Missing Childrens![Quest] [Private with Alberdeen]

After leaving the tavern, Ares was galloping as fast as the horse could go. It wasn't hard for Ares, as he was trained under the royal military of Liones ever since he was a child. Therefore, riding a horse is as easy as breathing. In fact, throughout his adventurer, Ares had rode on many different creatures, from giant tortoises to giant pigs, and even a mutated ant. No matter what creatures they are, Ares enjoyed riding on them, as he loved the feeling of the breeze, which is another reason Ares wished he could fly, as he hates using his feet. As they continue riding through the twist and turns of the streets, Ares soon caught sight of an apple tree. With a swift moment, he activated his ability, Snatch, and two apples were within the grasp of his hand. Of course, he made sure that Al wouldn't see this, as he doesn't want his trump card revealed in case Al would betray him. Therefore, he pretended to reach for the trees by ordering his horse to jump. He held on to the apples, and continued galloping towards the city gates.

Upon reaching the city gates, Ares started to slow down, and as soon as Al caught up to him, he would throw an apple to him, and start munching on his apple. "Well, Al," said Ares as he took another bite, "The village is just 5 minutes away. I know this seems like I'm a busy-body, but may I know what your ability is? And maybe your pros and cons, and skills or fortes? It'll help me out a lot. I mean, if we were to face someone strong, it'll be really useful, and maybe it'll help us synergize better. I'll show mine as soon as you reveal yours." He would then wait for a response before continuing on with his rant.

"Honestly though, what is the Seven Deadly Sins doing with their time? They've been too quiet these days, as if they're plotting something out. I mean, children are going missing. Are they not concerned at all? This is just pure bullshit. Has the Seven Deadly Sins really degrade that much, so much that two foreigners have to take care of their internal affairs?" As he said this, Ares bit hard on the apple. Indeed, what is the Seven Deadly Sins doing? Hiding in the castle, as the people who they need to take care of goes missing left and right? Ares hates blaming people, but the incompetency of the Seven Deadly Sins is beyond measure. It's because of them that his dad got massacred. This thought soon made him sick, and he threw his apple into the pastures.

"So, you said your Holy Knights have been sent to capture this group, but they were all massacred? Did you investigate the bodies? Like cause of death? Presence of magic? How badly mutilated the bodies were? And any clues around? Every advice that you can give me will help a lot. Also, any info in general. Who are they, what their goal is. Anything at all. I got all year long. Well, I mean 5 minutes."

Finishing his sentence, Ares soon fell deep in thought as he remembered that day when he was approached about this disturbance. He was drinking and enjoying his meal in the tavern as usual. And suddenly, a woman slammed open the tavern door and ran towards Ares, saying, "You're Ares the Legendary Adventurer, right? Please, I beg you! My son had gone missing. Please, find him... He isn't the only one! Our village is cursed by a beast! Every night, children just disappear without a trace! Please, you're out last hope! The Seven Deadly Sins had not responded to our pleas. Please, Ares, please..." To which Ares gave her his word that he would investigate and get to the bottom of this, even if it costs his life.

Why children only, in particular? Surely adults would be a better choice, no? I mean, if these people or monsters could defeat the Holy Knights, surely they could easily capture the healthy, strong adults, right? Whenever he thinks about it, Ares would always have the same feeling; This will not be a simple quest.


Wordcount : 712

Alberdeen rode closely behind Ares's horse, his own steed holding itself back at Al's command to keep pace with the lead horse. He couldn't exactly afford to leave Ares behind, he needed him to find who they were looking for. Placing his right hand on his the hood of his cloak, he covered his head and looked towards the sky. It was dry in Liones, this entire country seemed to just be in a perpetual state of dryness and it made Alberdeen's skin crawl. Danafor was constantly seeing storms and the rain made Alberdeen feel at home and he was realizing at that moment he was actually feeling homesick. How long had he been gone? At least a month now, at the least, but he quickly crushed any such feelings in order to refocus his mind on the quest he had at hand.

