Ultimate Assassin Saga: Escape

The point of a razor sharp blade was pressed against his neck, and if he moved, he would be killed. His emerald green eyes looked up from the tip of the blade and traveled down the long; flat blade to the holder of the sword. He noted that it was the man from before with the greatsword and the sword at his neck was the greatsword. It was covered in the blood of the Minions that it had killed before, but now it seemed that this man wanted to take his life even though he'd helped them win the fight.

The Demon looked past him and noted that the other Human soldiers were gathering as well. However, the rest of them looked hesitant to approach him and he had to wonder why that was. Come to think of it, why the hell was he being held at sword-point when he'd just helped this man and his people? That thought in mind, he turned his gaze back to his and he stared without emotion into the man's cobalt blue eyes. The Human man's brow was furrowed up and his eyes seemed to be filled with confusion, but his hand wasn't shaking or wavering. It seemed that no matter what he was unsure of, he wasn't unsure about holding his sword against his throat.

"Do not think that you've fooled us by helping us." the man said in a tight; angry voice. He twisted his lips up into a sneer and he felt the man push his sword point tighter against his throat. He didn't back away from the sword and he stood there, allowing him to do whatever it was he wanted to do. If he wanted to kill him however, he wasn't going to allow that. He would be forced to turn on the people that he'd just helped, though he didn't want to. "I know that you're a Demon and I also know that Demons do nothing kind without an agenda."

The Chaos Demon nearly lost all composure at that. Just how the hell had this man known that he was a Demon? He knew that his Human form was flawless and there was no way for anyone to be able to tell what he was. Upper Flight Demons only had one Human form that they could take and this was the form that he'd been blessed with. He knew that he didn't look like a trustworthy or gentle being due to his height, but he didn't look like a monster either. So how?

"You are correct. I am a Demon." Acheron admitted in monotone. There was no point in lying to him and further raising his ire. If he were to lie, the man just might run him through and he couldn't take that chance. So, he'd decided to tell the truth and he was going to keep to the truth. "My name is Acheron. I would like to know your name as well if you don't mind."

His voice was cool and calm as if he wasn't being held at sword point. The man seemed confused by his words, but he knew that he'd spoken clearly. Some of the other soldiers were shifting around, unsure of what to do now that the "thing" as they most likely thought of him as had spoken and was asking a simple; to the point question. What could be the harm in knowing the holder of the greatsword's name after all? He smiled inwardly.

If they didn't know the harm, then he wasn't going to tell them.

"You ask of my name? I have you at sword point, ready to kill you and you ask my name?" the dark haired Human asked, disbelief evident in his voice. Then, his lips curved up into a smile and he chuckled low under his breath. It was deep and it made his sword shake at his throat, scratching the skin slightly. However, he wasn't worried about that. What he was worried about was pissing the man off and having him slide the blade through his throat. "You're a funny Demon, and for that, I will tell you my name. It is Tide, Captain of the Forest Guard."

The name meant nothing to him of course. It wasn't like the name of a Human had any power, and even if it did, the man wouldn't know his true Name. Human parents never named their children with their true Name because they didn't know it. Even the child itself didn't know it's true Name. Names held power over people of all races, and while Acheron knew his own true Name, he'd never let anyone know who it was. Azrieal didn't even know his True Name and he didn't know Azrieal's either.

"How did you know I was a Demon?" the Chaos Demon asked without thinking. His voice had come out stern and demanding. He was trying to show that he wasn't afraid, but he realized - maybe a little too late - that he'd come off as an arrogant, haughty fool. Perceptions could get him killed. However, the other man didn't react to his words and he was glad for that. So, he pushed on. "I know that my Human form is flawless so I would like to know how you know what I am."

He noted that the other armored Humans looked uncomfortable at his question and he wondered about that. Why would they be so worried about that question when it was just a simple question about how they knew? He inwardly shrugged and figured he'd never know why they were uncomfortable about it. He turned his gaze back to the cobalt blue gaze of the man holding the sword at his throat and he held the gaze.

