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Short Story

"How could I have lost?!"

That question had been yelled many times over the course of several months. The Yamakosei village had long since grown accustomed to the aura of rage and hatred pouring from the depths of their lord's castle. The skies over the village had once been ice blue, but have become darker and darker as storm clouds shrouded the land to match their lord's anger.

"We were winning the battle! His clan was almost wiped from our world!"

Aurrik slammed his fist into the hand carved wood railing that he was leaning against. A burst of lightning with resounding thunder mimicked his movement. His eyes moved to the north, looking well beyond the horizon and at the lands that have been his target since he began to expand his own reaches into other realms. The southern country had taken sides with the young ruler after seeing his intentions. A unified world led by one of strong will and body, one not easily corruptible as most of those in his position are. The western, more savage lands were a bit more difficult for they were not truly one country as they were several tribal owned lands between natives and barbarians. He weaved the war torn land into a formidable ally and a piece of his own growing empire. Now, just the north was left....

"And he defeated me with one kick! A single kick!"

He slammed both fists into the railing as another thunderclap accompanied his rage. Tears began to form and eventually became a soothing rain to calm the chaos in the young ruler's mind. Two figures stood in the room behind him, one standing statuesque in the center, staring at Aurrik's back as if pondering his next action. The other sat quietly in the shadows, out of view of any who would walk in.

"You were foolish in attacking unprepared, m'lord," spoke the warrior clad from head to toe in a foreign metal. The head of his massive warhammer lay on the ground as he held up the shaft under cupped hands.

Aurrik looked over his shoulder and gave the holy knight a dark glare. "We had spent years preparing for the war with Lord Norisu!" He pulled his hand back to draw attention to the village below him. "We suffered very few casaulties against his considerable forces. He lost two-thirds of his own men! Most of which fell to my own blade."

Wulfreiks reeled back a little as if he had been struck in the face but maintained his composure. He shook his head and bowed his head. "Apologies, m'lord. I did not mean to offend. I was just stating a possible reason. Perhaps I was wrong."

Aurrik politely waved his hand to silence the rather intimidating warrior. He was close to drenched by the time he realized it was raining and turned to walk inside. He twisted his body to get the running water off his crimson armor before looking towards the statue-like man. The young lord could not get used to the scent of death that seemed to cover the man, but he was more loyal than his own council and by far more powerful.

"No, no, Wulfreiks. you have my own apologies. I should not have yelled at you," Aurrik sighed as he removed his helmet. "You may be right. Maybe we were not prepared enough."

The room grew quiet once more as the three of them retreated to their own thoughts. They sat in silence with only the musical symphony of rain and thunder to stir them. This was until an urgent knock at his study's door brought him back to their world. With a loud command to come in, the door creaked open as two scouts came in and quickly bowed at the Aurrik's feet.

"W-we're sorry to dis-disturb you, m'lord," one of them began to speak, almost in a nervous tone. "We bri-bring...."

"Calm now. Just speak easily," the lord said as he lifted the scouts to their feet. "You are amongst friends."

They relaxed a little, noting that the lord had significantly calmed. "Forgive us, m'lord. You have just seemed so....angry as of late and we were afraid..."

Again, Aurrik cut them off. He looked over at Wulfreiks, who now studied the two new bodies that ahd come into the room.

"I must apologize to my people when I get the chance," he sighed at himself and shook his head. "But I need to know what news you bring and why you were so eager to beat through my door."

"Apologies, again, m'lord," the two gave a crisp bow before continuing. "Reports came in from the northern front. Apparently there is a battle going on just beyond our borders. It seems you are not the only one interested in defeating Lord Norisu."

For the first time in months Aurrik's face lit up with genuine hope and long over due smile. Behind the dark clouds sun began to shine through in curtains, bringing a joyful shine into the room. The warrior lord dashed quickly to his balcony and looked towards his target once more, only imagining what could be going on in his foe's lands. Before he could think of what to do about the situation, a new, heavily accented voice spoke from the shadows.

"Hmm. If it is not any from the Holy Lands to the south nor is it from the realm of Regnirok, then who could it be?" the man emerged from the shadow with a black wolf trailing at his ankles. The scouts immediately jumped back and muttered a some blessings under their breath as they looked at what appeared to be a demon. Dimitri shook his head and stepped back into the shadows, looking at the floor. "Perhaps we should send some aid to them? It may be possible to gain another ally, my friend."

Aurrik nodded towards the daemon's resting place. He agreed with the strange warrior from the western lands. He looked at the outline that the new light now formed around the shadows and saw him staring at him with the green orbs that were his eyes. He was obviously one of the fabled daemons that lived only in the imagination of children and stories of the ancestors long past, but this one was different than the ones that had been spoken of in legend. Despite his appearance, he was secretly a friendly, caring sort. Most of the time he could seem more human than even the lord's own sages. But now was not the time to be admiring the Bounty Hunter from Regnirok. Now was the time to gain another potential member of his ever growing allies. With new found determination, Aurrik spun to look at the scouts.

"You two, go inform my generals and lieutenants to gather a strike unit," he dismissed the two who snapped another crisp bow and ran to relay the order. Aurrik turned back around and grinned at the horizon. He pointed towards the unknown target and nodded. "You, my friend, will help me pave a way for the Yamakosei. And yours too, of course."

Aurrik quickly placed his helmet on his head and retrieved his swords from their resting place. Nodding at the other two he ran out of the room with his banner slapping hard against the wind. The heavy clang of Wulfreiks' armor and the light taps of Dimitri's leathery soles followed behind the crimson warrior.

To Be Continued

((These are three of my RP characters))

Name: Dimitri Yugistrov
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Race: Demon
Occupation: Bounty Hunter
Weapon: Desmoni, a longsword that has been forged by Dimitri's own fel fire. Daemonbane, a bow he stole from a demon lord that he had slain.
Pet: Kaine, wolf



Name: High Guardian Wulfreiks
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Race: Undead
Occupation: High Guardian of the Holy Order
Weapon: Fist of Amadeus, a holy warhammer.



Name: Lord Aurrik Yamakosei
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Occupation: Lord of the Yamakosei Clan
Weapon: Tenkai, a katana forged by the son of his enemy Chyaku Norisu. Ice Feng, a katana made from the crystals mined in his homeland.