OVirus53
11-09-2009, 03:18 AM
Review thread: http://otaku-streamers.com/community/showthread.php?p=35185#post35185
I wrote this about a month ago as sort of a prologue story to a personal comic project I'm currently working on.
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It was nighttime in the desert town of Karshyf. Four cloaked figures knelt atop a two-story building overlooking much of the rest of the town. Their garb was a combination of black and dark brown, each wearing a mask with red warpaint smeared across it, each in a different pattern. The leader turned to the rest of the group behind him, his mask smeared with warpaint in the design of a scar over one eye.
The leader spoke to the figure immediately behind him, "This is your first mission, rookie?"
The rookie's mask had a rough smile smeared across it in warpaint. "Yeah, it shouldn't be too much trouble. Right, Scar?" he replied, as he juggled his knives eagerly.
Scar plucked one of the knives out of the air just as the rookie was about to catch it.
"Yeah, it shouldn't be. As long as you don't screw up. Preacher," he gestured at the figure with a cross painted on his mask, "keep an eye on Jester's backside."
Preacher nodded, and appeared to whisper a prayer. Scar shook his head and turned to the fourth, smaller figure, her mask had a bird's talons painted on it.
"Talon, you're the lookout. Let us know if something's up." he said. "We'll need some cover if things turn bad."
She tilted her head to one side, and sighed, "Lookout again? Scar, have you forgotten my abilities recently?"
"No. You always tend to make a mess out of anyone you touch, and we need it rather clean this time," he replied.
Talon shrugged.
"It's not my fault that they go to pieces when I cut them." she said.
Scar sighed heavily. "We're wasting time. Talon, can you sense where the target is in the building?"
She fell silent for a moment and then replied, "There are thirteen people in the building. Ten of them are on the bottom floor. Likely guards. The top floor," she gestured just below them, "has three people. Two of them are located outside of the master bedroom, and the third is asleep inside the master bedroom. He's likely who we're after. I'm not detecting any magical wards, but one of the men downstairs is a magician. A powerful one, too. Avoid him if you can."
Scar contemplated this for a moment and said, "Right. Jester, you and Preacher take out the two guards..." He thought for a moment and continued, "...and do it quietly. I'll take out the target in the master bedroom."
Jester spoke up, "Hey, do any of you know why we're going to kill this guy? I mean, isn't this desert a little out of the way?"
Talon punched him in the arm.
Scar shook his head and replied, "Do you even pay attention? We found evidence that he's been funding multiple outlaw organizations that we've been working to eliminate. If we cut him down, we cut off their funding, and that makes it easier for us."
Jester rubbed his arm as he backed away from Talon.
"Sorry I brought it up..." he said.
Scar moved to the edge of the roof, overlooking a window below him.
"Let's move in," he said, "Talon, put out the lights."
Talon once again fell silent. Jester felt the wind stir up, and saw the light coming from the window below them dissipate as the candles in the room were put out. Scar motioned at the others, and swung from the roof into the window below. Jester and Preacher followed him in. Jester could hear the guards shuffling around in the confusion of the darkness. He grinned beneath his mask. The assassin's eyes were already adjusted to the darkness of the night, and he could see the guards clearly. Preacher moved forward from his left side and silently felled one of the guards. Jester moved in from behind the other, covered his mouth and placed a blade through his throat.
Scar moved silently into the master bedroom. His target was in plain sight, and still asleep. He drew a poisoned blade as he approached the unsuspecting victim, paused a moment, and silently plunged it into his heart. He immediately felt a small shock pass through his hand and knew something was wrong. He turned and moved to the door. Talon's voice spoke to him in his mind.
"Trap. Guards. Move. Now." she said.
He saw the other two begin moving towards the window, but froze. He noticed that his legs stopped moving as well. The room lit up as the guards stormed into the room and surrounded the assassins, followed by a robed figured carrying a staff.
The robed figure stepped forward and spoke, "Well, well. Looks like having a decoy payed off. I've caught myself three little assassins trying to act like big people."
Scar clenched his teeth, unable to speak. The assassins were trapped in some sort of paralyzing spell.
The robed figure spoke again, "I suppose it doesn't matter who you work for. Countless people likely want me dead. So I guess there's no point in keeping you fools alive. Guards," he motioned to his henchmen, "kill them."
The guards began to step forward, but halted as the room immediately turned black. The assassins heard the guards stumble about in confusion for a moment, then heard one cry out and hit the floor. The room turned into shrouded melee, the guards yelling out to each other and swinging their blades at shadows. The guards were being picked off one at a time. Jester heard a scream that was cut short, and felt something roll against his boot. He was sure it was a head.
The magician dispelled the artificial darkness only to find that his guards were spent. He began to cast a spell, but was cut short from behind by Talon's curved sword. As the magician fell to the floor, his spell over the assassins faded and they began to move again.
Scar couldn't help but admire Talon's brutal artwork. The guards all lay strewn about the room in a horrifyingly bloody mess. He also couldn't help but grimace at it. Preacher moved from corpse to corpse, whispering prayers for the dead. Jester appeared to be stunned by what just happened.
Scar shook his head and stepped forward.
"I gotta hand it to you, Talon," he laughed, "You really are dangerous."
"I've told you before," she replied, "I'm the best of the best."
"And that's why I kept you out there. Jester," said Scar, "Snap out of it, will you?"
Jester jumped a bit, and replied, "Huh? Sorry. What is it?"
Scar looked at Jester for a moment, then walked forward and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Welcome to the Shadowstriders." he said.