The dark haired Human seemed to have come to a decision, though what that was he didn't know, but he would soon find out.

"The voice of the Forest told me." Tide replied easily enough as if that it should've been common sense. Then, he lifted one hand without looking away from him and signaled to one of the men behind them. He saw two men break free of the ground and they moved forward to stand at his side. "Our friend Acheron here will be accompanying us back to the village. Relieve him of his weapons and tie his hands."

The two men - both were bland, nothing all that special about them - saluted the Guard Captain and they moved towards the Chaos Demon to follow his orders. The Demon put his hands up at his sides to show that he was cooperating and he felt his sword - sheathe and all - being relieved from his belt. When they were done disarming him, he put his hands together out in front of him and he felt the rough fabric of tree vines tying his hands together out in front of him.

Through all of this the Command Assassin never broke the gaze of the other man.

When the two were done with what they were doing, they moved back from him and stood at their Captain's side once again. One of the men held his broadsword in both hands and the other looked like he wanted nothing more than to run his own blade through him. However, the man did nothing and continued to stand there, glaring at him. The Captain's sword lowered from his throat, but he still held it on him and it made him aware of the fact that he was a prisoner. What they were going to do with him he didn't know, but he wasn't all that worried.

Acheron knew that he could break the vines and kill every single man here no problem. After all, he'd grown up in the Abyss so Humans didn't stand a chance in the Nine Hells against him. However, he decided that allowing them to take him prisoner would be prudent at this time. He didn't want to kill anyone unnecessarily if he could help it and Humans counted, though they could be arrogant bastards.

Tide signaled to the men once more and they surrounded him once more. He eyed each man as they moved around him, their weapons still drawn. He knew that none of them were going to run him through, but caution was always best. Turning his gaze back to Tide, he looked right into the man's eyes, and after a second of hesitation, he nodded his head. Then, he turned sharply on his heel and he strode away from them. He watched the man for a moment, but the moment he felt the sharp jab of a sword at his back, he began to move, following after the man.

No reason to get stabbed through the ribs by an overzealous Human after all. Best just to accept the fact that he was a prisoner for now and let them think that they had everything under control. If it came down to it though, he would break out and leave. After all, he had something to do and he wasn't going to be spending the rest of his days with these Humans.

Acheron walked.

Chapter 5

Tide stepped over a fallen branch and he cut his eyes to the side, searching for any enemies. He was a skilled warrior and he knew the High Forest better than anything else. There wasn't a single Amazon warrior that could layout the entire High Forest like he could, and if he'd ever wanted to disappear, not a single person would be able to track him. Not even the Hunters - the best the Amazons had in their ranks - would be able to track him. However, he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, and in fact, he intended to die as an Amazon warrior in the village or in defense of it.

He held his greatsword tightly in his right hand as he walked, moving carefully so as not to disturb any of the snakes that were nearby. He had detailed in his mind where all the snake dens were, and just in case, he had each man carry a snake anti-venom kit on him just in case. The only reason that he even still had his greatsword out was because of the Demon at his back guarded by the Forest Guard. With that thought in mind, he stepped to the side as he walked and he cut his eyes to look upon the Demon out of the corner of his eye.

He had called himself Acheron, but from what he knew of Demons, they were nothing like Humans. In fact, the skin that he wore now was just a cover for something far uglier and far more deadly. Demons were evil, plain and simple. There was no shade of grey when it came to Demons, just evil. They killed, they brutalized, and they destroyed. That was all they were good for and he knew it.

So why was it that this Demon had managed to get under his skin so easily?

The Guard Captain tore his eyes away from the Demon and he turned his gaze towards the horizon. He couldn't afford those kinds of thoughts. Those kind of thoughts got good people killed and he wasn't going to be one of those people. He had been trained by the best and he'd risen through the ranks of the Forest Guard through his own merits. There were those that whispered about favoritism of course, but he'd ignored them because he knew that it wasn't true. He'd had to work just as hard as any man - maybe even harder - because of who he was and who his mother was.

