1 Prologue: Cursed Name

The High Captain's guards followed him every where, four men all well armed and trained. All four men wearing the crest of the elite. Setting them apart from the common guard and night watch men. Common soldiers and students made way for them as they passed by. Bowing their heads to show respect. The high captain was average height with short curly brown hair, he had light brown eyes and dressed himself in blue and black clothing with matching light armour. His left hand carried an unusually long gauntlet that stretch to his elbow, sheeted and always at the ready he carried his famous reaper. This high captain named Kay fancies himself royalty and dresses himself in the same manner.

The four men were shadowed by a figure that stalked them high up near the rooftops running along the beam of the great building. The shadow figure followed the high captain unnoticed and unseen and creeping silently as the shadows themselves. Kay had finally stopped and was pacing back and forth in the back room looking out of a great big window. The building itself called, the Training tower, was a massive structure. It was originally design to be a mess hall for the soldiers but was reconstructed to be a training ground for the soldiers to master various weapons of the art of combat. Room hallways and doors were put in all over the great building. Quarters were in place for the students and instructors to sleep and practice. The only flaw in the building was the top structure that had rows of beams that ran along the roof and anyone that happen to be up there would get a bird eyes view of the entire build from the right vantage point. The whole design was a maze cramp inside a building, and on that vantage point an assassin stood up their porch on one of the beam, waiting ,watching and listening.

A few moments later Kay ordered his guards out the room, They left closing the room door behind them to stand and guard the entrance two guards on each side of the door. As soon as the door was closed a hooded man in robes with beautiful and detail snake design step through a hidden portal that suddenly opened from the opposite side of the room's door. Even in the dim light provided by the single candle, the quality of the man's clothing showed he was someone of great importance.

"Master Malignant!" the high captain bowed and said. It is an honour once again to be grace by your appearance. The master nodded and made no move to step away from the hidden door behind him and closer to the candle light. Malignant the assassin repeated. Where have I heard that name before. His thoughts racing back to his past to where and when he had heard that name before. But he couldn't recall anything. By shaking his head the thoughts went away and he regained his focus back to the scene at hand. He came for the high captain's head or information on the high captain which until now was believed to be the leader of this whole rebel army. Based on his previous encounter, it now seems he has stumbled on to something bigger. The assassin crept in for a closer look at Malignant and the high captain who were now standing side by side whispering to each other even though they were supposedly alone. The assassin was now at the very edge of the candle light hue. Any closer and some part of his body might be exposed to the light. The assassin waited patiently for the two men to break away from their whispering and resume a normal conversation at a suitable volume.But he had to step back further into the shadows as he looked down at the elite guards who suddenly looked tense and on the very edge of alertness. The assassin knew they were waiting for a signal or command from their captain. Somehow they knew they were being watch. The assassin began to step back towards the way he had came and into the embrace of complete darkness. His senses telling him he was being goaded into revealing himself. Moments later a guard from outside came running down the hallway up to one of the elite and whispered in his ear "we have an intruder " two found dead outside. The elite nodded and the guard turn and ran back the way he come. The elite went up to the door and knocked twice then a third. It was a signal for the high captain and the moment the signal was given the master known as Malignant stepped back through the hidden door and was gone with the portal already close shut. The assassin watching the scene & cursed under his breath, he had been sloppy. When he had first infiltrated the village compound he had taken out a few sentry posted on the outskirt of the village as well as booby-trapping the corps and laid traps along the way to aid in a quick escape. He knew they would be a guard shift and figured he would have ample time to dispatch the high captain and be gone long before any sign of his infiltration was discovered. He did not predict that the man would be guarded with in his own compound. The assassin sighed. The element of surprise was gone now. Guess Howell will just have to make do with just a name he told himself. He began his backtracking towards the hidden latch he had found to gain entrance into the training tower. He got to the hatch and opened it lightly scanning the area for any archers that might have gone on the roof while he was inside. He spotted none and climbed up to the roof-top closing the hatch behind him. He look out to take in the view of the village which is know as the league of Ambrosine or the league of immortals as it is called in the common tongue. It was built on the far southeast part of the land of Camelot. Far out of sight from the rulers of Castle Barloc and well hidden in the forest known as willows forest. The village which is more like a fortress had no women or children just men and all trained for war. Before this night no one had knew it even existed. On the ground below soldiers were walking this was and that, picking up spears and swords from the weapon rack. Then suddenly a great foghorn sounded in the distance and every soldier darted in every direction followed by vocal sounds of alert. They were looking for him now he knew and his window of escape was closing fast.