He had hardly been paying attention to Ares before his feat of quick hands brought his full attention back. Impressive, he thought to himself though he did not have a doubt in his mind that Ares strength was more than just speed.  It did not take long for the galloping silence to be broken though, as Ares directed questions to Alberdeen. Ares was a bold man, quick to ask blunt questions rather than beating around this bush. This pleased Al, who hard little patience for flatterers and long winded simpletons. Curious though, Alberdeen thought, that he'd directly ask for Alberdeen to reveal the full extension of his abilities and power. "To put it plainly Ares, I cannot. I do not trust you fully and that is all the reason I have to not reveal my hand just yet." Adjusting himself in the saddle, he focused on the road ahead.

Then Ares brought up a subject of great interest to Alberdeen, the seven sins. The Liones equivalent of his own order. Ares did not seem pleased with the turn of events, that the seven deadly sins had become some complacent that they could not handle their own affairs. " To be fair, this is just as as much a Danaforian matter as it is a Lionesian one. Though, I do agree. They seem complacent. Perhaps with their King dead, they have no reason to hang around. They were criminals who were held only by their promise to a dead man. I am not one for idle gossip, that is the past-time of the wives of politicians. Though I will say this, a political upheaval could be a possibility. They could very well be plotting to take over, and if that is the case the results would be catastrophic. It could quite possibly lead to the largest war Britannia has ever witnessed."

Alberdeen stretched his arms and adjusted himself in the saddle as they road down the dusty and well-ridden road. Then came more questions, Ares was a very curious individual though Alberdeen supposed the information he asked was relevant to the quest at hand. Though, he was likely to be disappointed by the answer. "I was not the one to investigate the scene, nor did they include it in the dispatch that they sent me before I embarked on this hunt. And since the dispatch was sent through a messenger from the capitol, I had no opportunity to ask. Though, I was not entirely interested in knowing. They sent lower ranking knights anyway, pushovers whom had no right going on such an investigation alone. While they will be missed, perhaps death has taught them their lesson. So to put it bluntly, Ares, we are riding into this blind."

Turning his attention back to the road, Alberdeen focused his mind onto the details of the quest. Children, perhaps they were dealing with some sadistic man with a fetish with children, or perhaps a group of cannibals. If it were cannibals, he had no doubt that the criminal could be remnants of the barbarian hordes that had invaded three years ago. However, until they arrived wherever they were going all Al could do was speculate.

Word count: 674

After listening to Al's reply that he doesn't trust Ares enough, Ares stopped his horse and started talking. "Well Al, I'm not asking you to trust me yet. I mean, your powers are indeed your trump cards, and revealing it to me would be the same as being defenseless if I were to ever betray you. However, I can give you my word that I, Ares, called the Legendary Wanderer, will not go back on my words. I have no interest in politics, or wars. All I ever thrive for is to explore around the world, and to travel to every nook and cranny of Britannia, or even the whole world! If my word isn't good enough for you, the I'll show you my powers. I hope this'll earn your trust." After saying that, Ares got off his horse and stood on the ground. He then smiled as he snapped his finger and executed his favorite move, [Fox Hunt] on Alberdeen's axe, instantly snatching it from him and into his hands. "My first ability is none other than Snatch. As long as I can see the object, or know it's location and its existence, as long as it isn't too far, I can snatch it away instantly. This ability allows my grasp to transcend through magical or physical obstructions."

Finishing this, He then threw the axe in the air and performed [Snatch] on it. The axe would then stop in the air, as Ares used his power. "My next trump card is none other than this. I can grab anything with this ability of mine, which in short, is a telekinetic and invisible hand." He then levitated the axe back to Al. Next, he pulled out his sword, saying, "If you ever heard of me, you would know about this sword of mine. It's made out of a mythical creature that no one ever thought would exist. This sword isn't just hard. It's also very flexible. I can control it with my will, and extend it or even cause it to shapeshift. Easily." He would then demonstrate his sword's ability by first causing it to mimic Alberdeen's axe, and would then extend it into a polearm, followed by a whip, before changing it into a bastard sword. Smiling, he changed it back to normal and kept it back into its sheath, that is strapped beside his belt.

