lords of wu

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The magnificent library was silent with the exception of the malnourished brothers’ noisy gnaws as they sat on the black crystal floor near the grand fireplace. The children’s dirtied fingers were wrapped around large pieces of fluffy wheat as their pearly teeth sank into the soft bread. Their young bodies indulged in the gusts of heat that flowed from the hearth’s generous inferno. The boys huddled closely together and shared the small amounts of food the Assassins provided. Z1 portioned a loaf of bread, a hunk of foul scented cheese, and a juicy peeled fruit evenly amongst the three of them. This was the first meal they’ve enjoyed in some time. Once the attacks began, resources became sparse and people were reasonably ruthless to protect the little they had. The brothers had nothing and it wasn’t logical for marked people to accept food from the others because of the risk of poison. It’s been a treacherous journey.

        The assassins were absent from the room but the boys knew they lurked near. The decorated generals couldn’t be heard but the brothers felt their powerful presence; they knew the assassins were still watching from the vast shadows. The opposite side of the colossal chamber, where the hearth’s fiery shine could not reach, was pitch-black. The boys feared the darkness but not for childish reasons. For years, the brothers have struggled to escape its clutch and the nightmares that skulked with murderous intentions. They’ve battled to rebel against the overwhelming takeover and have traveled blindly through their disorienting expedition. Many of their people have perished. Many of those who were marked, were hunted and tortured. Very few were captured, dissected, and experimented on by the Chu Army. During the early years of the endless winter, the great minds and scientists of Chu requested the nation’s soldiers to seize marked people for educational experiments. The scientists operated with the goal of learning more of the natural abilities these people possessed. They studied their anatomy, energy conduction, and used the darker species like lab rats to further advance their weaponry and technology. The power the marked ones possessed was not solely physical and although there were recognizable melanated differences between the two species of people, there was nothing that could be used to help the Army’s advancements. After many tests and extensive experiments, the scientists abandoned their assimilation of the marked ones and continued to artificially emulate the power. The remaining test subjects were locked away in cells and enslaved by the nation. A miniscule population who survived did so through migration and hiding. There was no other choice. The people didn’t trust each other enough to unite and fight back. They weren’t strong enough.

        Z1 finished eating before his brothers did. He nibbled on the small piece of fruit that remained from his meal. He bit into the sweetness; its juices spilled from his lips and ran down his hairy chin. He wiped the citrus liquid from his skin using his worn out cloak sleeve and swallowed the chewed fruit in his mouth. He observed his brothers as they innocently chomped on the fresh foods. Digi sat with his legs crossed and rested his meal on his lap. His back was hunched over in protection of the foods as he slowly enjoyed the flavors. Eddie’s cheeks were fat with the meal. He took bites from each ingredient and combined all the distinct flavors in his mouth. Z1 chuckled to himself as he watched. He loved his brothers and their connection more than anything in the world. His love for them replenished his aching body and weary spirit. His love and desire to keep them safe was more than enough motivation during the journey. All the heartache and tragedy was worth it. He was willing to do anything and everything to protect his brothers.

 Z stood to his feet and made his way through the enormous selection of the literature that blessed the many shelves of the library. He ran his fingertips along the spines of the books as his busy eyes scanned and his lips muttered the titles. When the boys received the food earlier, the assassins ordered them to meet downstairs when they were finished. Z1 passed the time by satisfying his hunger for knowledge. The bookshelves seemed to have an energy; like a magnetic force that pulled Z1’s interest. As he walked along the bookshelves, it grew stronger and more attractive. He ran his fingers along the titles but he didn’t stop to study any of the books closer. He hadn’t found what he was looking for; he wasn’t sure what it was that he searched for but he kept looking. His feet energetically marched and his interest pulled him deeper into the room. The undeniable pull captured his attention and lead him to the far end of the room where the light from the luminous fireplace failed to reach. As he stepped deeper into the darkness, his eyes continued to blindly search the shelves and his fingers felt for titles. His heart pounded against his ribcage with excitement as his feet came to an involuntary halt. Z stood there for a few highly anticipated seconds with his fingers rested on the spine of a hardback book. The book was slim and was squeezed in between two thick novels. His spirit jumped with celebration and his mouth watered with desire. His uneasy fingers shook anxiously as they attempted to pry the book from its assigned position on the shelf.

A solid grip wrapped its span around Z’s pubescent throat and with a swift effortless motion, Z1’s booted soles were lifted from the black floor. Z1 immediately grabbed ahold of the wrist trying to pry it from his airways. He slammed his forearm down in a hacking strike to break the clench but was unsuccessful. He gasped for air as the grip around his throat tightened. His legs and feet flailed as his attacker refused to release. The darkness hidden assailant pulled Z’s body closer to himself in attempts of gaining momentum. The powerful aggressor launched Z’s body airborne back across the room. The forceful vault heaved the boy from the darkness of the shadows and back into the hearth’s brilliance. He viciously slammed stomach down to the crystal library floor near his brothers and tumbled over onto his back. Eddie and Digi looked to each other with confusion as they chewed the breakfast that stuffed their cheeks; then they turned and looked to Z as he laid there shifting in pain.

“What the hell are you doing?” naive Eddie asked with a full mouth, spitting specks of food with a chuckle. Z1 wheezed for a quick moment and before he could speak, the masked assassin teleported across the great library. The mighty soldier landed on top of Z; his left boot crunched Z’s right wrist and his right boot pinned Z’s chest beneath his weight. Z1 strained underneath the dominate assassin. He hacked at the soldier’s ankle with his left forearm, bent his legs up, and used his every bit of strength to topple the burly soldier. He did not succeed. Eddie and Digi stood to their feet as fast as they could. As they approached to defend their older brother, the assassin ripped his sword from the steel scabbard and held it out horizontally towards the two boys.

“Stop!” Z1 strained to scream from underneath the crushing weight. His brothers refused to listen and as they bolted towards the assassin, their young eyes became engulfed in the fiery spiritual glow. Eddie leapt from his feet and Digi dashed towards the assassin’s lower body. The assassin yanked his sword up over his head and down with great speed in a slicing motion but he failed to stop the boys’ attack. Digi head bunted the outside of the assassin’s right knee and Eddie slammed into his right external oblique. The assassin’s lower body buckled and the incredible force of the children’s impact slammed the soldier into the ceiling high bookshelf on the right side of the room. The shelves behind his body demolished; a collection of the literature and the assassin’s tough body fell to the slick floor below. The pages of the thick books covered his muscular frame. Z1 coughed harshly as he turned over and his brothers helped him up. The assassin placed his gloved hands beneath his chest and pushed his body up from the ground. As he stood, the mountain of books fell from his back. He recovered back to his feet and brushed the shoulders of his armor in a nonchalant manner. The dangerous assassin channeled the fiery energy as he stood across the room preparing to retaliate. His eyes glowed from underneath his steel mask.

“Be ready.” Z1 told his younger brothers as they anticipated the attack. Z1 closed his eyes for a quick moment and when his lids opened, his eyeballs glowed like a heavenly body. He bolted forward as the younger brothers spaced out in opposite directions creating a triangle formation. The assassin darted towards the brothers with his sword in his grip. As Z1 and the assassin got closer to each other, the assassin teleported past him; he suddenly reappeared stomping Digi to the floor. Digi’s skinny frame slammed against the indestructible crystal. He immediately jumped, zigzagged between dimensions, and when he returned, he hacked at Eddie with a savage sword chop. The blade sliced through his layers of clothing but would not pierce the skin of the boy’s chest. Before his feet touched the floor, the assassin teleported behind Z. The assassin moved with extreme speed; his attacks happened within moments. By this time, Z had just recognized the assassin teleported past him. He quickly halted and turned to dart back in the opposite direction. Instead, the assassin met him as soon as he turned around and attempted to stab his sword through the teen’s gut. The steel blade slit through his layers with ease but it would not pierce his skin. Digi jumped to his feet and darted at the assassin; Eddie followed. Z1 palmed the end of the assassin’s sword and yanked it away from the soldier with his left hand. The assassin instantly balled his fist and crashed his armored knuckles into the right side of his opponent’s ribs. That was the beginning of a masterly combination. The assassin flowed with the movements of his enemy. He fought with fluid techniques; a style that appears effortless but was extremely powerful and difficult to master. Z1 shifted his abdomen to the right in reaction to the body shot. The skillful assassin met him with an armored elbow to the bridge of his nose. Z stumbled back a few feet. By this time, Digi arrived moments before Eddie. The assassin anticipated and without looking, he kicked his right leg backwards and his combat boot stomped into the pit of Digi’s young chest. He slid back a few yards, somehow managing to stay on his feet. Z stepped back towards the soldier to attack. The assassin swung that leg forward, dropped his body lower to the floor in a swift motion, he used his momentum and great strength to sweep Z off of his feet. The assassin reached and speedily caught the boy by each of his ankles before the body could land against the library floor. Eddie charged in but the assassin was smooth. He placed his right foot back to the ground solidifying his base, swung Z across his body like a sledgehammer, and crashed the teen into Eddie’s young torso. Digi attacked again. The assassin threw the body and the force of the impact sent both, Z and Eddie, flying across the room. The boys came to a destructive stop against the bookshelf wall. This collision knocked more of the collection of literature from the shelves. As Digi came darting in, the assassin hopped from his feet in a spinning motion. Digi miscalculated his attack and the assassin planted the sole of his boot at the back of the child’s neck. As the assassin landed, his weight crushed Digi to the durable black floor. He was face down and pinned to the indestructible flooring as the assassin stood with his right boot on the top of the boy’s spine.  

