The Unknown {01}

Another crack then a bloodcurdling scream followed the sound of something metal hitting a firm body. There was a moment of silence.

Then the echoing sound of feet pounded from the distance, growing louder as they reared the iron gate.

His breath was panted hard in his chest and the dirt and filth of blood flew beneath the legs of his exhausted horse. He mounted the broad shouldered, midnight black horse, and hauled the lifeless bag of flesh onto it's back, and trailed off into the woods after securing it on. The quickened trotting of hooves came to a halt after a few minutes.

The man gave one sigh before pulling the body off of the exhausted horse, and proceeded with his task.

The frosted air chilled his throat and the ice in the wind exhaled from his lips. Tightening his black cloak, he dropped the mangled corpse to the dirt floor to survey the surrounding area. The forested area he had led his horse to was dark and damp. The smell of wet leaves and something uncomfortably familiar lingered. As he bent over to pick up the body again from the shaggy potato sac, the hood from his cloak fell over his face.

A hand with painted fingers rolled out of the bag-much to his disliking. He quickly stuffed the withered hand back into the sac again, and looked around, as if waiting for something unfortunate to happen, then carried on with scoping the area.

Not to his surprise, another cloaked figure appeared from the eerie darkness from within the most darker side of the forest.

Almost instinctively, he dropped the sac with a thud, and reached from within his cloak, only to be intercepted by another cloaked figure that had grabbed his wrist.

He could see the person's breath in the cold night air, and then noticed that he wasn't breathing at all.

The man wrenched his hand away from the figure's grasp, and again attempted to reach inside of his cloak.

Pulling out from the darkness of his cloak was a bronze sheath. Not realizing it at first, the second cloaked figure prepared to grab him again. The gleam of a strange light caught his eye before he went ahead to grab him. Looking down, the second cloaked figure saw the hilt of the sword bathed in the moon's ghostly light. It's mysterious patterns giving off an ominous feeling. The second cloaked figure instantly dropped all the attempts at assaults and fell before the other's knees, bowing in an almost pathetic state.

"M'Lord," the cloaked figured managed to say, "I-I didn't know..."

"A'rise comrade," he said calmly, "For we have the same mission."

The man rose from his cowering state, and stood up attempting to be confident. The other man stood inside the shadows, watching carefully, for any sign of weakness. As if waiting for the worst to happen.

"State your business." the first man said firmly.

"What I am doing here is none of your concern, or have you forgotten your place?" asked the man in an informative voice, while placing back his sword.

"I am merely just-"

"Asking? Well, I have no time for your feeble attempts to interrogate me, for I-unlike you-actually have a post that is worth better left unexplained." he said swiftly, and added, "What is your post again?"

"Uhmm..."

"I believe that a high ranking official-such as myself-should be answered with respect and discipline, and none of this intolerance of which you are giving me. I believe I asked you a question?" he asked again with a little annoyance in his voice, as he went for the potato sac.

"My post is to guard the Territory and to scope out intruders, such as-"

"Myself? I don't think that I'd consider myself an intruder if I were you." he continued on, as he picked up the sac and slung it over his shoulder.

"I apologize M'Lord, for my friend's ignorance," the second cloaked man said apologetically, "For you see, it's his first night on patrol-"

The man raised his hand as a sign of silence and spoke, "Enough said comrade, and there is no time for apologies, for I must go and continue on with my business, carry on!" He then walked straight past them, and turned right, when they were out of earshot, then whistled aloud.

A second or two passed with dead silence as the second cloaked figure waited ahead of the other in the secluded forest area. A fog suddenly started rolling into the area. Its heavy pressure was beginning to make the air harder to inhale-in fact, many of the plants started bending to its density and, the trees seemed to fold inwards to the fog. The first cloaked figure watched with anxious certainty.

"If you've come just to gawk at my arrival, I suggest you find better use of your time."

Thinking he was speaking to him, the first cloaked figure visibly flinched under his black travelling cloak.

Not daring to say a word, he backed away slowly. The other cloaked figure went strangely unmoving and the air blew softly against the exposed skin of his face. With the exhale of quickened breath, a misty cloud of frosty air escaped his lips.

And as quickly as it had come, a sharp pointed object went right through him.

The second cloaked figure felt the wind leave him and the pain replace it. With a staggered breath he fell to his knees, clutching his side, from which the object penetrated.