Post by strider on Jul 13, 2007 8:56:22 GMT -6
It was a crisp, clear night. The bright rays of the full moon shone through the foliage and illuminated the contours of the strider’s face. He looked around him to see the lighted silhouettes of the small strike team he selected for this covert operation. To his right, Morrigan and Kay were both crouched in readied positions, eyeing the wall of the fort they were about to storm. To his left, Ibuki held her daggers steady while Hsien stood calmly. Perched up on a high branch of a tree to the right was Lilith, holding her 
steady with an arrow already in place.
The team waited in silence. Their task was to infiltrate the fort and secure the signal beacon. Kaaru’s friend Nak was waiting with a much larger invasion force hidden by the main entrance of the fort. Once the beacon was secured, Nak could attack with little worry of immediate enemy reinforcements.
Kaaru focused as the light footsteps and idle chatter of two patrolling guards could be heard. He raised his hand, and his team became more alert. Ibuki sheathed one of her daggers and gripped the other firmly, and Lilith drew hew and aimed at the top of the wall.
Soon, the two guards could be seen walking slowly across the top of the fort wall. Ibuki and Lilith looked to the strider and awaited his signal. He waited as the guards approached closer. With a motion of his hand, he signaled the attack. Lilith, an excellent markswoman, let her arrow fly and landed a perfect hit between the eyes of one guard. Simultaneously, Ibuki teleported behind the other guard, reached around, and slit his throat while she covered his mouth with her free hand. Hsien picked up two rolls of rope that lay by her feet, and through her unnatural powers, traversed over to the fresh corpses. Once Hsien and Ibuki had secured the ropes, they let both down the fort wall. Kaaru and the rest of his team rushed over and climbed up.
With a silent glance, Kaaru gave Hsien her next task. She closed her eyes and muttered a strange incantation. The corpses of the two guards were re-animated, but their eyes had a blank deathly expression. Hsien had them move over to the side of the wall and simply stand there. From afar, it would seem as if the guards were simply looking out and enjoying idle conversation. This would buy them time and prevent suspicion without closer examination.
Kaaru had already studied the layout of the fort, and his team made its way quickly inside and through the numerous passages. Anyone unfortunate enough to run into them met a swift and silent death. Hsien would use her chilling gaze to stop anyone in their tracks, frozen with fear. Lilith and Ibuki handled farther opponents, while the 3 warriors dispatched those in closer quarters. That was how the strider worked: swift, silent, deadly.
They soon found their way to the signal beacon at the top of the fort. Those guarding it met the same unfortunate fate as the other guards who had crossed their path. Within an instant, the beacon room was secured.
“Great work,” Kaaru commended. “Morri, Kay, and Hsien. You three stay here and guard the beacon. Make sure no one touches it.”
“They won’t get past us,” Morrigan replied, holding out her bloodied sword.
“Lil,” Kaaru continued, “head outside and fire the signal for Nak. Let him know we’ve secured this. Ibuki, go with her. When you’re done, come back and help to hold this position.”
“You got it,” Ibuki answered as Lilith nodded.
“Oh, Lil.”
“Yes?”
“Aim for his head,” he said with a wink.
“Haha,” the ranger chuckled. “He won’t let you hear the end of it.”
“I know that,” the strider said with a laugh.
As Lilith and Ibuki rushed out of the room, Kaaru headed for the doorway.
“Where are you going?” inquired his brother.
“I’m just going to have a look around,” he said as he left. “You guys will be fine here. Hold until Nak comes with reinforcements.”
With that, he left the beacon room and made his way around the fort. Something had bothered him while he studied the layout of the fort. The signal beacon was supposed to be the most important aspect of the place, but the main hall seemed like it was designed for other purposes. Kaaru heard a rumble from outside. With Nak having started the main attack, Kaaru was no longer concerned about being discreet. He ran through the hallways wielding dual katanas and quickly took care of anyone in his way.
He soon found himself in front of the double doors of the main hall. He kicked the doors open and rushed in.
Well, well. What do we have here? This certainly is a surprise…
What he saw was certainly unexpected. The captain of the forces in the fort was in the back, protected by a few heavily armed guards. What surprised the strider were the massive, furred beasts that also guarded the leader.
What in Balthazar’s name are Charr doing here…?