Kay wasn't at all surprise to hear the three knocks on the door. From the moment he had entered the compound he knew he was followed and was being watch. Trusting fully in his instinct made him rise to the ranks of High Captain. Well, that and his superb fighting skills and his ability to plan ahead. When he had entered the village he ordered an increase in guard shift to every hour. If something were amiss then it would be reported quickly. So if someone did find the village and sneak in they couldn't go long without being spotted. Kay wouldn't take any chances, not tonight of all night and not when he had a very important guest coming. The three knocks confirm his suspicion and tonight he would have the head of the intruder. He turned back to the portal Malignant had use to find it shut and his master nowhere in sight. Kay sigh, well as long as his master is gone he can have a bit of fun. Kay walked out of the meeting room to one of his elites. Any signs he asked, the man shook his head and added only two bodies found. The first was killed and set to look as if he were sleeping. The second went to wake him and set off a booby trap. The third was the one who reported. "Wake every man!" Kay ordered and sound the horn. This assassin is still with in the village compound lets make him nervous. Have most of the men along the south east and west part of the village. He will try to use the forest for an escape route he would be a fool to use the front entrance and have a few archers guarding the front. With that said he spun back into the room to look out the massive window that had a great view of the front entrance of the village. A few moments later the great village horn sounded. Kay watched the scene from through his window where the men were running back and forth grabbing bows and swords. Kay smiled knowingly as his plan was set ion motion, he knew putting most of his forces to the south which would make the easiest escape might force the assassin to the front of the village if the assassin is smart enough or dumb enough to accept the challenge. Smiling wider still Kay drew his reaper to admire its beauty. It was a double edge straight blade, very slender but reinforced for extra strength against a heavier sword. It had a protective hilt with a very complex design. Though his sword was design for stabbing and fast thrust movement. In his hands and with the edges of his blade poison it was capable of far more than that. It's one thing to fight with skills and finesse; it's another to fight fair. Nodding to himself he decided it was time to take a stroll towards the front entrance.

The assassin now perch on the roof began his surveillance of the area. A large group of soldiers were running toward the South west of the village compound towards willow's forest. To cut him off he knew for that was the way he had come. He took a deep breath and steadies himself as the memory of that forest came rushing back to him. He had grown up in there and the sent and feel of the forest brought great pain to him. He shook his head to forcefully shake the images out of his head. Events for another day he reminded himself, for the tenth time that night. Focusing back to the commotion around him the assassin remembered the traps he had set near the entrance of the forest and smile as a howl of pain came echoing through the air followed by a dozen more after that. The bear traps and sneers he had set along the forest ground and the outskirts should keep the solders busy and even handicap a few of them. He looked to the north of the village towards the entrance. It was risky but it was looking to be his best route of escape. More of his traps sprung and one in particular took the leg off an unfortunate guard as more came to take up the place of their fallen. But they were less reluctant to go any further after watching some soldiers with missing legs being drag off to the side while screaming in agony. "Looks like I��m taking the front door" the assassin said to himself and began picking his way carefully towards the north side of the village. As he made his way closer to the entrance the assassin spotted a handful of archers who were distracted by the screams coming from the South end. Quietly the assassin made his way to the alleyway and darted from shadow to shadow edging closer to the front of the village. From the darkness of one alley he spotted the entrance of the village and saw the high captain waiting there with his 4 elite bodyguards. The assassin smiled, you wish to challenge me High captain he thought. Then so be it, the assassin double back to were he had spotted the hand full of archers who were still focus on the South but were returning to their positions. The assassin waited until they were far enough away from each other and not in direct view of one another. He took his purple feather arrow out of his quiver, a special arrow , The tip was a thin blade that edge right into the very frame of the arrow. The body of the arrow being only a fraction thicker then the with of the thin blade. Giving the arrow a very needle like appearance. But there were two reasons for this of course. First, it allowed the assassin to carry ten time the amount of purple feather arrows then that of a normal arrow and second it allowed room for his special black feather arrows. Aiming at the nearest archer the assassin notch his arrow and pull back on his bow string using his left hand he flick the small switch in the palm of his bow. Imminently the string began to tighten forcing the assassin to flex and keep the arrow notch. After a few heartbeats the bowstring began a quiet hum and the assassin bicep bulge from the strain. It was his bow's little trick. At the flick off a switch he can tighten the string on the bow to increase the range and power of the missile. The bow itself was half silver and gold fuse in the middle with the ending frame bolted and reinforce with oak wood. He let fly and the arrow rip through the night with such speed it made an audible swoosh as it tore free of the bow and bolted towards its target. The arrow invisible because of its needle shape struck the unaware archer in the back of the head and drill a whole right through to the front and exited cleanly then simply disappear into the night. The archer made another step before dropping to his knees and stood in that position. His body finally registering that it is dead. The other sentries didn't fair any better as they fell dead one by one. After dispatching the other archers and doing a quick recon to make sure that they were no one with in ear shot of the high captain and his remaining guards the assassin made his way back to the captain quickly.

