| Drax made his way silently down the halls of the palace, flitting from shadow to shadow. The loss of life this day still in mourning, the Empress and her daughter were in their rooms, there was still no word on whether or not Bane lived, or worse, in Drax's opinion, Erix. His meeting with Tireaux wasn't the most successful, the guard didn't trust him. Drax didn't care, thats what happened when people believed a lie. Even after Bane justified the killing of those damnable raven creatures, everyone thought he was just some cold blooded killer. Then there was Bane's message at the inn. Drax had been a very good spy, but never a master spy. Was that another job "offer" that was actually an order? The Emperor was always trying to push him around. Well he would just tell Bane no, those days are over for Drax. Never mind he often did the same thing for Erix, but there was a difference. Erix asked. Politely. Bane just ordered. A statement his old friend Silk once made popped into his head, "Its good to have a free spirit, lad," Silk had said, "But I think you carry it too far." A sudden sense overcame Drax and snapped him out of his reverie. It was the same thing he felt when he killed the vampire in Emani. Even in sunlight the thing wouldn't go down easy. Drax found himself trying to keep the damned thing out of shadows and other dark places for at least an hour before it finally fell in a burning heap of undead flesh. Down the hall he saw the oddest creature he had ever seen. It moved with purpose, its green glowing eyes looked straight ahead. Drax let the shadow absorb him, and the creature made its way past. A servant stepped into the hall, and the creature spun and was all the way back down the hall and on the servant before the poor lycan had time to scream, tearing the servant to pieces. The creature hovered his hand over the rent body, and it glowed as it sucked the life essence. Drax stepped out of the shadow and into the middle of the hall, and drew his sword from its sheath. The Star Metal blade had been blued to the point of being black, and was forged into a katana. The tsuba, shaped like two panthers chasing each other and the handle itself were also black. Star Metal was a gift of the Dragons, imbued with their magic, they could not be scratched, destroyed, or dulled. Emperor Bane had all the Star Metal weapons, the sword he usually carried, which seemed to be a cross of bastard, broad, and long swords, the others, a regular broadsword, a spear, a dagger, and an arrow were in a museum. Bane had all of the Star Metal blades but this one, this one had been given, no, earned, by Drax. Erix had a hand-and-a-half which carried the same qualities, but it had been made with Elven magic. The creature hadn't heard his movements, so Drax announced his presence, "I've seen prettier faces than yours come out of the south side of a north bound bull." The creature stood up and turned its glowing gaze towards Drax, who stood at ready, "Is that your plan?" Drax asked, "Stare me to death?" With a preternatural hiss, the creature advanced at blazing speed and swung its claw at Drax's neck. Drax jumped back, but the claw nicked his chest. His body seemed to be on fire while his bones were trying to freeze, his nerves crying out against the ultimate pain. Drax had felt this before, those creatures claws were made of silveron! Infinitely more wary, Drax made himself ready for another attack, raising his sword. The creature laughed, "Weapons are of no use on me," his voice sounded like a rake over rocks. One of the rules of combat was never let you enemy know they fazed you, "Your voice would improve if you ate less gravel for breakfast," came Drax's reply. The creature advanced again, lashing out with his claws. Drax made as if to jump out of the way again, but at the last instant ducked under the now raised claws and cut the creature's side. It growled in pain, and for a moment looked shocked. 'Good,' thought Drax, 'Now we're even.' The creature was now also moving wary, "The Dragons are dead and no lycan could kill me," the creature grated, almost as if by rote, "What manner of creature are you?" Drax merely smiled. The cut had been more of a shock to the creature than Drax had thought. The creature was afraid. Drax raised his sword again, the now wicked seeming smile never left his face. * * * * * * * * * * The enemies were angry. They had sought to destroy the dragons, but their magic somehow still existed. They had lost two of their number today. The one sent to Lycanos was very weak, true, but if one had been killed there, who's to say more powerful ones wouldn't also fall. The one of the three sent to the dragons was one of the more powerful, the other two had been greatly wounded. Their numbers were very few, their armies were made up of turned creatures and humans, they couldn't afford loss. And they were extremely angry, they were mistaken in thinking Emani and the great High Lord Erix Stogart, the Jade Jaguar, who never lost a battle, was their greatest threat. They added two new targets to their list, but these were personal, they would see to this themselves. They knew the Emperor was powerful, but not this powerful, and who could have guessed such strength in the Empress? * * * * * * * * Jade still hadn't heard anything about her husband. But she had the palace guards tripled. Last night she sensed such terrible evil magic, and then there were those unholy noises, like some unnatural creature in its death throws. But the only thing found was the torn body of one of the servants. Jade sincerely hoped the trouble in Emani and Wurmsteeth weren't distractions to weaken the capitol to attack. By LLDrax |
| Night Watch By LLDrax |
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