“You are not prepared for this battle. You need to understand this and show some respect.” The assassin said extending his hand out towards his sword that laid on the black floor abandoned. His energetic current channeled through the blade and under its owner’s command, the sword lifted into the air and retreated to the brawny soldier’s grasp. The assassin slid the sword back into its scabbard. There was no use for it in this battle. The boys were stubborn. Z and Eddie recovered back to their feet with a pained grunt and slowly approached the assassin again. The remaining two assassins joined the battle. They each teleported into the great library before the approaching brothers. Z and Eddie stopped in their tracks. Those two assassins aggressively closed in on the boys.

“Blade, what’s the math?” the tallest assassin asked as he stood in front of Z1.

“Demonic Mind State!” Blade began as he dug his weight in at the back of Digi’s neck. The wise assassin yanked the sword from his scabbard but Blade interjected.

“Swords are ineffective. Only the power can harm them. They aren’t very skilled but they’ve been trained to protect themselves and understand the basic abilities of their powers.” Blade explained. The tallest assassin replaced his sword into its scabbard. Eddie and Z looked to each other quickly then back to their mighty opponents.

“We don’t want to hurt you! We’re just-” Eddie began but the assassin that stood before him quickly interrupted.

“That should be the least of your worries! What’s the infraction?” the scratchy voice assassin interrupted with a chuckle then asked his fellow warrior.

“They came for knowledge!” Blade answered.

“You don’t understand!” Z attempted to explain but the assassins weren’t prepared to hearken.

“We don’t have time for these trivial matters.” The wise assassin stated to his soldiers.

“Sniph,” Blade called to the scratchy voice assassin.

“Dirt,” Blade called to the wise assassin before continuing his statement.

“Let’s make this short and sweet!” He finished and the other two assassins attacked the boys. Sniph was strong, quick, and his movements were explosive. He fought with vicious techniques; a ferocious style that was risky to attempt if not mastered. The assassin kicked his booted foot at Eddie’s head but the boy avoided the vicious blow. Eddie ducked the kick and the assassin’s momentum rotated his body to his left. After the missed attack, the assassin redirected his leg before his foot planted back to ground and stomped Eddie in the chest with a side kick. The force knocked the boy back a few feet. He doubled over and found himself rested in a kneeling position with his head hung over. Sniph immediately stepped, rotated, and flipped his body overhead with his right leg extended. As the assassin front flipped, the back of his right heel crashed into the rear of Eddie’s skull and drove his young face into the black floor. The assassin landed with amazing balance and grace; one foot was sturdy holding his acrobatic body above the ground’s surface and the other leg extended before him with his heel rested on the back of Eddie’s head. The assassin quickly stood up with his right foot still extended before his body. Once the assassin stood tall, he swung his right leg backwards to build momentum. Sniph flipped forward again, this time landing both of his steel toe boots onto the child’s back. Eddie cried out in agony underneath the weight of the assassin.

At the same time, Dirt stepped in towards Z with his arms rested behind his back. Z1 swung his balled fist but the assassin was too quick. Dirt leaned back slightly and watched as the tightened hand whizzed past his masked face. The assassin stepped in closer as the boy swung his other fist to the same conclusion. The assassin ducked underneath the swing and lodged his shoulder against the boy’s ribs. He quickly pounded his armored knuckles against Z’s side for two devastating close range blows. As Z1’s body reacted and he attended to his weakened side, the assassin ducked from under Z’s arm and struck again. He slammed his armored hand into the teen’s exposed throat. Z1 doubled over and the assassin brutally lifted his steel plated knee to the brother’s face. The impact forced Z1 to stand up straight and clench at his pain. The assassin knelt down and landed a conquering strike to the teen’s gut. The punch flung Z1 backwards until his lean frame crashed to and slid across the slick black floor. Dirt stood back to his feet untouched. He fought with the tranquil techniques; a serene style that took great amounts of skill and patience to perfect.

Blade stood pinning Digi to the floor. The young boy scrambled underneath the assassin’s boot, flailing his limbs and screaming obscenities. His soul began to overcharge as the youngest brother’s emotions built up.

“Finish this!” Blade yelled to his fellow assassins. Dirt quickly approached his opponent. Z1 rebounded to his feet. The oldest brother was furious and dangerously determined to protect his brothers. Dirt stepped in closer to the teen and jabbed for his face. Z1 dodged the quick swing and rammed his bare knuckles into the chin of the assassin’s steel plated mask. The uppercut launched the assassin and sent him airborne until Dirt’s body collided against the elegant ceiling of the chamber. Z1 quickly turned and sprinted towards Sniph and Eddie. Sniph stepped down from Eddie’s back and watched as Z1 raced closer.

“Let’s see what you’re made of.” Sniph called out to the teen as he approached. The assassin cupped his hand over his balled fist and squeezed down until his knuckles crunched underneath the armor. He took a few sturdy steps towards Z1. The teen darted in swiftly but as their energized figures collided, the impact sent both of them into opposite directions. The violent force slammed their bodies like ragdolls into the far sides of the amazing library. Sniph laid motionless on the durable floor as he dealt with the pain; Z1 was unconscious due to the amount of energy squandered. Dirt fell from the ceiling and landed on the soles of his combat boots unfazed by the attack. Eddie recovered to his feet with both his hands stretched backwards holding his lower back in excruciating pain. The boy panted with weariness and groaned through his discomfort. Eddie attempted to get himself together but happened to make eye contact with the ferocious assassin. Dirt snickered underneath his steel mask as he approached Eddie.

“Fuck.” Eddie muttered to himself as he slowly retreated away from the soldier. The assassin steadily closed in on the boy. An extremely loud, bright, and disorienting disperse of energy exploded from the youngest brother’s chest as he laid pinned down to the floor. Digi’s soulful exhaust released from underneath Blade’s boot. The dismantling explosion demolished the room. His potent energy, at direct contact, cracked the supposed unbreakable floor. His powerful vent vaulted Blade and himself towards ceiling and shattered the indestructible crystal. The spiritual outlet slammed the other assassins and brothers to the far walls and sacred bookshelves along with all other furniture in the room. The battle was temporarily ended. A gaping crater crackled through the floor of the once magnificent library. Their battle wrecked the beautiful chamber and their superior energy torched many of the historical artifacts.

Digi and Blade’s limp bodies fell senselessly through the vast hole in the floor to the lobby in the lower level below. Eddie, Sniph, and Dirt were still awake and conscious along the walls of the great library. The injured opponents rolled around the slick floor in agonizing suffering. The fatigued warriors laid feeble amongst the burning furniture. Eddie rolled over to a seated position on his knees and looked over to the assassin before him as he sat up straight. Eddie and Sniph looked to each other in an intense exchange of exhausted anticipation. The assassin raised his worn out hand and waved the boy away in disinterest.

“Chill, bro.” Sniph ordered with a scratchy toned pant. The aged assassin floundered to his feet and Eddie sat enduring the war-weariness. Dirt laid stomach down studying the immense excavation. The assassin stumbled up to his feet and limped closer to the gaping hole. The floor surrounding the crater was cracked and weakened. Dirt looked down to the floor below. He examined the two inert bodies and the large pile of debris. A thick dark soot aimlessly floated through the air and rested on the unconscious opponents. Large sections of the floor was now nothing more than rubble that buried the child and assassin in the lobby. Sniph joined Dirt at his side and overlooked the enormous hole.

“How?” Sniph asked in an almost whisper. Dirt shook his head in disagreement and disbelief.

“Impossible.” the assassin was dumbfounded by the children’s inconceivable power. Even without the proper training and mastery of their abilities, the brothers were extraordinarily dangerous. Unfortunately, they didn’t know how to reserve or retract their energy; this meant they lacked stamina and were easily weakened whenever using the power. Eddie was incapacitated and his body was too weakened to stand. His eyes no longer glowed with the energy but they struggled to focus on the two assassins. His vision drifted in and out of the blur as he strained to keep consciousness. Dirt and Sniph spoke to each other but Eddie could only perceive their words as noise. The boy toppled over and sprawled out on the black floor. He watched as Sniph turned from Dirt’s side and approached his powerless body. Eddie blacked out.

“Messengers!” the three assassins barked. As their voices echoed through the lobby of the Lords’ temple, the three brothers jolted from their unexpected slumbers. The boys’ bodies were sore and ached from the vigorous battle; Digi was especially injured. Their eyes eased open and they attempted to stretch their limbs, but they were restrained. Chains and shackles locked their arms behind their backs and secured their wrists to their ankles. The boys laid uncomfortably in the large pile of debris from the explosion. Their torn and worn out clothing was dirtied by the thick soot. They looked to each other with worry as they struggled to shift to a seated position. Dirt and Sniph stepped in and yanked the boys up to rest on their knees before the assassins. The brothers didn’t speak yet, but they listened very closely.