The Amazon sighed and he lifted his sword, resting it on his shoulder. He looked up ahead and he saw the beginning of the incline that would lead him over the hill. On the other side of the hill was the Amazon village and that was where he was taking the Demon. His mother probably wouldn't be too happy about him bringing a Demon into the village where just about anything could happen. He didn't know what was going to happen when they got to the village, but for some reason, he felt that he didn't have to worry about the Demon doing anything.

He didn't know why, but he trusted that the Demon wouldn't do anything stupid. After all, the Demon could easily break through the vines and kill them all, that he had no doubt about. However, the Demon had gone willingly and had even allowed them to take his broadsword. No Demon would allow something like that to happen unless they really didn't mean any harm and he trusted that, though he didn't know why. There was no reason for him to trust the Demon, but he did and that was all that mattered. After all, the Demon had helped them in the battle and he'd seen the skills that he possessed. He was way too powerful and skilled with his blade for them to handle if it came down to it.

Tide reached the top of the hill and he looked down into the valley below. There was a clearing there where the tree branches parted and allowed some sunlight through. The Amazon village was filled with over one hundred homes and every one of them were made out of wood, but they were spread out in a weird tableaux. There were people - men, women, and children - moving around the village, setting to work for the day. It was still rather early in the day and work hadn't even really begun for the day. At the eastern corner of the village, he noted several men holding yew bows and dressed in leather hides getting ready to leave for the day. They were the Hunters, the one's who went out, tracked down animals, and killed them so the village could have meat.

The Amazon village treated people equally, no matter their gender or occupation. Each person and each occupation was just as important as the last. Their Queen was no more important than the potters who created the items for houses. As far as the genders went, men could rule as well as women and it didn't matter if the child that was first born was male or female, they could become the King or Queen of the Amazons. His mother had just so happened to be the first born daughter of the former King of the Amazons.

Tide set his trek down the hill towards the village and his boot steps carried him to the southern corner of the village. There were sentries all around - members of the Forest Guard - who protected the village from outsiders, but when they saw him, they saluted him and allowed their brothers past into the Amazon village. He noted that many of the Amazons were looking at him, but their eyes quickly slid past him and towards the prisoner that they had with them. It was obvious that the Amazons saw the Demon and that they were uncertain why such a creature would be brought into the Amazon village.

The Guard Captain walked down between the buildings and he stopped in front of the largest wooden building in the village. This was the prison where every person who committed a crime were locked within and not allowed to leave. He turned around to face the Forest Guard and he signaled to them. The Guards saluted the Captain and left, all but two of them. One of them held the Demon's broadsword in his hand and the other was keeping the Demon at sword-point just in case.

The Demon - Acheron - stared at him with eyes devoid of all emotion and he held his head in a high; regal angle. His wrists were bound together tightly, but he wasn't fooled into thinking that the Demon couldn't get out of the vines. He knew that the Demon was extremely skilled with a blade, but he'd seen for himself that the Demon also had powerful magic. It was because of this that he knew the Demon could escape the vines, and if he wanted to, he could kill every single villager without a problem. That was why he was the most anxious right now to get him into the prison and behind the bars so he couldn't do just that.

The Amazon placed his sword at his back and he grasped the buckle that was attached to his armor, securing the weapon. He released his greatsword and he held out his hand to the other Amazon man. The man walked forward and held out the Demon's broadsword, hilt first. He nodded to the man and took the weapon, holding it in his hand for a moment, weighing it in his hands. It was a perfectly balanced weapon and he knew that the weapon was razor sharp.

