding, I doubt you got them all."

He smiled, "Check."

Chazzen looked around and found the ones in the room disarmed. He pulled the staircase to the loft and looked at him, "Please stand."

He stood and pulled one from within that sent the bed he had been sitting upon against the window. He would have been launched out of the window. The Sword Lord looked at him, "Very well, much better than average skills."

He looked at the halfling who looked chagrined at having missed that one. The others chuckled at his reaction. Chazzen looked at him, "That was one of the first ones I put in place. I did not go and check it as I could tell you had not disarmed it and I did not want to give it away. Did you kill the magistrate?"

He shook his head, "No. I have agents watching who he comes into contact with. He was not happy about your escape and even less so when he found out how bad they wanted you. They took his eldest daughter. She was returned a week later. Black and blue, raped and pregnant. They hired members of the local thieves' guild to do that.

They warned him they did not care how old his other six daughters were, they would all suffer a similar fate if you were not captured soon. His youngest is thirteen. He has every reason to want you dead but he needs you alive. He has his own men after you.

The ones who followed me I had to eliminate almost immediately. I am not officially pursuing you. With him alive, I could not make that happen. They know you have been purified and that pissed them off even more. We have time, but you remain here and these people will be found and they will die."

Chazzen nodded, walked over and broke the two oil lamps he had on the floor. "Best to leave nothing behind." He grabbed his pack and strung his bow. "You still have my horses?"

He smiled, "They are safe. Good horses, but you know that."

The Sword Lord opened a portal and they stepped through to some far-off place. One of them threw a burning lamp back through. He could feel the heat from his former home burning before the portal closed. He walked over to the stable and tended to his horses. His steed had been busy in his absence as the mare was with foal. He brushed them both down.

He fed them, "I missed you too my friend."

The horse had rested his head against his arm as he patted his neck.

---

Chazzen spent just under a year learning some new skills and even teaching one or two to some of the others. It took 6 months for Trisna to forgive him for hitting her and then another 2 before he got her to warm his bed. Trisna's body was built for sin. She had an hourglass figure, weighed all of a hundred pounds, and had a very pretty face.

She told him a month ago that mine would be the only cock between her legs. She wanted to share women with him or have him watch her with the lady if the other was not into cock. He agreed with her as they knew they would love each other but had never said the words to each other.

An agreement they made before she allowed him into her room and bed months ago. She was a solid c-cup with no sag and she would be that way for a thousand years. Today was some big meeting to evaluate Chazzen's progress. He awoke early and had her in his arms.

He kissed her neck and she sighed, "You are insatiable."

He smiled, "That was what you were yelling last night as I bent you over the bed and took you from behind. I thought it was 'fuck me harder' but it must have been you are insatiable."

She elbowed him in the ribs and turned on him and smiled, "I did yell that and that does not change the fact that you are insatiable."

She threw her leg over him and mounted him. Her warm wet and tight cunt massaging his cock as she went down. She then went on a fast and hard ride. This woman did not care for slow or soft lovemaking with men. She liked it fast and hard. That did not mean she wanted him popping off too soon. She just wanted them to move extremely fast even if he went an hour before she was ready to call it an evening.

She grabbed the headboard and rode him faster and faster for the next half hour until she wailed out an ear-piercing climax. He thrust up into her constricted cunt and filled it as best as he could. The way her cunt massaged him he could stay hard inside her. He rolled her over and kept it going for another 20 minutes until there was banging on the door.

He heard, "Jeronnam wants you both outside."

He learned that was the name of the Sword Lord and his Master Instructor in the days that followed his arrival. He had no issues when Trisna and Chazzen hooked up. He knew she was infertile; one of the traits of female vessels. She bit into his shoulder in frustration as she knew she could not say anything about being interrupted.

It was her promise to continue this later. He pulled out of her now gaping cunt and He heard her groan in frustration. She sighed and nodded, then mouthed the words, 'I know.' They both knew they had to get moving. They cleaned up quickly and went down armored and armed for battle.

There was where he heard an argument going on in the courtyard with another Sword Lord about the course they should take. He was not fluent in elven but he knew enough to know it was about him and wanting to keep him secured and away from any battle. He also recognized the sword at the side of the new arrival.

Chazzen broke into the discussion, "As this discussion is centered on me, why don't we include me in the discussion?"

The new arrival looked at him with disgust, "Your input does not matter."

Chazzen looked at him, "I would say the same of your input in the matter."

Chazzen turned from him knowing he had pissed this new arrival off. He heard the rustle of his cloak as he turned to attack Chazzen. Chazen swung back with his bow to do a bow strike and he slid under the strike came up with a spinning kick that Chazzen could not move to avoid.