“Where are you from?” Dirt interrogated. The boys continued to stare up at the assassins as Z started to speak.

“We did not want to harm you or your nation. That’s not what we came for.” Z1 began.

“Answer the question!” Sniph snapped as the assassin towered over the seated brothers. A few moments passed before Z replied. He took a deep breath.

“We are from the land of Hazelwood.” Z1 answered raising his head proudly.

“Hazelwood? Impossible. That land was vanquished in the first year of the winter. There’s no way you survived this long.” Blade argued but Dirt interjected.

“Do not assume what’s possible or what isn’t.” Dirt stated.

“We aren’t the last of our kind. There are more survivors out there.” Z1 informed the soldiers.

“Others who are Lorded Out?” Sniph questioned. The boys looked to each other with confusion. The assassin shook their heads in disappointment.

“Others with powers?” Sniph translated. Z nodded.

“Not many… but yes.” Eddie answered.

“We did not come to harm you or your nation. We are not the messengers you seek and we do not wish to fulfill your prophecy. No disrespect but we have only one objective.” Z1 announced.

“And what is that?” Dirt asked with great interest.

“To find our family… by any means necessary.” Digi answered back.

        “We’ve been separated from our bloodline. They were captured in the first year of the invasion as slaves to the Chu nation.” Eddie added.

“How do you know they’re still alive?” Blade asked in a concerned tone.

“I can still feel them. It’s difficult to explain… but our energy is connected. I can still sense their distant pulse.  I know they’re still out there… but everyday it weakens. Everyday it fades. We don’t have time to waste.” Z answered.

“Then why are you here? Why have you come to our nation?” Dirt questioned. The boys paused for a few moments before answering.

“We seek a book. Before the invasion, we were in training. Our parents and guardians prepared and taught us the vast capabilities of our energy. We were very early in training when the Chu soldiers swarmed and began Waging War. They destroyed everything. They ripped apart our families and captured the talented spirits. Our people sacrificed themselves to protect us. They sent us on a worldwide search for the book. Our family and selected others were kidnapped by Chu for experimental observation. The others were exterminated. We escaped Chu’s destructive path and managed to stay just a step ahead of their army. We’ve traveled to every nation in search of it but everywhere we’ve visited soon became victims of the demolition.” Z1 explained.

“It’s like they’re following us.” Digi added.

“The book is here... In the library. I felt it.” Z1 explained.

“What book?” Dirt asked with attentiveness.

“We’re not sure, but I can feel its pull. It’s calling me to it; directing me like a compass since we arrived.” Z1 told them.

“Our parents told us that when we found it and studied its contents we would be able to rescue and deliver our people from the darkness ” Eddie added. The assassins looked to each other and nodded.

“So what? You think you’ll read a book and be able to take on an entire army?” Sniph doubtfully asked. The brothers looked to each other but didn’t answer.

“It’s forsaken to go to war without preparation! You have unbelievable abilities but you are weak; mentally and in combat. You have very little control of your powers which makes you dangerous… to yourselves.” Blade explained.

“Your lack of control and understanding of the energy that charges your body makes you a hazard to each other and our universe.” Dirt said before pausing and looking up to the enormous hole above them.

“What if I told you, you weren’t here for a book?” Dirt asked.

“We are not interested in-” Z snapped but Sniph quickly interrupted.

“Shut your mouth and listen!” he hollered as he stepped towards the boys. Z1 quieted and looked to Sniph as Dirt continued.

“Whether you know it or not, this war is much bigger than Wu Vs. Chu. This war is much bigger than your family and your selfish reasons. Your purpose… your destiny depends on this moment. Your future… our future depends on the decision you make right now. You aren’t here for a book. You are here to save the world; to save the universe. You are here to deliver our people from the darkness.” Dirt elucidated.

“We are not soldiers.” Eddie informed.

“Not yet.” Blade told the boys before Dirt continued.

“We can train you. We can help you unlock your true potential and help you become more powerful than you ever believed… more powerful than us. The truth is we need you. The power you possess is in all of us marked people. Most of those who still exist do not know how to access their energy. You have been blessed by God and once you learn your full capabilities, you will be able to lead our army, rescue your family, and save the world from the evil takeover.” Dirt finished.

        “We don’t want to fight your war!” Z1 argued.

“The truth is… this is your war! The Chu army knows the only thing that can end their reign is the messengers. Your journey has not been a mistake. Chu invaded Hazelwood to find you. Your parents sent you into running because the army wished to destroy you. Their ruthless soldiers destroyed every nation following in your footsteps because they know your strength. They know you are destined to protect the universe and the truth. No matter where you run the war will follow you.” Blade told them. The brothers looked to each other in amazement of the information. They contemplated in their young minds if it was all true. They were uneasy to give in to the knowledge but they believed what they were told.

“You are the messengers!” Sniph announced.

        “Complete the training, and we will give you the book you seek. Deal?” Dirt offered. The boys nodded with acceptance. The assassin removed their masks as they stood before the chained brothers. They displayed their aged faces as they placed their steel plated helmets to the cluttered floor.

        “Unchain them.” Dirt ordered but his soldiers were hesitant. They looked to each other to with confusion.

        “Unchain them!” Dirt repeated.

“We can’t trust them, yet.” Blade said but Dirt believed otherwise.

“You don’t have to trust them. Unchain them!” Dirt ordered and the assassins complied. Blade and Sniph approached the seated brothers.

“Now, when we let you go, don’t do none of this again.” Blade began to the boys pointing towards the pile of debris and then up to the gigantic hole in the ceiling.

“Or we’ll cut your dirty balls off and feed ‘em to you!” Sniph finished with a sinister grit to his words. The assassins unlatched the metal chains from the boys’ wrists and ankles. Digi rubbed at his skin where the restraints dug into his young flesh. Eddie shifted  from his knees and sat his bottom on the rough rubble. Z stretched his weary arms overhead and let out a tired grunt as his bones flexed. The boys finally gave into the dominance of the assassins who mentally and physically imposed their will. The clever boys dropped all underlying agendas and humbled themselves before the assassins  Each of the exhausted brothers settled and focused on their new leaders.

“Welcome to Assassin University!” The assassins announced simultaneously to the young messengers.

        A desperate and fearful mother’s hand covered her daughter’s mouth and squeezed as she attempted to silence the young girl’s petrified trembles. The mother pulled her child’s body close and wrapped her protection around the little girl, even though she knew it wouldn’t be enough to save her daughter. She tried to keep her silent as they hid from the I Army; she kept their movements to a minimum. Rays of light entered between the cracks in the boards. The mother carefully pressed her face against the board and slowly lined her eye up with the crack. She continued to cover her daughter’s mouth as she peered through looking for the soldiers. It was hard to see much of the room through the crack, but from what she could tell, the room was empty. She still didn’t believe the soldiers were gone, yet. She leaned back and laid into her original position. Her movements were snail-like to avoid making any alerting sounds. Tears ran down the mother’s face, as fear slowly enslaved her mind. Her daughter was scared, but her young age and naivety protected her to a certain extent. The child was not foolish though. She understood the war, the invasion, the risk of the situation, and the importance of remaining hidden.

        The house had found a very short period of peace during the chaos that the Skinheads caused in the family’s home. The house remained silent, but the mother wasn’t convinced. Her daughter began to fidget and become annoyed with the secrecy, but the woman quickly tightened her suppressive clamp on the child’s mouth. She leaned her tear dampened face down beside the young girl’s ear but waited a few uneasy moments before making a sound. She was very hesitant with great reason. Her eyes studied the uninterrupted rays of light that made its way through into the small hideout. She waited and allowed a few more uncertain moments to pass before she pursed her lip together. She let out a soft hush into her daughter’s ear, attempting to quiet her and inform her that the soldiers weren’t gone. Through the mother’s grip, the little girl let out a small whimper before the house fell completely silent again. The mother’s heart skipped as the worst scenarios played over in her mind. She clenched onto the only thing she had left in this world. She desperately attempted to protect her only daughter from the devastating war. The mother knew that her daughter’s cry was enough to keep the soldiers in their house. It was enough for them to know that the house wasn’t empty and that their search wasn’t complete. The ruckus and destruction of the home began again.

        “Somebody’s here! Look everywhere! Find them!” one of the enemy soldiers ordered. The petrified mother’s soul sank deep into her hollow body as the sounds of demolition erupted once again. Several soldiers worked together to completely gut out the home and quickly made their way into the room where the family seeked refuge. The soldiers began wrecking the room. The woman’s eyes studied what she could see through the thin crack. She could feel the vibrations and rumbles from the soldier’s raid but she still couldn’t see the soldiers. The I Army scum spread out in the room. The mother and her daughter could feel their steps. The soldiers’ suits were heavy and powerful. They collected anything of value and destroyed everything left in sight. One of the soldiers picked up a framed family portrait and began to stroll through the room. It was a picture of the woman and her daughter with a Wu soldier in combat gear. The soldier was a father to the young girl and a husband to the woman. His body was left to rot on the battlefield during an attempted invasion years ago. News of his horrific passing hadn’t even made its way to the family. The soldier studied the picture with a demonic grin cracked across his pale face. He slowly paced towards the center of the room and when he stopped, the wood creaked under his suit’s weight. He pulled the frame closer to his face and after a moment study, he dropped the family portrait like it was garbage. The wooden frame dropped and its glass cracked right before the mother and daughter’s eyes; they were beneath the floorboards, squeezed in between the studs of the house. The family had made preparations for war and survival, especially for if the father couldn’t return. The soldier lifted his heavy boot and stomped the frame, shattering the glass. At the same time beneath the floorboards, the tension was overwhelming. The mother squeezed even tighter and the uncomfortable crawl space felt even smaller under the pressure to remain hidden. Tears began to escape the corners of the woman’s eyes at a quicker rate. As she laid on her back, the tears raced to the cartilage of her ears. Memories of her husband and prayers for his timely return filled her head as fear filled her heart. She tried her hardest to silence her cries; she covered her own mouth with her other hand. Her breathing was frantic and she wheezed uncontrollably as the mighty soldier stood right before their eyes. The sounds of destruction rumbled the room as the soldiers continued wrecking the home.