Kay got that tingly feeling once again. The area had become deadly silent except for the faint noise coming from the South. The assassin was near he knew, he could feel it. He look to his guard on his left and right then glance back at the two behind him. They all had the same feeling it showed in their fearful expression. They were watching for any signs of movement anything to give away the assassin's hiding spot. All four guards held their spears at the ready and were train to launch it with frighten speed in any direction. The assassin watched for a few moments as the guards glanced in every direction looking at the faint torchlight in each alley and then to the darken streets. Twice they had looked in his direction but couldn't see him, unless they walked right up to the alley. His outfit was meant for darkness and fead of the very shadows. His vest and pants were black with stripes of dark purple. The stripes serving as the belt for his quiver on his back, his long knee high boots were also black. Though being knee high it sheeted his two famous gold and silver karambit, a curved dagger for easy close range kill. Watching their movements he drew his signature black arrow. An arrow of his design that was hollow in two parts at the mid section. In each parts were filled with blasting powder and oil. The arrow was designed to break in on itself upon any impact, which then would ignite the blasting powder and spray the hot oil all over the target. The arrowhead was a fork shape design so it can implant itself deeply in to a target moments before the incoming blast of the powder and oil. Ultimately, any unfortunate target would feel the full blast of an explosion at point blank range.

With his bow now humming he aimed at the first elite and let fly. The arrow cut through the night with breath taking speed putting out the torches in the entrance of the alley as it passed. The missile slammed into the face of the elite guard. The fork tip sinking deep into his nose bridge knocking the guard right off his feet with the impact force and with the force of the explosion hurtling him right out of the entrance of the village into the darkness of the night to land hard a few dozen feet beyond the entrance. The four dumbfounded companion stood still, their eyes widen with disbelieve staring into the darkness looking at the body of the dead elite guard who's head was latterly on fire! The second guard got hit in the back of the neck and launch forward into the darkness following his dead companion into oblivion. The last two guards and the high captain spun around to face the attacker and formed some kind of defence. But was already too late for the remaining elite guards as both of them almost at the exact same time got hit in the face. This time though the arrow didn't launch them into darkness cause the force wasn't behind the two strikes. But it did knock them off their feet causing them to somersault with the help of the explosion. Both guards hit the ground screaming as the hot oil and fire melt their faces, tearing into the white meat of their flesh right down to the bone. After a few moments of trashing both guards lay very still. Kay launched himself side way rolling as he hit the ground and scooped up a shield his elite guard was carrying. He knelt with the shield in front of him to protect his face and most of his body part from being expose. "So the God of the hunt isn't a Myth after all" Kay said, or should I say the shadow archer. He peaked out at the edge of his shield, hoping to get a glance or something that would show the assassin's position, but all he saw in the many alleyway was darkness. "Show yourself!" he yelled but nothing came into view. "Guards! Archers!" he screamed hoping that some patrol or the archers on the roof ahead would hear him and come to his aid. But he knew better and knew too that if the screams of his dying elite didn't bring a few patrol or archers rushing to see the commotion. Then they were either also dead or far out of earshot and too observe in their task to the South. Kay berated himself for foolishly sending all of his troops to one end of the village on a man hunt while he and his elite soldiers guard the entrance to challenge the intruder. He wasn't scared, no far from it and has been in countless battles as he rose to his position but any one with a reputation of being a God of anything deserve more credit and respect than what was the norm. And issuing a challenge to an opponent he knew nothing about just to test the rumours were boarding the line of stupidity. Never before had he done such a thing. Kay shook his head in disbelieve and clench the shield tighter. All he had heard of this assassin was folklore of some Demi God or some demon from the shadow realms. And from what he had just witness there might be some truth to that. Kay swallowed hard as he remembered the tales mentioned about this assassin. He shook his head to banish the thought and suppress the growing fear leaping in his heart. He look back at his elite soldiers and saw no arrow protruding from their melted faces. Just little splinters of tiny burn wood that might have come from an arrow. This has to be some kind of trick he told himself. He could not be a demon and he can't be a God." You think yourself a God, huh, he yelled once again you think yourself a demon like those farmers and disgrace that call them self royal knights believe you to be. But you're just a man with parlour tricks to fool the stupid and weak. Show yourself and fight me shadow archer. Kay waited for a reply for what seemed like an eternity but in truth was only a few seconds before a reply actually came. "My name?" the assassin said as he finally stepped out of the shadows and into the dim view of the moonlight… Is Artemis

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