The beasts were heavily armed as well, and they snarled at him. The human guards began to circle around to surround him, while the Charr warriors maintained their positions in front of the captain. A strange and overpowering wave began to sweep across the strider’s very being.
Satsui no Hadou.
He gripped his two katanas firmly, smiled, and rushed into combat.
steady with an arrow already in place.The team waited in silence. Their task was to infiltrate the fort and secure the signal beacon. Kaaru’s friend Nak was waiting with a much larger invasion force hidden by the main entrance of the fort. Once the beacon was secured, Nak could attack with little worry of immediate enemy reinforcements.
Kaaru focused as the light footsteps and idle chatter of two patrolling guards could be heard. He raised his hand, and his team became more alert. Ibuki sheathed one of her daggers and gripped the other firmly, and Lilith drew hew
and aimed at the top of the wall.Soon, the two guards could be seen walking slowly across the top of the fort wall. Ibuki and Lilith looked to the strider and awaited his signal. He waited as the guards approached closer. With a motion of his hand, he signaled the attack. Lilith, an excellent markswoman, let her arrow fly and landed a perfect hit between the eyes of one guard. Simultaneously, Ibuki teleported behind the other guard, reached around, and slit his throat while she covered his mouth with her free hand. Hsien picked up two rolls of rope that lay by her feet, and through her unnatural powers, traversed over to the fresh corpses. Once Hsien and Ibuki had secured the ropes, they let both down the fort wall. Kaaru and the rest of his team rushed over and climbed up.
With a silent glance, Kaaru gave Hsien her next task. She closed her eyes and muttered a strange incantation. The corpses of the two guards were re-animated, but their eyes had a blank deathly expression. Hsien had them move over to the side of the wall and simply stand there. From afar, it would seem as if the guards were simply looking out and enjoying idle conversation. This would buy them time and prevent suspicion without closer examination.
Kaaru had already studied the layout of the fort, and his team made its way quickly inside and through the numerous passages. Anyone unfortunate enough to run into them met a swift and silent death. Hsien would use her chilling gaze to stop anyone in their tracks, frozen with fear. Lilith and Ibuki handled farther opponents, while the 3 warriors dispatched those in closer quarters. That was how the strider worked: swift, silent, deadly.
They soon found their way to the signal beacon at the top of the fort. Those guarding it met the same unfortunate fate as the other guards who had crossed their path. Within an instant, the beacon room was secured.
“Great work,” Kaaru commended. “Morri, Kay, and Hsien. You three stay here and guard the beacon. Make sure no one touches it.”
“They won’t get past us,” Morrigan replied, holding out her bloodied sword.
“Lil,” Kaaru continued, “head outside and fire the signal for Nak. Let him know we’ve secured this. Ibuki, go with her. When you’re done, come back and help to hold this position.”
“You got it,” Ibuki answered as Lilith nodded.
“Oh, Lil.”
“Yes?”
“Aim for his head,” he said with a wink.
“Haha,” the ranger chuckled. “He won’t let you hear the end of it.”
“I know that,” the strider said with a laugh.
As Lilith and Ibuki rushed out of the room, Kaaru headed for the doorway.
“Where are you going?” inquired his brother.
“I’m just going to have a look around,” he said as he left. “You guys will be fine here. Hold until Nak comes with reinforcements.”
With that, he left the beacon room and made his way around the fort. Something had bothered him while he studied the layout of the fort. The signal beacon was supposed to be the most important aspect of the place, but the main hall seemed like it was designed for other purposes. Kaaru heard a rumble from outside. With Nak having started the main attack, Kaaru was no longer concerned about being discreet. He ran through the hallways wielding dual katanas and quickly took care of anyone in his way.
He soon found himself in front of the double doors of the main hall. He kicked the doors open and rushed in.
Well, well. What do we have here? This certainly is a surprise…
What he saw was certainly unexpected. The captain of the forces in the fort was in the back, protected by a few heavily armed guards. What surprised the strider were the massive, furred beasts that also guarded the leader.
What in Balthazar’s name are Charr doing here…?
The beasts were heavily armed as well, and they snarled at him. The human guards began to circle around to surround him, while the Charr warriors maintained their positions in front of the captain. A strange and overpowering wave began to sweep across the strider’s very being.
Satsui no Hadou.
He gripped his two katanas firmly, smiled, and rushed into combat.