        “Wait! Wait!” The soldier that stood over the family called to the others. The other I Army scum in the room continued with no acknowledgment of the soldier’s call. The sounds of destruction made it hard to hear anything said, but the soldier heard something abnormal. He stomped his foot and yelled to the fleet of savages.

“Stop! Silence!” the soldier yelled again. He lifted his hands to the sides of his face and waved them by his automated headgear. The pitch black visor-like mask retracted into its helmet exposing the soldier’s pale aged face. The man coughed briefly as he took a breath of the tainted oxygen. The soldiers slowed their movements to halts and after a few moments the house was silent. The woman closed her eyes and tried to escape reality. Her breathing was still in a state of panic, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t completely calm herself. It didn’t take long for the soldiers to pinpoint the source of the cries. The small echoey space amplified the almost unnoticeable sounds to the soldiers. The investigating skinhead kicked the crushed frame aside and dropped his knees to the sturdy wooden floorboards. He tilted his head and pressed his ear to the crack between the boards. The woman and girl were face to face with certain death. The I Army soldier turn his head, shoved his pasty pink nose to the floor, and inhaled the human odor deep. The soldier raised his face from the ground and sat up on his knees with his hand rested on his hips. He looked up to his fleet of soldiers.

“Pull up the floor.” He said calmly before standing his suited body upright. He waved his hands beside his helmet and his face mask returned. Two of the soldiers stepped over the family and began to pry at the wood. The woman watched as the hope drained from her soul. Her daughter began to panic and cling to her mother, but the woman couldn’t protect her now. Her mother couldn’t save her. This reality became very real to the woman as she uncovered her daughter’s mouth and tried to find the words to tell her. She shifted to her side and faced her daughter.

“Look at me, honey.” The mother said softly as tears raced her face and emotion choked her from delivering the truth. The soldiers anxiously worked to get to the family. Every sound made the girl jump and her terrified eyes flooded.

“Baby, look at me! I - I” The woman began to explain but a loud bang interrupted her words. The little girl screamed and was immediately answered with another bang. The soldiers began stomping the wooden floor with their robotic suits’ advanced power. After two stomps the wood split and splintered above the woman’s head. The merciless soldier lifted his heavy foot and slammed it through the damaged wood. The floorboard cracked and the heavy skinhead fell into the shallow hideaway. He landed on top of the family and quickly pulled himself up to the floor above. He reached in and pulled the weakened wood from the hideout beneath the room. The soldier yanked the chunks of floorboards and tossed them aside carelessly. The other soldiers took multiple steps forward and peered down at the frail marked family. The small fleet of soldiers stood anxiously examining their dark skin as they awaited orders. The little girl turned and buried her head in the pit of her mother’s chest as the woman sat petrified staring up at the mighty troops. She wrapped her arms around her daughter tighter and closed her eyes shut. She began to pray to her God. She asked for his protection and salvation, but in this moment, her God had appear to forsaken the family. The merciless soldier began to chuckle as he noticed the mumbles of the woman’s prayer.

“There’s nothing you can do now.” the soldier said with sinister grin cracked across his dirty pale face. The woman attempted to continue praying as the evil man spoke.

“You can scream… but no one will hear you. You can pray... but no one will save you. In this moment, there is no savior. In this moment, I am God and I control your fate. You can fight… but you will never win.” the heartless soldier said with a snicker before nodding to his men. He signaled the tsavage men to retrieve the ladies from the hideout in the floor. Two of the soldiers stepped forward, dropped their knees down to the wood, and leaned over reaching into the shallow hole. The woman kept her eyes closed and gently placed her hand over her child’s curly hair. The soldiers attempted to grab at the woman and she quickly twisted and turned from their grip. She began to softly sing a sweet song to her daughter. Her voice was cracking and shaking as she tried to take her daughter’s mind away. The little girl’s eyes were open and she studied as the soldiers closed in on them. The child panicked as the one of the soldiers clinched a handful of the woman’s worn out sleeve. The woman tried to pull herself free from the soldier’s grip, but he was far too strong. He dragged the woman and girl a couple feet into his reach. Another soldier stepped into the brief struggle to separate the woman from her child. He pressed his palms together and attempted to shove his hands into the middle of the mother’s protective embrace.

        “Mommy!” The girl screamed as her arms began to part due to the soldiers’ dividing force. The mother kept her eyes closed as tears escaped her tightly shut lids. The wetness ran down her melaninated cheeks and collected at the base of her chin. The heartless Skinheads snickered and joked to each other at the expense of the shattered family’s tragic separations. One of the I Army scum reached out his robotically enhanced arm with his fingers extended. He placed the frosted metal on top of the young girls skull and grabbed a large handful of the girl’s curly locs. As the other soldiers pulled and broke up the mother’s hold, he yanked the child backwards by her coiled hair. Her body slammed to the wooden floorboards and was quickly slid across the room. The heartbroken woman frantically waved her arms and reached for her daughter as she listened to her hopeless screams fade further and further away. The soldier ripped the young girl up into his arms; he used one arm to secure her against his abdomen and used the other to quiet her screams. He then carried the girl off out the room and two of the soldiers followed behind.

The soldiers of Chu were savage monsters who participated in the disgusting acts of pedophilia. The soldiers hauled the girl away into a secluded area of the vacant house. The young girl was badly beaten and stripped of her tattered clothing. The I Army scum exposed her marked skin and pinned her weakened body to the floorboards. As they prepared to rob the beautiful child of her innocence and purity, the soldiers exited their mechanical exoskeletons revealing their pale feeble bodies. The girl could no longer scream or cry for help. She struggled to remain conscious as blood leaked from her wounds and her core ached. One of the three soldiers mounted himself atop the young girl but before he could penetrate her, the overwhelming pain and fear caused her to pass out into the deepest of slumbers; a rest she unknowingly would never wake from. The girl’s sudden condition didn’t stop the savage soldiers, of course. The disgusting men proceeded to rape the young child. They took turns relieving themselves inside the defenseless girl who offered no resistance in her unconscious state. One by one, each soldiers fell back into their armor and returned to the room where the mother was held. The mother was forced to her knees as she listened to the faint motions in the nearby room. She didn’t have to see; She just knew. The soldiers began to joke to each other as the last soldier took his time with the battered corpse.

“Sloppy seconds!” one of the vile I Army scum called with a snicker.

“Sloppy thirds!” another corrected with disgusting laughter. The mother was traumatised and sick to her stomach. She hated that she couldn’t save her daughter or even help in the slightest. As she sat devastated before the mighty soldiers, she wished death upon herself, and knew it wouldn’t be long before her wish was granted.

“Kill me.” she muttered as her shaky voice managed to escape her sunken face. She sat in shock as the soldiers boastfully bragged about the women they’d taken advantage of and the families they’d shattered during the invasion. The room was loud but one of the commanding soldiers heard the mother’s soft voice.

“Quiet! Quiet!” He yelled as he raised his hand to the soldiers and approached the spiritually defeated woman. She rested on her knees with her chin sank deep into the pit of her chest. The man stepped forward slowly before stopping inches from her body.

        “You dare speak, peasant!?” The soldier said showing off for his fellow soldiers in a way. The woman didn’t reply. After a few brief moments passed, the angry soldier palmed the top of the mother’s head and snatched a hand full of the her brown locs yanking her face up towards him. She let out a pained yelp and then groaned as her pupils pierced into her attackers soul.

        “What did you-” the soldier began but before he could finish, the mother’s screams interrupted.

        “Kill me! Just kill me!” she screamed as tears raced her cheeks. The soldiers in the room watched attentively.

        “That’s right. Beg for it, bitch!” the soldier yelled with an evil chuckle as he stood over the weakened mother.

        “You took everything from me! What more do you want, you fucking cowards!? You’re scum! Scum! You’ve killed my heart! You can kill my body, but you will never kill my soul! Never! You’ve taken my everything! Set my soul free! Kill me! Kill me, now!”  She screamed, cried and pleaded but the soldiers just watched with amusement. The fellow soldiers busted out with laughter as the woman carried on. She no longer feared death. She no longer held on to anything which unleashed something in her body. She had nothing but her soul. The soldier who stood before her turned to his fellow warriors and joined in with their laughter as the woman begged for death.

