They arrived at the edge of a camp at nightfall; Protector was worn out from the past four days of running, If Rose was too she wasn’t showing it. Damn he thought, she is good, maybe a little too good.
“Well, there it is” she said “I have no clue what you’re going to do here”. He scratched his chin contemplating his next move. “How high up in rank is this camp’s commander?” he asked.
“High enough to mean something if he is killed, but not high enough to talk to the boss directly” she responded. “He was the first to contact me about my mission though, and he is the one who will bring all these warriors down on your tiny little forest”. Protector immediately stood up and proceeded into the center of the encampment. Rose ran and grabbed him, pulling him back into the bush. “What in the name of The Thunder God are you doing?!”
“Simple walk in talk to him, persuade him not to attack” Protector said
“Diplomacy won’t work her!” she almost wanted to yell “you’re a damned fool if you try that!”
“Who said I was try diplomacy?” he smirked and got up and ran towards the camp. Rose didn’t chase him, only watched a suicidal man walk away.
The guard was already tired, but he still had a few hours left of his shift before he could sleep. His eyes lazy with exhaustion scanned the blackened tree line. He didn’t see anything, he didn’t hear the practiced silent footsteps, didn’t notice the dagger flying till it blood was gushing from his neck and he fell to the ground dying very fast.
Protector came up swiftly and removed the dagger, “I’m sorry you had this happen” he whispered into the dead ears, swiftly drawing the sign of the three rays over the fresh corpse. He cleaned the dagger, sheathed it and slowly drew his swords he crept into the camp. One by one the soldiers fell to Protectors swords, his movements were different in the shadows: cold, calm, calculating. It was almost like a different man was wielding his body, Protector went from the man in the woods into a weapon, a machine from years of honed practice and trying work, pushed to mental, physical and even spiritual limits. Protector didn’t think of those long days, nor the men he slew so easily now. What he thought of was finishing off the general leaving Rose in the dust and going home to his brothers, to his forest, to the place that was familiar. The thought of home brought a smile to his lips as he decapitated a nearby guard who unfortunately was unaware of someone else there.
Finally Protector found the main tent and stepped in. the general was fat, balding, and had a thick curly black beard on his double chin. He slept soundly on a bed of silk pillows two beautiful sky clad maidens at his sides. Pathetic isn’t he? A voice said in his head, almost like a whisper.
What? Who are you?
Oh child, you already know the answer to that question. I’ve been here all along watching you grow, just needed this catalyst to show myself to you.
No… this cannot be… Protector’s heart raced suddenly. He remembered the legends, the “ghost stories” of his peoples past but, here, NOW, what was happening to him?
Calm your heart my child, this is a natural course for you. Come now let us finish this task at hand, shall we? It’s oh so easy to do just simply drive Strength through his chest and we can go home. He couldn’t explain it but Protector sensed a smile on the lips from which these words came. He felt impulses from deep within his being: “kill him! Burn him! Burn it all!” “No!” It was all he could do but shout it. Protector remembered his training, and with all his will pushed back the voice and the urges till his mind was his again and his thoughts unclouded by a strangers words. Protector strode over to the man preformed a coup de grace and walked out simple as that don’t worry child I’ll be back soon enough, this won’t be our last little chat. He shook his head violently as he snuck out of the camp and back to Rose.
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