Tide turned and reached out for the handle of the door, pulling it open. He stepped inside of the dark; dank prison and he stepped aside, allowing the Amazon guards to step inside. The Demon walked into the prison and turned his head, meeting his gaze. Those emerald green eyes glowed in the darkness and he waved a hand dismissing the other Amazon Guards. They bowed out and left the building. Then, he stepped behind the Demon and he lead him down the halls of the prison. The Demon didn't resist as they stepped in front of one cell that had iron wrought bars on the door and no one could get through such thick steel bars.

The Guard Captain opened the iron cell door and he turned to look at the Demon. Acheron said nothing as he stepped forward and into the cell. He walked a couple of steps into the cell, looking around before he turned and looked into his eyes. The Captain met his gaze squarely, not looking away even as he shut the cell door and he pulled a key from his pants pocket. Then, he slid the key into the lock of the cell door and he turned it, locking the door.

"Put your hands through the bars and I will free your wrists." Tide told him, his voice echoing off the walls. The Demon said nothing as he slid his hands through the bars and he waited. He set aside the broadsword that he held for the Demon and he pulled free one of his daggers. Gripping the Demon's wrists, he slid the knife between the vines and he pulled the razor sharp blade up, slicing through the vines. The vines fell away, freeing his hands and the Demon pulled his hands back, doing nothing.

Apparently, he was going to cooperate and not do anything stupid. However, how stupid could it be considered when one knew that he could break out and kill them all with ease? He didn't understand why the Demon would allow them to take him prisoner when he could do such a thing. He wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth though and he wasn't about to ask him about that. He slid the dagger back into the sheathe at his hip and he stepped back away from the locked cell door.

The Demon said nothing before he turned around and walked away from the cell door. Even as he watched, the Demon made his way to the corner of the prison cell and he crouched down in the corner. His emerald green eyes were closed and he seemed lost in meditation. That was of no concern for him however. The Amazon turned away from the cell door and he walked back down the hallway of the prison. Only a few minutes later, he opened the door to the prison and he stepped outside, shutting the door behind him.

He needed to speak to his mother and he needed to speak to her now.

Tide walked away from the prison, his mind lost in thought and his cobalt blue eyes taking in everyone that he stepped past. He knew many of the fifty thousand strong, every man, woman, and child, but that didn't matter right now. What was important right now was getting to his mother and informing her of the situation if someone else hadn't already. Then again, someone had likely already told the Queen of the Amazons and she was contemplating what was happening.

The Guard Captain came across the huge wooden building that served as his mother's home and his former home. When he'd turned eighteen summers old, he'd moved out of his mother's home and he'd built his own home on the eastern edge of the village. By that time, he'd been a part of the Forest Guard for a year and he'd only had to do some light battling. There were other races that lived within the High Forest and there were times when the Forest Guard had to go to engage in a real battle.

The reason that he'd been promoted to Captain of the Forest Guard was because of the events of last year. Several units of the Forest Guard had been ambushed and their bodies had been found in pieces. At first, it had been believed that the units had been killed by animals because of the pure savagery. However, upon closer inspection, it became clear that they'd been hacked to pieces by swords. It had taken a little while, but he had been the one to discover that the one's that had been ambushing them and killing the Guard were of the Dark Races.

Orcs, Ogres, Goblins, and even Giants had banded together to take down as many Forest Guard patrols as they could. They'd killed a dozen twenty men patrols and had taken nearly no casualties on their own side. That had to do with their own utilizing of the element of surprise, but when they'd been discovered, they'd lost their only edge. Then, they'd easily been slain and they'd been plagued no longer. After the death of the Dark Races, he'd been promoted by his mother to the Captain of the Guard, the highest rank that one could reach and deservedly so.

Tide drew himself from his past and he looked upon the wood of the door. If he hadn't lived here most of his life, he would've been intimidated. As it was, he wasn't afraid to enter and he knew that his mother wouldn't punish him. After all, he was the Heir to the Throne and not even bringing a Demon back to the village could get him killed. Not unless the Demon escaped and killed all of them. Then again, there wouldn't be any punishment except for death at the hands of the Demon.