        “We’re gonna have fun with this bitch!” he told his men but moments after, the laughter came to a tragic end. The woman’s cries halted, and the room fell silent. The smiling expressions on his fellow soldiers’ faces were replaced with ones of worry and fear. The commanding soldier quickly studied each of the troops’ eyes and then quickly turned his attention back to the woman. Her eyes were filled with a fiery glow. Her hands balled with rage as the Lords’ energy now channeled through her body. She slowly rose from her seated position and stood before the soldiers. Her assertive and powerful soul was now in complete control of her body. The cowardly soldiers slowly retreated; the power and advantage they previously had, was useless compared against her Lorded out energy. Her glowing pupils peered through the commanding soldier. He was terrified. He had never been face to face with the marked power. The woman snickered as she stepped towards him and his soldiers.

        “I’m gonna have fun with this bitch.” she said to herself with a sinister grin inspired by revenge. Before her opponents could do anything, she leaped to attack. She lead an unstoppable onslaught throughout the small room, tearing through each of the soldiers’ defenses. She initially traded blows with the small fleet before the battle showed to be one sided. She cracked through the advanced armor, ripped their pasty bodies from their false strength, and then effectively castrated and dismembered them one by one. She left behind a collection of  machine and randomized body parts that soaked in pools of blood. She was drenched in the thick red substance that dripped from her tattered clothes and slowly leaked through the wood flooring. The slaughter was quick and just. The newly discovered energy still charged through her every muscle. Her eyes continued to glow with the power as she walked past the lifeless corpses. She exited the room and stood in the doorway for a few moments looking at the horrific scene in the next room.

Her daughter laid face up and sprawled out along the floorboards; her clothing was ripped from her bruised and bloodied skin. Her daughter had struggled for her life alone and had died dreaming her mother or father would come to her aid and rescue. The woman walked into the room and slowly approached her daughter’s lifeless body. She was surrounded by the blood that once pumped through her energetic body. The mother dropped to her knees before the young girl. The puddle that used to help fuel her daughter’s lifeline now wicked through the worn out fabric of her pants. She lifted her right hand to her own mouth as tears began to pour from her glowing eyes. She extended her left arm and brushed her messy hair back away from her face. As she did, the gentle motion exposed the damage the merciless soldiers had inflicted to the child. The overwhelmed mother quickly looked away as she tried her best to hold back her emotional outbursts.

“My sweet baby,” she said softly as she turned her head back and examined the tortured corpse. She then reached down and wrapped up the body in both her arms. She pulled the child’s heavy torso to rest on her thighs. The body was still warm but it obvious the soul was missing.

“Find your way back to me,” She placed her left hand on the crown of the girl’s skull. She held her right hand against her own chest where her heart beat against her ribcage. She took several deep breaths as she prepared to channel the incredible energy. She then lifted her right hand and extended her arm as high as possible before slamming it down against the child’s chest. The burning power flowed through the flesh, muscle, and bone. Every cell jolted and woke with electric influence. The power traveled deeper than the physical and managed to reconnect to the escaping spirit. The impact of the mother’s blow was immediately effective. The girl gasped for breath frantically and coughed viciously spitting out blood. The daughter’s eyelids lifted slightly; despite her bruised and swollen condition, she was able to make eye contact with her mother. She stared deep into the woman’s burning pupils before passing back out. The mother kept her hand over the child’s chest providing energy to help her daughter heal and regain strength. She knew she had to carry her daughter to receive fresher air.

Outside the family’s devastated household, the war had taken a disastrous toll on the beautiful nation of Wu. The woman and her daughter were lucky to have survived this incident; Others were less fortunate. Invasions were inevitable during this stage of the war. The small nation was almost completely destroyed. Large numbers of the Wu army had made the ultimate sacrifice to defend against the seemingly never ending war. The opposing army was relentless and their great numbers flooded the soldiers cursing the nation with an extremely high death toll. Survivors resorted to retreating into secrecy to protect the last of their families and loved ones. Death plagued the once beautiful land. The smell of rotting flesh carried through the breeze along with the iron like stench of blood. The snow was stained with the mortifying substance that no longer supported its bright red color. The blood had frosted over and adapted a darker red tone. In other areas, it had turned brown due to becoming completely dry against the cracked ground and trunks of burly trees. The harsh weather conditions had only gotten worse. No energy or electric power generated through the small nation. Any fires that were set for warmth, to cook food, or boil drinking water was often a give away to the enemy. The soldiers followed the smoke and light to its source and attacked. The soldiers set out to eliminate any and every chance there was for survival.

There was a large fleet of Chu soldiers that were assigned to surround the hot box where the messengers were last seen. There were multiple I Army camps set up in the vicinity in anticipation of the messengers’ return. Several attempts to crack the luminous orb were made but each failed miserably. Those who attempted were severely injured. The orb utilized the Lord’s energy as protection and as a powerful defense on the outside. Any weapons used to slice through the thick field resulted in controlled explosions where ever the blades attempted to pierce through. Any object used to bluntly slam into the orb’s walls only damaged the object. Any man who touched the orb directly, whether armored or not, was met with the wrath of the Lord’s energy throughout every cell in his body. The I Army scum wasn’t sure when the messengers would return so with great fear, the opposing army prepared tirelessly. The orb had only grown brighter and brighter overtime. Smoke had begun to rise from its surface and swirl off towards the crowns of the naked trees before disappearing into the thick darkness.

The civilians that were forced into hiding often found a way to examine the sun like light and the thick smoke that seeped from the hot box from a great distance. The surviving soldiers of Wu studied the orb from afar as well. The Lords of Wu could not overpower the Chu soldiers in hand to hand combat; their great numbers and manipulated energy was too consistently powerful. The great minds of the Wu army worked on stratagem to effectively pick apart the many Chu camps set up across their land. They were not foolish and wouldn’t approach the enemy where he’s strong, unless there was no way around it. As they awaited their calvary, they moved cautiously into small battles with the opposing army. Each battle brought new deaths and setbacks to the already devastated nation. Every step that Wu took forward, they were forced to take two steps back. Every battle ultimately pushed the wounded nation closer to losing the war.

Blade fell down on his side with exhaustion as he let out an agnious grunt of pain. He quickly rolled over onto his back and stared straight up into the midnight sky. His breathing was unstable and he panicked to find the source of the torchorous pain. He shifted around in his armor and frantically worked to remove the metal sections. His warm dark blood began to leak out from underneath his battle wearied armor and soak into the many inches of snow that surrounded him. He was suffering from a deep stab wound from one of the I Army’s many weaponry advancements. The leaders of Chu studied the current war and analyzed the many faults of their soldiers’ armor and combat shortcomings. The quickly made adjustments throughout the checkpoints of battle. They made their soldiers faster, lighter, stronger, and smarter. The leaders equipped their Skinheads with the ultimate tactics and gadgets to survive the worst scenarios as they ultimately worked to electronically recreate the Lords of Wu and the Lords’ power. Every weakness the Wu soldiers found in their opponents’ combat, power, armor and abilities were immediately analyzed and corrected. The leaders used these small battles to prepare their troops for the messengers return.

Dirt quickly raced to Blade’s aid. He dropped his knees into frozen layers of precipitation and immediately began removing the armor and tapered clothing from Blade’s upper body. Blade’s initial reaction to Dirt’s contact was defensive. He tried to pull himself away from his fellow assassin. Dirt put a secure hold at the middle of Blade’s chest pinning him down and wrapped his hand round at his wrist.

“I know it hurts, Lord. You just need to-” Dirt began but Blade continued to fight the assistance.

“Fuck that! Get off of me!” Blade hollered as he shoved Dirt backwards and then rolled the opposite way. The rest of their fleet, including Sniph, sat back and watched as the two assassins struggled with each other. One of his hands pushed against the wound and caressed the severed weapon that protruded from the puncture. Blade scrambled away from the group of soldiers on his other hand and knees.

“Quit bitching, man! Just pull it out.” Sniph said as he squatted down and rested on a tree stump. He pulled a glass bottle from his satchel. It had been cracked during battle and as he revealed it from his bag he realized a majority of his spirits had drained into the satchel. He used his gloved hand and hacked at the top of the bottle to remove the shattered pieces. After a quick examination, he cautiously placed his lips against the dullest place of the bottle and take a long gulp of the liquor. Blade gathered to his feet and attempted to take a deep breath in. He couldn’t inhale deeply, with every attempt he was met with an excruciating pain. Blade prepared himself to remove the weapon. His opponent had shoved a long spike like blade between his ribs and broken it off deep in his abdomen. The leaders of Chu had mimicked the Lords’ crystal and finally created a weapon that could pierce their marked skin while in the Lorded Out state. He had struggled his way through the rest of battle until soldiering back to hiding at their rest area.

“Shut the hell up!” Blade yelled back at his fellow assassin. Sniph snickered as he finished up his drink and wiped his cold lips dry. Everyone understood the pain that Blade was in but took great amusement in watching the vast differences between the assassins collide. Sniph laughed to himself and shook his head slightly. Dirt stood back to his feet and quickly brushed the snowflakes from his clothing. He approached Blade and tried to calm him down.