Hopping back to his horse, he then said, "I've revealed my cards to you. Except for my trump card. Which would put a huge strain on my body, therefore I don't use it too much. However, when the time comes, I'll use it. And when I do, Please defend me with all you got, as this ability would take up some time to execute, and it requires my full concentration to execute. And also, after performing this trump card of mine, I will just fall due to huge fatigue and strain placed on my body while performing this. And that's all my cards down. Will you now, trust me? I trusted you enough to show you all my abilities, which not even my parents know about. You're the only guy who knows of this. I'm doing this because I promised a woman that I would do everything in my power, and also put my life on the line to save her child. I was a single child, with only my dad. He was taken away from my life when I was still young. I know how it feels to lose someone close to you. I'll do anything in my power to fight or go against anyone that delivers this bitter and horrible feeling to anyone."

Al soon replied Ares, telling him that this incident is a Danaforian matter. He then gave his own opinion, giving Ares' opinion his affirmation. Smiling, Ares just nod. He indeed knew that this would be a huge deal if the Seven Deadly Sins would indeed want to execute an upheaval. In fact, It would be very easy to pull off. I mean, the Seven Deadly Sins were indeed the strongest group within the country. They could easily overthrow the whole government, and take the throne for themselves.

Sadly, Alberdeen told him that he knows nothing about the case, and this would mean that they're going in blindly, with no knowledge of the enemy. They are in a huge disadvantage, that's for sure.

Wordcount= 712+739= 1,451

Alberdeen gave Ares an aggravated look, eyebrows beginning to furrow as he felt and then saw his ax being ripped away from him. Alberdeen was hard to anger but touching his ax or insulting his homeland were the two fastest ways to earn a trip to see a physician. Gripping the reins of the horse with agitated hands he did his best not to lose his calm and collected attitude. That ax was all that was left of a time long past, a remnant of an age and era that he could never return to. And aside from Danafor, it was the most important thing in the world to him. When the ax returned back so too did Alberdeen's calm and regular mood. Ares had a determined and persistent attitude constantly on the quest to attain more knowledge.

Al rode in silence for some time, contemplating on how to respond to Ares' questions and his persistence that he reveal his power to him. His subordinates rode silently and in formation, understanding the precarious nature of the situation and what kind of mood Alberdeen was in if he was not speaking. Gray eyes watched silently as the adventurer displayed the abilities of his treasured sword and how the blade itself had the ability to change shape. A doppelganger is not as good as the original Al though to himself when the blade morphed into the shape of guillotine. It's abilities intrigued him none the less, temporarily lightening up Alberdeen's lost in thought mood. When Ares finished his little show for them, Alberdeen turned his eyes back to the clouds and let out a deep sigh. Ares was a stubborn little bastard.

Decided and ready, Al turned his attention back to Ares and with a large sigh signaling he was ready to reveal his choice - it seemed that Ares would not leave the subject alone and was leaving Alberdeen with no other choice but to reveal at least some aspect of his capabilities as a warrior. "Very well Ares, since you seem to insist on knowing what I am capable of." Al pulled on the reigns of his horse and forced it to come to a complete stop before swinging removing his feet from the stirrup and himself from the saddle. "You will get what you ask for, albeit in a very limited scope."