He walked to the window and swung back to the rooftop. The others followed, and were long gone by the time the city watch arrived on scene.
I wrote this about a month ago as sort of a prologue story to a personal comic project I'm currently working on.
================================================
It was nighttime in the desert town of Karshyf. Four cloaked figures knelt atop a two-story building overlooking much of the rest of the town. Their garb was a combination of black and dark brown, each wearing a mask with red warpaint smeared across it, each in a different pattern. The leader turned to the rest of the group behind him, his mask smeared with warpaint in the design of a scar over one eye.
The leader spoke to the figure immediately behind him, "This is your first mission, rookie?"
The rookie's mask had a rough smile smeared across it in warpaint. "Yeah, it shouldn't be too much trouble. Right, Scar?" he replied, as he juggled his knives eagerly.
Scar plucked one of the knives out of the air just as the rookie was about to catch it.
"Yeah, it shouldn't be. As long as you don't screw up. Preacher," he gestured at the figure with a cross painted on his mask, "keep an eye on Jester's backside."
Preacher nodded, and appeared to whisper a prayer. Scar shook his head and turned to the fourth, smaller figure, her mask had a bird's talons painted on it.
"Talon, you're the lookout. Let us know if something's up." he said. "We'll need some cover if things turn bad."
She tilted her head to one side, and sighed, "Lookout again? Scar, have you forgotten my abilities recently?"
"No. You always tend to make a mess out of anyone you touch, and we need it rather clean this time," he replied.
Talon shrugged.
"It's not my fault that they go to pieces when I cut them." she said.
Scar sighed heavily. "We're wasting time. Talon, can you sense where the target is in the building?"
She fell silent for a moment and then replied, "There are thirteen people in the building. Ten of them are on the bottom floor. Likely guards. The top floor," she gestured just below them, "has three people. Two of them are located outside of the master bedroom, and the third is asleep inside the master bedroom. He's likely who we're after. I'm not detecting any magical wards, but one of the men downstairs is a magician. A powerful one, too. Avoid him if you can."
Scar contemplated this for a moment and said, "Right. Jester, you and Preacher take out the two guards..." He thought for a moment and continued, "...and do it quietly. I'll take out the target in the master bedroom."
Jester spoke up, "Hey, do any of you know why we're going to kill this guy? I mean, isn't this desert a little out of the way?"
Talon punched him in the arm.
Scar shook his head and replied, "Do you even pay attention? We found evidence that he's been funding multiple outlaw organizations that we've been working to eliminate. If we cut him down, we cut off their funding, and that makes it easier for us."
Jester rubbed his arm as he backed away from Talon.
"Sorry I brought it up..." he said.
Scar moved to the edge of the roof, overlooking a window below him.
"Let's move in," he said, "Talon, put out the lights."
Talon once again fell silent. Jester felt the wind stir up, and saw the light coming from the window below them dissipate as the candles in the room were put out. Scar motioned at the others, and swung from the roof into the window below. Jester and Preacher followed him in. Jester could hear the guards shuffling around in the confusion of the darkness. He grinned beneath his mask. The assassin's eyes were already adjusted to the darkness of the night, and he could see the guards clearly. Preacher moved forward from his left side and silently felled one of the guards. Jester moved in from behind the other, covered his mouth and placed a blade through his throat.
Scar moved silently into the master bedroom. His target was in plain sight, and still asleep. He drew a poisoned blade as he approached the unsuspecting victim, paused a moment, and silently plunged it into his heart. He immediately felt a small shock pass through his hand and knew something was wrong. He turned and moved to the door. Talon's voice spoke to him in his mind.
"Trap. Guards. Move. Now." she said.
He saw the other two begin moving towards the window, but froze. He noticed that his legs stopped moving as well. The room lit up as the guards stormed into the room and surrounded the assassins, followed by a robed figured carrying a staff.
The robed figure stepped forward and spoke, "Well, well. Looks like having a decoy payed off. I've caught myself three little assassins trying to act like big people."
Scar clenched his teeth, unable to speak. The assassins were trapped in some sort of paralyzing spell.
The robed figure spoke again, "I suppose it doesn't matter who you work for. Countless people likely want me dead. So I guess there's no point in keeping you fools alive. Guards," he motioned to his henchmen, "kill them."
The guards began to step forward, but halted as the room immediately turned black. The assassins heard the guards stumble about in confusion for a moment, then heard one cry out and hit the floor. The room turned into shrouded melee, the guards yelling out to each other and swinging their blades at shadows. The guards were being picked off one at a time. Jester heard a scream that was cut short, and felt something roll against his boot. He was sure it was a head.
The magician dispelled the artificial darkness only to find that his guards were spent. He began to cast a spell, but was cut short from behind by Talon's curved sword. As the magician fell to the floor, his spell over the assassins faded and they began to move again.
Scar couldn't help but admire Talon's brutal artwork. The guards all lay strewn about the room in a horrifyingly bloody mess. He also couldn't help but grimace at it. Preacher moved from corpse to corpse, whispering prayers for the dead. Jester appeared to be stunned by what just happened.
Scar shook his head and stepped forward.
"I gotta hand it to you, Talon," he laughed, "You really are dangerous."
"I've told you before," she replied, "I'm the best of the best."
"And that's why I kept you out there. Jester," said Scar, "Snap out of it, will you?"
Jester jumped a bit, and replied, "Huh? Sorry. What is it?"
Scar looked at Jester for a moment, then walked forward and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Welcome to the Shadowstriders." he said.
He walked to the window and swung back to the rooftop. The others followed, and were long gone by the time the city watch arrived on scene.