“You need to release your anger and channel your power.” Dirt instructed him as he stepped closer and attempted to tend to his wound. Blade quickly stepped away as he applied pressure around his own wound. It was in between his higher ribs and was placed near his right armpit. He couldn’t relax or calm down.

“Don’t touch me!” Blade ordered with a vicious growl. Blood began to foam up in his mouth and as he panted, the thick blood pushed between his teeth and collected at the base of his gums. Enduring the inescapable pain was extremely tiring and any contact to the wound only made it worse. Dirt was patient with his fellow assassin. He slowly approached him again.

“I’m not gonna touch you. You need to clear your mind and channel your energy. It’s going to hurt either way, but it’ll be more tolerable when you’re Lorded Out. Either way it has to come out or you’ll die.” Dirt informed the injured soldier. Blade listened carefully and tried to mentally prepare himself as he arrived at the realization. Dirt looked to him with concern and Blade nodded to him before making his way over to a nearby stump to rest. Dirt turned to his fleet of soldiers and ordered them to start a small fire. Blade attempted to sit but the pain forced him to readjust before he could fully sit down. With a loud groan, he sat back on the stump and contorted his upper body to his left in effort to relieve the pain. The soldiers quickly gathered the needed components to start the flame and sparked it to existence. He shut his eyes, raised his arm up, and took multiple quick breaths before channeling his energy. As the Lorded out energy rampaged through his every cell, Sniph stood from his tree stump and tossed his damaged bottle aside before yanking his sword from his scabbard. He walked to the lower ranked soldiers by the fire and handed them his sword. They placed the steel blade deep into the flame and allowed it to rest in the fire. Sniph then started making his way over to his fellow assassins. Dirt and Sniph made eye contact with each other and Sniph nodded as he approached. The other soldiers watched carefully and awaited orders. The slick assassin moved quickly. Sniph reached and grabbed a hold of the end of the spike like blade and carefully pulled it from Blade’s torso. Blade screamed through the punishing experience and blood began to drip from his mouth down his chin. His wound gaped open and as the spike slid out, a river of his blood poured down his side. Sniph stepped backwards and Dirt gently pushed Blade to lean over on his opposite side. Blade attempted to resist, but the pain was too agonizing.

“Bring the sword and compress! Hurry!” Dirt yelled to his soldiers. A few hurried with a thick white cloth and fresh water to help aid Blade’s wound. Another soldier pulled Sniph’s sword from the fire and carried it with great caution over to the stump. Other soldiers quickly put out the fire to keep from bringing unnecessary attention to their whereabouts. They draped a large cloak over the fire pit and suffocated the flames. Sniph distanced himself from the operation but Blade’s screams and grunts followed. Dirt hurried to rip a piece of the fabric off and tied a hard knot in its middle.

“Bite down on this. We need to remain as silent as possible.” Dirt instructed Blade. Blade nodded his head in agreement before taking the knotted cloth and sinking his bloodied teeth into the white fabric. Dirt then turned to one of his soldiers and was handed Sniph’s sword. The steel blade glowed orange from the steaming heat. Blade spit the cloth out of his mouth and into his hand.

“Wait! Wait! No!” Blade hollered in panic but Dirt immediately reassured him.

“This is the only way. We need to cauterize the wound or you will surely bleed out or die from infection. The pain will be worth it, my brother.” Dirt spoke calmly trying to reason with him. Blade took a pained gulp before shoving the knot back between his teeth and shutting his eyelids tight. Dirt took a deep breath. Sniph walked further in the distance with his back turned to the operation. He examined the spike like blade that he had been pulled from the injured assassin’s ribcage. Three lower ranked soldiers stood on both sides of Blade and helped hold him down. They knew his reaction wouldn’t be calm at all. Blade didn’t revolt. Dirt firmly pressed the hot metal against the open wound and the steel sizzled against his flesh. The sound was loud and haunting. Blade immediately fought against the soldiers’ restraint. His cries were muffled as he attempted to rise up from the stump with all his might and shake the wicked suffering. Dirt held the blade against the damned wound until the cauterization was complete. The terrible experience drained Blade of all of his energy. His eyes quickly became dull as his consciousness slipped from his grasp. By the time Dirt lifted the sword from Blade’s body, Blade had passed out from the gruesome torture. At last, the excessive bleeding had come to a halt. Dirt ordered his men to carefully clean and dress Blade’s wound before he walked away from the stump. He approached Sniph and joined him in isolation. As he arrived by the assassin’s side, he returned his sword to him. Sniph grabbed the steel weapon, examined it for a few moments before sliding it back to rest in its rightful scabbard.

“This war has brought too many casualties. When will they come back? When will this end?” Sniph asked impatiently.

“This war has only begun. Once the messengers return, the true wrath of our opponent will be unleashed. Believe it or not, this is the easy part.” Dirt explained. Sniph shook his head with anger.

“I don’t want to see my brothers suffer and die at the hands of the enemy. I don’t want to hold on to a false hope only to be met with disappointment and death. Do you really believe these children will be our people’s salvation?” Sniph asked. Dirt waited a few moments before answering. As Dirt attempted to answer his fellow assassin, a beastly explosion sounded in the far distance and its impact rumbled the land miles and miles from its source. The dark sky lit up from the sudden combustion before it died out again. Dirt and Sniph’s heads snapped towards each other as the two locked in a frightened and concerned eye contact. The two assassins exchanged a silent communications and within moments they each turned and sprinted back through the Wu soldiers’ campsite. The lower ranked soldiers were completely shook by the unworldly echo and immediately looked to their leaders for direction. They sprang to their feet and prepared to leap into battle following the assassins. Dirt and Sniph darted to the edge of the treeline to get a clear sight of their nation. As the two assassins came to a halt side by side, they both came to a common realization.

“What do you see, Lord?” one of the lower ranked soldiers called out to the assassins. A few seconds passed before an answer was returned. The soldiers waited as anticipation filled their eager bodies and fear poisoned the pits of their hearts.

“It’s time!” Dirt turned and called out to his men. At the peak of the orb, a large crack broke across the ceiling of the vibrant shield and an eruption of the lord’s energy shot like a ray high into the thick darkness. The beam was blinding as it sparked against the dense film that held the globe captive. The consistent burst of energy slammed into the dark dome and sluggishly eroded at the evil resistance. The hundreds of Skinhead soldiers studied the anomaly as they were met with the overwhelming heat that radiated from the orb’s exhaust. The fleet quickly retreated but several rows of I Army soldiers that stood closest when the orb cracked, died immediately on contact; either their machines malfunctioned horribly or their feeble frames melted along with their suits. The Wu soldiers quickly rallied together to aid the messengers but there was no sign of the two young men once the orb cracked.

“What’s the game plan?” One of Wu soldiers called out to the assassins. There was no gameplan, at least not formally. There was only one objective; retrieve the messengers before the I Army scum could and bring them to safety but there appeared to be no way to do so.

“We need to fight!” one of the soldiers answered, but that wasn’t the answer.

“We can’t engage them in battle, they’re too strong!” another soldier answered.

“That’s coward talk!” another argued but was quickly shot down.

“No! That’s wisdom! You don’t attack your enemy where he is strongest, especially if you know you can not overpower him; that’s suicidal. The I Army is ready for battle. They’re on high alert, as you can see.” Sniph informed his men.

“They think the messengers will exit their Soul Search chamber any second now. They’re afraid and their fear makes them dangerous.” Dirt added.

“Their fear?” one of the soldiers questioned as the argument continued.

“Yes! Not the fear itself, but the preparation and force they use to hide their fear.” Sniph answered.

“This is only the tip of the iceberg. We’ve only seen their experimental soldiers. They’ve been testing their strength. Sacrificing their lower ranked skinheads and studying their faults to help prepare their army for the real war. We have yet to see the entirety of our enemy but with the messengers’ return, I am sure it won’t be long before we do. We cannot hang with the lower ranked soldiers in battle now… I don’t want to be in the line of fire when the generals of their army get here.” Dirt explained to his fleet. The argument died down as each of them trembled with uncertainty as they accepted the facts delivered by their leader. They imagined the worst of the Chu Nation and began to fully understand the severity of the battle that was to come.

“My god… then how do we attack!?” another soldier replied with fear obviously present in his voice. A few moments went past before anyone spoke again. The constant sound of the energy’s rumble in the distance kept the silence from overtaking the area.

“We don’t.” a soldier replied simply. The controversial answer shook the fleet to their cores but no one rebelled nor objected. None of them felt good about the obvious conclusion but they knew that nothing else could be done. Sniph walked further from the edge of their campsite and stepped up onto a boulder to watch how the nation reacted to the orb’s release. Dirt turned back to his men and it was obvious he was uneasy about the decision himself. There was an overwhelming sense of uncertainty among the group of warriors.

“There must be another way.” One of the soldiers muttered with fleeting hope. Dirt heard but didn't acknowledge the soldiers as they started to converse amongst themselves. He slowly made his way back through their camp and returned at Blade’s side. He removed a canteen from his side satchel. It was wrapped in a red cloth and a black thread sealed it closed. He fidgeted with the knot and then unwrapped the red fabric. He lifted the bottle to his lips and bit his jagged teeth into the soft cork before pulling it out with a twisting motion. The canteen carried a sacred healing potion; a formula crafted to enhance the healing process for the injured Wu soldiers. He then slid his hand underneath the base of Blade’s head and lifted it from the frosted stump. With his other hand he tipped the canteen and poured the potion to Blade’s lips.