Chazzen surprised him when he 'phase-shifted' and his foot passed through. Chazzen pushed a forward kick before returning and caught him square in the chest sending him flying across the courtyard.

The Sword Lord on the ground looked at Jeronnam, "When did you teach him that? That is not a skill for him!"

Jeronnam looked over, "Trisna apparently taught him that. He seems to have adapted it well."

Chazzen looked at the new arrival, "You are both wrong. I saw her do it and figured out how she did it. I added it myself. As to being a skill for me, it is my understanding if you learn a skill on your own then the skill is yours. Regardless if you believe I should have it."

Jeronnam laughed at that comment. Chazzen looked at the elf as he got up, "Did he tell you how much of a pain in the ass I was to track before I received training? I am here because I chose to be here. Not because your order demanded it. Now, why don't you bring the other 5 Sword Lords who are observing this into the discussion."

That caught him and Jeronnam off guard. He looked back as Jeronnam as he spoke, "What other Sword Lords?"

Chazzen glared, "Really?"

He drew back and fired over his head and one of then snagged the arrow in front of his chest. He spun sideways and fired behind him and another caught that arrow. He landed, "Do I need to continue?"

He nodded. Chazzen shrugged. He put four arrows into the large tree behind him and used them as steps and put himself into a tree branch hooked his leg. Swung under and up. He fired high into the tree. The Sword Lord cut his arrow in half while he stood on the upper branch before it could go under his chin. The Sword Lord he had knocked to the ground earlier fired an arrow that pinned his bow with a web arrow.

Chazzen flipped down and drew his bastard sword. He threw a smoke bomb and backflipped and kicked another Sword Lord into the center of the courtyard. He went to bring his sword down upon him and the next one blocked his shot. Chazzen backed away. "Good enough now?"

Jeronnam nodded, "Good enough for now."

The one he knocked to the ground earlier looked at him, "Is his sword skills up to the task?"

Chazzen looked at him, "Feel up to finding out?"

Jeronnam called out, "Hold, both of you!"

Chazzen knew better than to drop his guard but did it anyway. The one lord disappeared. Chazzen went into an overhead block and caught the strike from behind him and rolled forward. He called out, "Need to do better than that."

He heard him approaching from the side. Chazzen acted like he was coming in behind him and swung wide with one hand on the blade and wide around the side of the 'true attack.' He cut him across the stomach which caught all of them off guard. Chazzen rolled forward again and looked at him as he held up his blood-tinged sword.

They were shocked he connected with a Sword Lord; to draw blood. Chazzen looked at him, "End this now."

Jeronnam stood. He checked on the Lord he struck. It was deep but not life-threatening. Enough to get Chazzen's point across. Jeronnam nodded to him, "Sheath it."

Chazzen nodded and cleaned the blade and sheathed it. He looked at his training Master, "I believe custom dictates that I have a say in my own future after having drawn blood on a Sword Lord?"

He sighed and nodded, "You are years ahead on your training of what we would expect of a human. Then again, you are not fully human and they have been reminded of this fact and now understand what I have been saying."

Chazzen looked at him, "Why do they want me hidden away?"

Jeronnam looked at him, "As long as you live, they cannot create new vessels. That was why they had thieves' rape that girl and all of the magistrate's other daughters since then. They are effectively sterile until a new leader is found. They want to kill them off while in this weakened state without risking you."

Chazzen nodded his understanding and then looked at him, "No."

Jeronnam looked shocked, "No?"

Chazzen sighed, "Long before you found me, I swore a blood oath over my mother's grave. To finish them off. I am therefore honor-bound to pursue that course. The reason I let you catch up and train me was to get the skills I needed to succeed in that task. If anyone understands a blood oath and honor, it would be a Sword Lord."

He sighed, "We will confer in private but you have had your say in the matter."

Chazzen nodded to him, freed his bow, and went back to his quarters. Trisna came in behind him, "You struck a Sword Lord and drew blood! I have been here for 10 years and seen students who have been here a hundred years who have not done that. In fact, it is the first I have seen or heard of it happening."

He nodded, "They are rare but more common when the one struck is not your instructor. Your instructor knows your moves, your patterns. I apparently knew how to piss off the other one. He made mistakes and they will talk with him about his mistakes."

She looked at Chazzen, "How do you know this?"

He sighed and looked at her, "Because I read it. Months before he 'found me' I read a captured book on Sword Lords. It was on a group of bandits I took down. There were twelve of them and they were not easy prey. I apparently caught their leader in my first attack and evaded. I believe he was a former student based on how he moved.