He scanned the immediate area, eyes passing from his entourage on to a thicket of oak trees near a low water crossing. There he though to himself, stepping towards the trees and swinging guillotine around in his right hand as if it weighed nothing. Cocking his right arm and guillotine back whilst preparing to swing, his left hand moving to his chin to crack his neck. The saddle made him stiff and it'd been quite a few days since the last time he needed to use his ax. Then he swung the ax towards the largest tree near him and smiled as the tree neared for impact. A horrific crack rang through the air as the tree was forcibly bisected by the impact of the massive act. The sheer force of the blow was enough to send the top half flying twenty meters into the before coming down somewhere on the other side of the thicket in a large field full of grains. The lower half of the tree faired no better as the impact was so great the stump was uprooted and sent flying in a collision course with the rest of the thicket where it carved its own path of carnage to reunite with it's other half in the field. Sticking the top of the lengthier blades on his ax into the ground, Alberdeen crouched down and began to unleash his power. Within seconds, the very influence of gravity on Alberdeen was augment and from his bent knee position he was sent soaring into the sky. This basic jump had put him at a height greater than that of the massive trees that surrounded the party and as his slow descent began ; so did gravity. Manipulating the natural forces, what had once been light became heavy and pulled Alberdeen from the heavens like a meteor. He had predicted his land and as his feet neared the ground he impacted with the top half of the tree. The impact so great that the wooden corpse shattered into shrapnel and filled the field with broken bits of tree.

Returning to the group, he gripped the lengthy handle of guillotine and hefted the massive ax over his shoulder. Gripping the reins of his horse, he swung himself into the saddle and nudged the horse to get back onto the road. " I assume that this answers your questions, Ares." Nudging the spurs into the horse's flanks, he set back onto the road and getting the party back on track.

Word count - 674 + 815 = 1489

Soon, Al replied, making Ares smile. His stubbornness was able to make Al show him his ability. Ares felt glad and relieved; he had already made a gamble by revealing all his cards to Al. It would've been horrible if Al was still stubborn and refused to reveal what he could do to Ares. Though, Al might still hide some abilities, at least Ares would know his fighting style. Though, Ares did not tell a single lie; he did everything he could just so he could improve their fighting chance. Ever since he became a Legendary Wanderer, he's been taking up all type of requests for free, just to help people. Though he wasn't wealthy, years of travelling had taught him that wealth is useless. I guess, you could say he was enlightened throughout his travels. Al soon told him that he would only show him a glance of the ability. Ares smiled and replied, saying, "That's enough, I just need to know your capabilities and our fighting style's chemistry."

Alberdeen soon started looking around and soon found a tree. He then walked towards the trees and began spinning the guillotine around easily. Ares wasn't surprise at this, as he kinda guessed that Alberdeen was a strong person. He then took a swing at one of the tallest tree, and a huge cracking surrounded the area, and birds started flying out of the trees nearby in fright. The tree was soon thrown out of the ground and was sent flying away upon impact. "Hmm, not bad... thought Ares.

However, Al wasn't done. He then started crouching, and soon launched himself high into the air, something normal humans aren't capable of. As soon as he accelerated upwards with an incredible and impossible speed, he soon reached a comfortable height before descending at incredible speed. The descend speed was just beyond comprehension that he managed the shatter the same tree he sent flying into tiny bits of pieces. Ares was impressed at this. Thanks to the knowledge he has gained throughout his travels and also his Power Sensory skills, he could conclude that Al's power is either a power that empowers his body, or a gravity based power. If it was a power that empowers himself, Al's huge leap could be explained. However, his descend would remained unexplained. But, if his ability was indeed a gravity based power, every aspect of the sneak peek Al shown would've made complete sense.

Soon, Al began to walk back to them and got himself up to the horse before talking to Ares again. Ares smiled and replied, "It's good to know your capabilities. Do me a favor; if we fight against a really strong enemy, do everything you can if I ask you to buy time for me. Stop anything that heads towards me. I'll be sure to take him down with my abilities."

Soon after that, the company continued on their journey in silence. And within just a few minutes, they could soon see a village within the vicinity. "That's the village where the disappearance has been reported. Since it isn't such a huge village, let's split up and ask around for some clues and details. If you find any leads, be sure to let me know. Since there's 5 of us, asking around should be easy. It'll be best if we split up. Or if you have a better suggestion, don't hesitate. Just shoot."

Wordcount : 1,451+575 = 2026

As the party reached the outermost fringes of their target village, Alberdeen stopped and readjusted in his saddle as Ares' briefed him on the fact that this was indeed the village they had been riding out to investigate. Hmm, Alberdeen thought to himself taking in everything Ares' was saying as he slowly went house to house with his vigilant eyes. "Very well, Ares. We can meet here after we've found anything... if we find anything." Lifting his right hand up, the three men would behind him would go galloping into the city before spreading out into three separate directions in the city. Content that they would be capable on their own and that they would be able to handle themselves, Alberdeen rode out into the village to begin his own search. It was time to get to the bottom of this crime spree.