Sniph watched as I Army soldiers across the small broken nation left their many campsites and shelters they had invaded. The Chu soldiers prepared to march towards the orb to help in the attack on the returning messengers. If there were any surviving Wu civilians, they were ordered to evacuate from their households and relocate their families to the secure refugee lodges before the wake of the I Army invasion. As Sniph examined the nation, he noticed something out of the ordinary. He immediately unlatched his satchel, reached in, shuffled his hand through the items. He pulled a pair of binoculars from the bag and twisted the caps for the eye cups. He lifted the binoculars to his face and peered through focusing lenses. He adjusted the rusted settings until he could get a closer look at two figures on a rooftop.

“There’s a woman! A woman and a young girl!” Sniph yelled back to the fleet.

“Where?” a soldier asked with disbelief.

“Down there! They're stranded… covered in blood. They look like they're hurt.” Sniph reported before capping his binoculars back up and shoving it back into his satchel. He turned around and jumped down from the large boulder. He marched back into the heart of the Lords’ camp. He approached the stump where Dirt sat by Blade’s side.

“I need 3 soldiers to accompany me.” Sniph informed the assassin.

“Do you believe that's the best thing to do at this moment? We're already suffering the absence of an assassin.” Dirt questioned as he signaled to Blade as he laid unconscious.

“We have to do something, now! If we're not going to help the messengers, we need to help our nation’s people.” Sniph answered.

“It isn’t the best time to split up.” another soldier added but Sniph became annoyed with the conversation.

“I’m very much aware of our current situation and I did not ask for anybody’s two cents! This isn’t a discussion or negotiation. I’ve seen too many of our people slaughtered as they hoped and prayed for the messengers and this nation’s military to step in. I will not continue to sit back and watch as-” Sniph announced before Dirt interjected.

“Your anger and impatience will only get you hurt and jeopardize our end goal.” Dirt tried to reason with him but it only made him more aggravated. He kneeled down on his healthy knee and began tightening the bandage around his injured knee. He hurried to rewrap it and prepare himself for the quick voyage.

“Something has to be done. All the I Army soldiers are headed to the help on the attack on the messengers. I’m not going to sit here with my dick in my hand.” Sniph began as he stood back up to his feet and tightened the strap to his satchel.  He turned and began to walk back through the camp. Dirt watched as he walked a few yards away, while his mind was in heavy contemplation. He stood from Blade’s side and began to march after Sniph. He directed the soldiers to keep guard of the camp and assist Blade by any means necessary. The Assassin called two of the lower ranked soldiers to accompany Sniph and himself on the trip. He also directed a guard to stand watch over the four soldiers with a pair of binoculars and to send reinforcements if necessary. The four men traveled light. They didn’t bring nothing more than their weapons, and a light travel bags equipped with fresh water, medical materials, and other essentials.

The four soldiers left immediately. The house wasn’t far from the secret Wu campsite but they had to move strategically and with a lot of stealth. They were very observant of all their surroundings. They moved as a tight unit, frequently stopping every few yards to take cover and make sure their path was clear. It was very dangerous for them to travel through the nation, especially while almost every soldier was being called to battle. There was no way to know for sure when and where all of the I Army was expected to be. Dirt sprinted through an empty road way. His knees were bent as he rushed by trying to remain as low as possible. The assassin was swift and precise; he was soundless and didn’t waste a step as he traveled. He darted across to the base of a tree several yards in. He dropped down and slid across the snow on the other side of the trunk laying with his back against the tree. He quickly surveyed the area before poking his head out from around the bark. He extended his arm and signaled the soldiers from the last checkpoint. The two soldiers darted side by side, full speed to the roadway. Sniph waited behind to keep watch as the last line of defense. Sniph was in the Lorded out state and because of his injury, he utilized his ability to teleport. As the soldiers cleared the roadway, Sniph jumped and transported across the road alongside the other three soldiers at the new checkpoint. Dirt lead his soldiers cautiously through the residential areas of the nation. The sound of the I Army soldiers was loud in the distance. The soldiers continued to move strategically as they made their way to their destination.

The door to the house was kicked in and broken from the hendges. The inside of the home was obviously destroyed and ravaged. The soldiers quickly lined up on both sides of the front door before Dirt slowly entered through the splintered doorway. He quickly searched the house and studied the damage that lay in eye’s view. He noticed blood and the bodies of fallen Chu soldiers in one of the far rooms. Sniph used his energy to teleport to the roof as his fellow assassin and soldiers checked out the house. The mother laid with her exhausted daughter across her lap. She used a dampened cloth to wipe the blood from her marked skin. She santised and dressed her wounds. They hadn’t noticed the assassin’s presence. The daughter began to cough up small amounts of blood. Her mother quickly wiped it from her chin with an expression of concern. The young girl struggled to calm herself and speak to her mother. Her mother leaned in close and gave her daughter her ear and attention.

“Water.” the young child finally spoke as her pained whisper escaped her troubled body. The mother quickly shifted with urgency. She prepared to retrieve her daughter’s request.

“Here.” Sniph offered calmly but his deep raspy voice scared the woman. She quickly channelled her energy and prepared for battle. She pulled herself from underneath her daughter and jumped to her feet ready to defend her family once again. She quickly snapped her head around towards the supposed threat. As her worried eyes met the assassin, she stood frozen in place. The soldier had removed his masked as a sign of a peace.

“Peace, Queens.” the assassin spoke as softly as he could manage. The woman was still extremely hesitant and protective. She didn’t respond right away.

“What are you doing in my house?” the woman questioned as she sized the assassin up. He remained in the Lorded out state, but not for protection from the woman. He used the energy to cope with his injured leg but the woman perceived it as a threat.

“We’ve come to-” the assassin began to explain but the woman quickly interrupted.

“We?” The woman questioned as she took a step forward.

“We are the Lords of Wu. I bring water and medical supplies.” Sniph answered as he began to sense the hostility growing. The woman slowly began to make her way towards the assassin.

“My name is Sniph. I am a decorated soldier of the Wu Army. I am one of the three assassins.” Sniph explained to soothe the woman’s uneasiness.

“Assassins?” the woman questioned again. The woman began to approach Sniph.

“Yes, but have no fear. I come in peace.” He assured her and she replied with a small snicker before releasing her energy.

        “I’m not afraid. I just wonder why they would send an assassin to deliver water and medication.” She answered as she reached to take water from his offering hand. She quickly returned to her daughter’s side and provided her with the water. Sniph shook his head with a small chuckle to himself.

        “What is your name?” Sniph asked. The woman assisted her daughter in taking a few sips of the water. She coughed a bit before taking multiple gulps of the water.

        “Michelle.” she answered simply.

        “What happened? Why are you on the roof?” Sniph asked, but before he could receive an answer, Dirt appeared on the roof. His eyes blazed with the energy but he quickly retracted the power.

        “When did you discover the Lords’ energy?” Dirt asked with great concern and wonderment. Sniph was surprised by the question. Michelle continued to attend to her daughter before answering the men.

        “How do you know?” Sniph asked Dirt.

        “There’s a blood bath downstairs. There’s no other way she could have survived the ambush.” Dirt answered as he approached Michelle and her child. He unlatched his satchel and pulled the potion bottle from the worn out bag. He kneeled down beside the woman and her daughter before he offered the bottle to her.

        “This will help her wounds heal much faster. It also helps to numb her pain.” Dirt explained as he extended the bottle out to the woman. She examined the bottle a few moments before she hesitantly took it from the assassin’s hand. Sniph teleported down through the ceiling of the house to examine the aftermath of the slaughter. His boots landed into a thick puddle of blood as he stood in the room where Michelle and her daughter had seeked refuge in the floorboards. The other two soldiers stood nearby. There lied severed limbs and mangled body parts and discarded suits.

        “This is sick.” one of the soldiers stated as they strolled through the mess. Sniph took a strong interest in the disastrous scene. He took a close look at the Chu soldiers’ suits and the technology that powered them. A couple of the machines had been seriously damaged in battle but the other five were still obviously functional. A deafening rumble sounded overhead. The soldiers quickly snapped their attention to each other before rushing to the front door. The trembling echo stemmed from enormous enemy aircrafts passing over Wu. The nation of Chu had sent reinforcements to overpower the messengers’ return. Three intimidating military ships soared through the darkened sky and blanketed the nation. Sniph ran out into the street and looked up at the aircraft as uneasiness sank deep into his spirit. He knew that it was only a matter of a time before the battle began and they still hadn’t come up with a strategy to assist the messengers.

        “We have to get back to our base.” Dirt announced from the roof as he stepped to the edge.

        “We need to help the messengers!” Sniph answered with impatience as he gestured to the military ships overhead. Dirt respected his passion but was annoyed with his ignorance of the consequences.

        “There’s nothing we can do! Do you have a plan?” Dirt answered back immediately. Michelle stood from her daughter’s side and walked to edge of roof next to where the assassin stood.

        “I have an idea, but I need to assure my daughter’s safety first!” She announced. The skeptical assassins quickly turned their attention to Michelle as she began to explain.