This led to some infighting to assert dominance over the group. They killed 3 of their own and all of them were injured when I came again. I killed the 3 in the best shape. The rest fled the area. The book was among the belongings left behind in a hurry. I took what I could carry safely and got back into the trees. Then got a safe distance away before they could heal up and attempt a return.

Their strength was in having numbers. Based upon the journal they got 'lucky.' They found one resting from injuries and overwhelmed him with numbers. They were 3 times larger at that point. Led by that former student."

She looked at me, "How do you know this?"

Chazzen nodded, "Because I went back and killed all but 2. I told them one would live and one would die. The one who gave me answers would live. One refused. The other pontificated everything. The other kept yelling at him to shut up. When he finished, I killed the stubborn one. I took the other over to the ax pit in the camp. I used the pommel of my blade and broke every bone in his hand.

I told him, 'That was for stealing.' I dropped his pants and cut off has his manhood. I told him, 'That was for the rapes you committed.' I then poured a healing potion into him. I looked at him, 'That was for answering my questions and keeping my promise not to kill you.'

He was dead two days later when the wolves caught the scent of the blood in his clothes. I tracked him as he attempted to leave on foot. I took all of the horses and all of the gear except for a bow and dagger and food for three days. The one other weapon I left at the camp, but far up in the trees, was the Sword of the fallen Sword Lord.

When I went back 7 days later it was gone. I never saw it again, until today on the elf who attacked me. He wielded the blade. It likely belonged to his father and he was honor-bound to recover the blade and take vengeance on those who took it."

She looked at him, "But you killed them?"

Chazzen nodded, "I also left the sword behind. I knew they would come. I would be hunted for having that sword. That was why I left it and checked on it. As I left it behind in the carnage, he had no reason to hunt me for completing the vengeance. That does not mean he is not upset about me taking that 'right' from him. Also, in that book."

She looked at Chazzen, "Why tell me this now?"

Chazzen looked at the corner of the room, "I was telling him how I did it and the circumstances around it."

She looked over and Sword Lord appeared out of nowhere. He nodded at them and disappeared as quickly.

He looked at her, "I learned from that book some of their methods. By learning the basics here, I was able to adapt to the advanced things like the phase-shifting I did on him. Once I saw you do that a few times I learned the pieces I was missing to do it. How I knew of methods to evade or should I say make it more difficult for Jeronnam to find me. Is that not right Master?"

She looked behind them at him in the doorway and she silently cursed not having picked up on his presence. He walked in and sat next to them, "I knew you were experienced at evading but until now did I know the source of that skill."

Chazzen shook his head, "I learned a lot of it growing up. I just adapted in additional pieces from what I read. I knew he found and recovered the book from my camp as well, but I had read enough at that point. Enough to know not to draw that weapon and to ensure it stayed protected until he came for the weapon.

It was tied, secured in an animal skin, and left on that branch where I knew he would find it. He would know that whoever took the vengeance knew enough to not earn his wrath. If he stuck around and watched my camp he knew when I returned and who I was when he saw me.

The fact that I am a vessel of importance he did not know at that time. Not until the dream visit if I am correct. Maybe before then. He identified me as a vessel when he took the book, yet he but did not try to recruit me.

It was probably because of his anger at my having taken that honor to reclaim the blade from him. I could not be certain but his actions bore that he was angry at me for having taken that honor. His emotions led to his mistakes. I believe this kind of meeting, in the waking world, is rare."

He nodded, "Yes, to mask our numbers and to keep our number of trained soldiers unknown to the world at large. Even then it is only a small number of senior leaders and those who have a vested interest. Until now I did not know his interest in you personally. You demonstrated you were worthy of his respect. He will not attack like that again. Unless you turn rogue, like that other student."

Chazzen nodded, "Holding me back from my oath would be the only reason to do that. You would do no less."

Jeronnam held his head down and sighed, "I agree with you as do the majority here now. Including the elf you struck with your blade. You will be in this fight but you will start on the outer edge of the circle and build up your skills before we move on the center of them. Before we attack their fortress."

Chazzen looked at him, "You know where it is?"

Jeronnam shook his head, "It is like a portal, in the fact that it moves and can be gone for years at a time. Without a leader, it will eventually find a home. It may have already, but we have not found it. That is why we have to be patient. You will lead this new team. You have been here the least amount of time but of the eight of you, you have the most skill.

Both in battle, perception, and from what I have seen and heard in a woman's bed. I will caution you while she is infertile you are anything but. You should know CC was carrying your child when she died. She did not know it yet but we divined that from her body. I will also tell you that you should seek out women to mate with during your travels."