As he neared the village center, Alberdeen caught brief glimpses of Ares and his men moving through the crowd trying to find any bit of information that could aide in their search. Clicking his teeth as he looked around the heads of the villages from the top of his mount he'd spot a suspect individual. The man was cloaked and standing ominously against the corner of the village's inn, the "fresh saddle". Swinging himself from his horse, Alberdeen lead his horse by the reigns to the water trough and tied it to the post that rested near it. Letting his horse drink and rest, he approached this mysterious individual with the intent of a small-scale interrogation. Then, the dark truth of who he was dealing with was revealed and that "truth" was dark. Nearing the suspect, the person in question pulled the hood back to reveal a toothless and slackjaw'd mug. "Just a few silvers for a good time, big man." An obvious grimace settled on Al's face as he turned away almost as fast as he had approached her. By the goddess, was that a woman? he said to himself within the confines of his mind. It took a lot to disturb Alberdeen, and that was apparently enough to do so. With his only existing lead gone, he headed into the inn and with fingers crossed hoped to find better results within.

This inn was solemn, the villagers not drinking to celebrate but rather to forget. Not a soul in the room was willing to look Alberdeen in the eye, much less look away from their drinks and cold food. It was if he had walked into a funeral, the tension in the air almost palpable and cuttable with his ax. Approaching the bar, he took a seat at a large and wooden stool that had seen many a asses; the wear and tear as obvious as the fact it was a seat. "I do not know how to approach this matter gently, so I will be blunt with you man. I am here on business out of the Kingdom of Danafor, hunting down an individual or individuals responsible for the abduction of Danaforian youth. I have been informed that... after their discovery in Danafor, they fled here to Liones and similar things are recurring here. What do you know"? He would not recieve an answer, not verbally anyway. The barkeeper simply pointed to a man dressed as if he'd recently returned from a hunt. His clothes patchy, torn for days in the brush and his hair matted and mangled by days of exposure. Nodding in gratitude to the man behind the counter Alberdeen made his way to the hunter.

Taking a seat opposite of the new contact, the two would lock eyes briefly before the hunter would begin to speak in hushed and sad tones. "So many kids.... taken in the night right out of their beds... away from their parents who were powerless to aid them. And now, Liones has no King and we can't even receive aid from the Holy Knights.... We had to take matters into our own hands. I can show you, stranger, where the trail ends if you feel that you could be of any use to us. "I am more than capable of handling this task. Those responsible must stand and face the punishment for their crimes. You can trust me in this, for it is my sworn duty to the King of Danafor to deal out the justice of the Kingdom." Content, the hunter nodded and made his way outside with Alberdeen on his heels. "I must meet with my men, and get them ready to travel at once. Meet us near the outskirts at the village where the two roads cross." The hunter would nod and make his way towards his home to gather what he need. Alberdeen however, would return to the rendezvous and await for the rest of the part to return.

Word count - 1489 + 815 = 2304

Upon reaching the village, Alberdeen and his men split up from Ares. Well, it'll be more efficient, since we'll be having 5 people looking for clues. Always take advantage of the amount of people available. Ares then started galloping around, asking about the missing children and the whereabouts of "Mrs. Brown", the woman who approached him about this matter. No matter who he asked, the respond was that they don't know what happened to them. Some says that the kids were abducted by aliens, some say by slave traders, and some even came up with conspiracy theories dealing with demons and the Seven Deadly Sins. However, no matter how diverse their theories are, one thing constant with all of their stories is one thing-the children disappear every night. They just poof, and disappear. No one ever caught sight of what happened. Even children that sleep with their parents will wake up in the morning to find their kids missing. Anyways, Ares finally found out the whereabouts of Mrs. Brown and decided to head off to her home.