        The menacing aircrafts hovered above the bleak nation and led the way for the traveling I Army scum. The machine enhanced soldiers marched to the isolated woods where the burning orb protruded from the earth and the starving flames engulfed the dying wildlife. The ships avoided the powerful beam that continuously blasted into the sky. The aircrafts cleared the large area where the Skinhead soldiers gathered and decreased their altitudes significantly until they were directly above the crowns of the trees. The soldiers were like unorganized chaos. They surrounded the hot box and as the aircrafts arrived, the Skinheads began to scream and cheer. Newly arriving soldiers quickly joined in on the celebration as they flowed with the swarm of anxious warriors. The Chu soldiers stomped their feet and roughly shoved each other for appropriate personal space. The aircrafts began to open on the far back and underneath the ships. The soldiers on the ships began dropping multiple crate chests to the thick snow beneath. The large boxes were filled with weapon enhancements, armor upgrades, and other useful additions to the lower ranked Chu soldiers. Many of the soldiers on foot rushed to the boxes and fought for the care packages.  The savage soldiers ripped the box latches open and pulled the materials from the case and began making adjustments to their armors and weapons. The ships remained above the trees as the last of the large containers landed to the ground. The I Army scum worked like scavengers to clean out the containers. It was on a first come first served basis and because of this, the soldiers viciously fought for the supplies. As the last of the new supplies were claimed, the soldiers backed away from underneath the aircrafts. They quickly became antsy and one after another, they started to stomp their feet and beat against their armor. A chant quickly started along with the drums of the mighty soldiers. Each of the soldiers began to scream “I” until each had joined in and the roar traveled across the nation. They repeatedly chanted the letter I up to the aircrafts that hovered in place above the large fleet of soldiers.

        “I Army!” a reigning voice yelled from the largest aircraft. His voice echoed through the trees and the I Army scum cheered with excitement. They raised their hands in the air and screamed as they waited for instruction from the aircraft above. A large figure, stepped to the edge of the ship’s open doorway. The soldier was suited in a distinctively modified suit. The soldier was significantly greater in size. His helmet was retracted and his head was exposed to the freezing climate. Two colossal swords were mounted upon his back, intersected like crossroads.

        “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for! This is the moment where we write history! You all have made your nation proud! We have successfully crumbled an entire army, but now it is time to demolish the last piece of hope they have. This orb is the last sign of strength these cursed people desperately cling on to. It is time to rip the heart from this broken nation and take what is rightfully ours! It is our time!” The soldier announced to his people. The motivational speech ignited a fire in their soldiers’ hearts. The soldiers began to stomp, pound, and chant again but now even louder than before. They jumped and waved their arms high in the sky as they screamed towards the ships. In the midst of the chaotic celebration, five of the suited soldiers weren’t as enthusiastic as the rest. They didn’t join in on the celebration of their fellow soldiers. The five soldiers pushed their way through the rowdy crowd and made their way deep into the middle of the gathering. They marched through the celebration and worked their way as close to the orb as possible. The immense heat forced the soldiers to keep their distance from the hotbox. The surrounding soldiers began to notice the five suited men who appeared to not be interested in the arrival of the generals and military leaders.

        “You! You there! Retract your helmets!” one of the soldiers began to holler at the rebellious soldiers. This ordering caught the attention of other surrounding soldiers and they turned their attention to the five rebels. The five of them stood statue-like under the soldiers’ investigation.

        “Retract your helmets, now!” one of the persistent soldiers ordered. A small group of the soldiers were turned towards the five rebels and began to walk down on them. The hostile group approached them with aggression as the five soldiers refused to comply. The I Army soldiers now knew there was something wrong about the five standouts. One of the Skinheads turned to alert the others but before he could announce the intruders, the five soldiers attacked. Three of the five soldiers charged the weapons that are built into the arms of the suits and began firing the rapidly. The machine’s charge was fast and brief and the powerful barrel ejected from the side of the soldiers’ wrist. The manipulated energy blasted from the chamber in quick dominant spurts. The suits were able to withstand reasonable amounts of damage but their armor didn’t protect their bodies fully so they were still slightly affected from the attacks. The other two rebellious soldiers revealed their suits’ spike-like blade and began teleporting between each of the enemy soldiers. As they appeared in front of new opponents, they used advanced hand to hand combat to temporarily defeat them. The suits’ armor was thick and heavily built; even with supreme strength, the blade couldn’t penetrate the suits. The only way to easily kill the soldiers was to remove their suits or to overcharge the suits’ system. The battle caught the attention of all of the soldiers in the area, including the generals on the aircrafts overhead.

        “I Army! Attack!” The mighty general ordered from the largest ship above the trees. The I Army scum immediately complied and attempted to charge the five soldiers. The five undercover soldiers fought viciously as they were attacked from all angles. When their opponents became too much, the two teleporting soldiers appeared between the three others and placed a hand on each of them before disappearing again. Due to the soldiers’ appearance, once they all teleported to another spot in the crowd, it would be impossible to identify them until they attacked again. The five repeated this multiple time before the general accessed an understanding of the rebels gameplan.

        “I Army, we have Lords among us! Remove your headgear. That is the only way we can distinguish ourselves.” the general ordered his men but didn’t realize the awful mistake he had made. As his soldiers obeyed his simple instructions, they foolishly made themselves dangerously vulnerable. The two assassins, two lower ranked soldiers, and the mother had disguised themselves in the enemy’s armor and mechanical suits to blend into the army’s large fleet. The soldiers were counting on the army to reveal themselves and expose their weakness. Due to the Lords inability to produce enough of the Lorded out energy to overcharge their suits, they were forced to create another opportunity to penetrate the army’s strength. As the Skinheads complied with the orders, the assassins increased in their transportation attacks.

        Sniph went on a brief rampage. As his physical came to be again, the soles of his mechanical boots landed into the trampled inches of snow. He rushed the crowd with his blades drawn. He jumped into the air and landed both of his feet on the chest of a Chu soldier. The impact of the assassin’s launch slammed the soldier to the frozen ground but Sniph remained upright on his enemy’s body. Sniph cocked his arm backwards and at the speed light, he drove the spike through the soldier’s head. The spike broke through both sides of the pale skin soldier’s skull, and stabbed inches into the hard ground. The assassin quickly stomped down on his neck to hold the body in place before pulling his blade back though the soldiers’ brain. He quickly leaped from that lifeless corpse before the gallons of blood could drain. He swung his arms with an aimless spin and swiftly removed several of the visible heads. He was surgical with the blade and with an effortless motion, he teleported from the area before the decapitated heads and deceased bodies could fall to rest. Dirt zigzagged across the crowd, dedicating seconds to eliminating the Skinheads one by one. The five Wu soldiers were greatly outnumbered and outmatched, but their superior strategy gave them the upper hand. Within minutes, large sections of the soldiers’ gathering had been slain. Their blood painted the blank snow. The general watched with disgust and disapproval. He then stepped off the the edge of the hovering aircraft. The gigantic warrior bent his knees up into his chest as he curled into a ball preparing for impact. His war machine suit plummeted to the soil as the assassins continued their extermination. The other soldiers continued to fire their machines and hold off the other soldiers as long as they could while the assassins quickly worked their magic. The woman and lower ranked soldiers also executed handfuls of soldiers on their own. Those Wu warriors endured a great amount of damage in battle because of their lack of energy control. As the general landed to the ground, it created a crater and shook the ground like a mild earthquake. The assassins and their soldiers regrouped with their back closest to the orb. Their attack had devastated the I Army’s fleet and flexed their ability, but the majority of the soldiers still remained. The general climbed from the crater his landing had created. The crowd of Skinhead soldiers parted and allowed the general a path. Several similar soldiers launched themselves from the aircrafts above. The reinforcements were here. He took both arms, reached over his head, and pulled both swords from his back scabbards. He held them down by his side and charged his suit and sent the energy down through the massive blades as he walked towards the five soldiers. As he approached, the other high ranked soldiers landed one after another behind him.  

        “What now?” Michelle asked anxiously. The assassins didn’t answer. As the enemy positioned themselves before the small group of Lords. Each step the general and his soldiers took sent a rumble through the soil. His strength was visible. The currents of energy flowed over his physical as he charged the manipulated energy.

        “I been waiting for this moment. We’ll assassinate the assassins before we squeeze the life from the messengers and their pathetic nation. As the general approached, he twirled his swords and flexed his might. The orb began to shake and flicker. The sound of the dispersing beam heightened. The sound was loud and alerted the enemy as their hearts filled with fearful wonder. The general stopped in his tracks. The five soldiers refused to turn around, instead they stood with strength while staring down the much larger army. The general began to chuckle before he took another step. Dirt warned him.

        “You don’t want to do that!” Dirt suggested to the general. The general paused for a moment and then chuckled even more.

“I will bring death to your nation and all marked people on this planet!” the general spoke boldly, before a godly voice completely drowned out the area. The voice overwhelmed the crowd and froze their movements in time. The voice echoed through the broken nation and caused the soldiers to tremble. They knew the source of the godly voice and knew what the major statement symbolized. The general listened closely as he gripped his swords tight and stared past the five soldiers. The godly warning reverberated from the sparking hotbox.