When he reached her home, he knocked on the door, and was greeted by the woman, though her appearance had changed. She was thinner and paler than the same woman that visited him 2 days ago. She had eye bags and red eyes, showing that she had been crying non stop. Upon seeing Ares, Mrs. Brown immediately asked, "Have you found my son yet? My precious John?" Ares then shook his head and answered, "No, I haven't. I'm here to investigate his room, where the incident happened. May I?" The woman then welcomed Ares in and lead him to the second floor, where John sleeps.

John's room was a normal bedroom, without anything out of the ordinary. He had a normal bed, some cupboards to keep his clothes, and some wooden toys around. As he stepped in, Ares asked the woman, "Well, is the room the same way as it is when he disappeared? Or did you clean it up?" Mrs. Brown shook her head and answered, "I couldn't just clean his room up... I mean, how could I do something like that after he disappeared? I can't even eat, yet alone clean up this room of his... What if John never returns? This is the only remnants I have of him... I can't just simply clear all this stuff of his..."

Ares then started looking around, and realized that there was no sign of struggle, nor evidence of a breaking in. Though, he could smell that the air was musky and dusty. The windows were sealed shut, almost air proof, and he could see that the lock was in complete shape. As he continued looking around, he realized that he couldn't find any source of breaking in at all-the locks were in perfect shape, and there was no other entrance. Ares then decided that it would be useless to just search around here, though he had a clue; a lead! Going to the pile of clothing beside John's bed, Ares pulled out a dirty T-shirt from the pile and said, "Mrs. Brown, I've gathered all the evidence this place has to offer. I'm taking my leave now. By the way, may I bring this shirt with me? It'll help me out during my investigations." Mrs. Brown complied to this, as Ares was her only hope.

Walking out of the house, Ares asked for the whereabouts of the village's hunter. After getting the directions from Mrs. Brown, Ares hoped on his horse and started making his way there. The hunter's house was right at the outskirts of the village. The house had a tattered roof, and the wooden fence had started to fall apart. The house itself looks really run-down. Most likely because due to the disappearance of the children, many people had lost their appetites, therefore causing the hunter's business to plummet a lot. As he walked to the door, he tried pulling the bell, but as soon as he gave the bell a light tug, the string immediately tore, and Ares sighed and decided to do it the old-fashion way-knocking on the door. After a while, a man opened the door. The man was a buff guy with tattered clothing. His beard has grown as if he had not been shaving. From the opening of the door, he could see that the house's interior was seriously old and patched up. "Yes..? Can I help you?" asked the man. Ares smiled and replied, "Hello, I'm Ares, and I'm here to solve the problem of the missing children. Though, I'll need your help. As a hunter, I'm pretty sure you have a dog as your companion, ay? Someone who can sniff and locate a rabbit's hole through their tracks." Instead of answering him, the hunter whistled lifelessly, and a dog soon walked towards the man, and sat down on the feet of the hunter. Though the horse doesn't look sick or hungry, it seemed lifeless, most likely due to his owner's sadness. What can you say? A man's best friend is indeed the dog.

"I've got Rusco. He's a real smart one. Though, he hasn't been able to go on action as much, since the village had been struck by such a horrible event. No one buys meat anymore. Most of them either lose their appetites, or just fast, hoping that their gods would answer their prayer." Ares pitied the man, and pulled out a pouch full of gold, saying, "I would like to borrow Rusco to help me locate the missing children. I'll give you all the gold in this pouch to borrow him for a day. I suppose he's smart enough to make his way home once I'm done, right?" Ares' suggestion shocked the hunter. The hunter accepted the money, and hugged Rusco before asking Rusco to follow Ares. Rusco obeyed his master's order, and started following Ares. Ares smiled, and he decided to make his way back to the meeting point. "Time to beat all those deepshits back to hell."

Wordcount : 2026+1016=3042 words

Alberdeen waited patiently as his men and Ares slowly trickled back into the rendezvous point. His hands moving over the reigns of his trusted steed as watched the last of his men arrive at the rendezvous. The hunter was a no show, but assumed and judged from Ares' face that the dog was meant to be the means that the group would get to their final destination in this ominous quest. The dog would start sprinting towards the direction that they needed to head, and Alberdeen made it his business to keep up with this impressively fast canine.

The dog would leave them to a thick forest at the base of some not-so-small mountains, before breaking into the brush to follow the scent into the forest. The woods would be too thick for their mounts and they'd have to go the rest on foot. Swinging himself out of his saddle, he'd signal for his men to take the reins of all their horses and wait here. Alberdeen didn't want to risk their lives on what could be a very dangerous situation and he decided that it would be best if they remained with the horses. All of them showed signs of disagreement but not a single one dared to defy their lord. "You and I will continue from here, Ares. Perhaps we will finally get to the bottom of this mess."

Alberdeen lead the way and scanned the area in an attempt to find where the dog went. A tell-tale indicator as to where the dog went was the freshly over turned leaves exposing the moist underside that had yet to face the drying wrath of the sun. An entire trail, albeit almost unnoticeable to those without the proper skills, of bent branches and broken twigs guided him. Following it led them to the dog whom was growling lightly indicating that he had either found something or even worse - something had found him. Alberdeen drew his ax from his back and held it tightly in his hands as he slowly approached the dog to see what it had found.

Two men, walking with restrained children headed into a mossy and ominous cave where demonic chanting was spewing forth from. Alberdeen's eyes narrowed as he heard the contents of these.. "chants" and he could feel rage pulsing through every ounce of his being. There were five men standing guard at the entrance of the cave. Each and everyone of them carrying the aura of a man of many battles, an experienced combatant that could give most of the rank and file warriors of any of the Kingdoms a run for their money. However, Ares and Alberdeen were not rank and file.

Perhaps in a different world and time Alberdeen would have gone into this scenario with a clandestine approach but in this reality - there would be blood. Alberdeen was aggressive and the chants set him into a blood lust that was about to be parched with the blood of these poor souls at the door. He signaled to Ares to handle the two men on the right, he'd handle the three on the left. Rotating his hands on his ax and mumbling a prayer to the goddess of punishment under his breath, he bounded out of the brush towards the opening of the cave.

Alberdeen lifted the ax above his head and allowed for the ax handle to slide between his hands so that he could grip the ring at the base of the ax. Doing so gave him further reach and as he neared the man nearest to him whose eyes now widened from surprise, he brought the ax down like the wrath of a merciless and angry god. The first man stood no chance, incapable of reacting to this attack and as the ax came screaming downwards all he could do was close his eyes. The ax impacted the top of the man's skull before splitting it down the center and continuing it's carnage through his torso and straight out of the groin. Before the two halves of the bisected man could even reach the ground Alberdeen was dashing towards the next man in line. Each of the men had been standing a few meters apart, perhaps for this same reason and at this point the other two had time to react. Their swords were drawn and they were preparing to stand down this "Demon" that had come from the trees.

The second victim however would not get the duel he was expecting but rather only got to witness the sight of Alberdeen positing and cocking his ax back at an angle to his right before throwing it forward and spinning through the air. The ax would impact with the man's chest, his sword that he attempted to deflect the ax with shattered into pieces by the unbelievable force of the hit. The actual impact itself caused the ax head to completely penetrate, the smaller side of the ax barely sticking out from the front of his chest. The force of the hit so great that it had lifted him off the ground and pinned him into the rock face of the cave's entrance he had just been guarding.

Then there was one, a man now frozen with fear and his blade almost shaking free in his hands. Al strode up to him slowly and gripped him by his sweat and goosebumps covered neck. Then, he would tighten his grip in an attempt to ring the neck. The sound of cracking bone would fill the air for a split second before the man's body fell lifeless from Alberdeen's hands. Al looked forward, locating his ax and walked to retrieve whilst the sound of Ares' fight continued. Returning Guillotine to it's rightful place in his hands, he waited for Ares' to finish up with his task.

Word count - 2304 + 977 = 3281