Western Istan Isles
Ishenvale City
Start of the 3rd Harvest
112th Era
The Duke was watching the preparation of his newest parade float. His servants putting a great amount of care into the placements of the banners and flowers. The Ducal band was tuning and practicing for the day's events. The Duke adjusted himself in his wheel chair and gently stroked his sword that was strapped to the arm of his chair. Just then, two figures emerged from behind him.
"Duke Fendrik, I see your float is coming along nicely." Said a young woman. Her hair was blue and braided, it fell around her left shoulder. She wore a corset with a bright white skirted shirt underneath, her thigh high boots were laced tightly. She carried an odd looking sword in an even odder looking scabbard.
"That it is Madame Adela, I assume you are here to ask me to join you once more." The Duke rotates his wheel chair to face the girl. "I must once more reject. I understand you believe I am a Merk from my blade, but it was merely a gift from an old associate. I cannot help your cause. I would be willing to donate if you need the coin."
Adela shakes her head "I'm sorry, I need more soldiers at my side not money." She looks towards the ground. Suddenly her partner steps forward.
His eyes grey and staring directly ahead. His hair jet black similar to the Dukes, but a single tuft of white hair grows out. The man's cat ears wag. He wears a large blue tunic with single pieces of metal sewn together into a makeshift chest plate. A black sleeve of fur is covered by a layered shoulder pad. his boots are thick leather and his left boot has a bar of metal over his shin. In his left hand he holds a wide kite shield. And on his back a strange looking Lance. "My lord, I sense you are uneasy. Is something the matter?" his voice turns stern towards the end of his sentence.
The Duke is taken aback by the cat man's question. "Of course I am. I do not understand why you would think I'm-"
"Your breathing is sporadic, followed by the tapping of your right hand. Signs you showed when Adela and I first entered your keep. If something is the matter, we are willing to support you during our time here." The Duke looks back and forth between Adela and the cat man.
"I suppose having two Merks by my side could save me... You see, there was a message I received a few days before your arrival. An Assassin is planning to kill me and I believe they will make their move today."
Adela's eyes grow wider. "Is it the Kingstock Murderer by chance?"
"Have you heard of him, Madame Adela?"
"Of course. He's the bastard that's been killing all the men I've been trying to recruit. But he only attacks ex Merks. What could he want with you?"
The Duke searches his brain for a logical, and believable, answer. "Perhaps he requires more money? And if he kills me and steals my gold then he could fund whatever nefarious deeds he means to accomplish."
"Hmm, Rio, wasn't the last murder over 7 isles away?" Rio nods.
He attempts to look at the Duke but misses him by a few inches to the right. "That's quite a distance to travel. If the murderer needed money he could've hit any number of nobles in those areas."
Adela stomps her foot, Rio responds by standing up straight. "Anyways Duke, if you require our services we shall provide them." The Duke nods and turns himself back to the float which was almost finished.
"Please. I really could use your protection."
Ishenvale City
Town Square
Alyce is walking around the town square observing the tape laid out on the ground. "So... This has to be the path the floats will take..." She looks up to the Northern Isle which was beginning to pass over head. "Heh, right on time." She notes several foreclosed buildings to the left and right of the square. She thinks to herself "Hm, should set up some traps to lure away any guards he has posted. Then I can have the bastard all to myself." She looks through the crowd and finds a few key shops that will supply her with what she needs. "Perfect."
A few hours later the final Harvest festival begins. A large array of different floats, bands, and races gather to enjoy the celebration. As they dance and sing, Alyce leans against a wall in the Town square. Her traps set. All she had to do now was wait for nature to takes it's course.
As the Duke's float in the center of the parade slowly inches towards the town square. The Northern isle's unique feature shines. It has a small lake that spills out over the edge of the isle. The falling water creates rain every year. Just so happened to be today. As it begins to rain, the float comes to a stop.
The Duke looks to the sky as the rain falls. "Wait... As... As gold falls from the sky! MY! NO! GUARDS!"
Alyce then lights a match under her hand and drops it on the protected explosive fireworks she purchased and astrel shards she picked up during her travels. As the walls of the buildings explode and fall to block the front escape, Cylika lights her own set of Fireworks. From a switch she rigged up. Then launched 3 crossbow bolts, each missing of course. From the left. Rio and Adela lead the guards in that direction as Cylika runs away back to the workshop.
Alyce pulls over her cloak and charges her legs. Then launches herself around the float, slides and then launches herself up. She quickly takes care of the 5 guards who were protecting the Duke with the normal sword Yorham made for her in secret.
Alyce holds her blade to the Duke's throat. "Hehe, sorry to rain on your parade Duke. But we have some business."
The Duke panics "P-please! I'll give you what ever you want! Just don't kill me!" Alyce smirks.
"Oh but that's exactly what I want! Your life!" She swings the blade down and the Duke suddenly shoots up. Raising his sword and pulling the trigger on the scabbard the blade shoots out in a curved arc hitting Alyce dead on. The Duke then kicks her off the float. He then jumps down himself.
"You somehow killed 20 of my comrades. Yet I, playing the disabled man was able to slice you in two like nothing. Pathetic." Just then he notices her dark blue mist coming from the slash. "N-No! How can you be a-!?"
"Merk?" Alyce sits up and cracks her neck, followed by her knuckles. She pulls out her broken sword and points it at the Duke. "So. Now that your cards are all on the table. And we're alone, would you like to see how I took down your comrades?"
The Duke Fendrik sheathes his blade and takes a stance preparing to catch the blade mid swing after it shoots out of the scabbard like before. Alyce keeps her stance upright with her blade pointed at Fendrik.
"So... I finally get to kill you, Kingstock Murderer."
"Oh please, I signed my name on the letter. You can call me Alyce, Fendrik." Just then she dashes forward with her short blade and begins swinging it at Fendrik. He being surprised brings up his scabbard to block the blows. So long as Alyce keeps hitting him, he won't be able to draw the blade properly and slice through her again. If she can bide her time right. She can easily heal back up and fight at 100% again.
Just as she goes for another swing, Fendrik moves his scabbard to let Alyce's sword slide down with the momentum as this happens he swings the butt end of the scabbard and smashes Alyce in the nose. she falls back and rolls off to the side. She stands up and tries to look through her dazed tear filled eyes. Covering her nose she attempts to evade the launched sword swing. She narrowly dodges the first few slashes but is cut by a stab along the left arm. She hops back grabbing the wound.
"Dammit..." Alyce looks back up to the Duke once more sheathing his blade and walking forward.
"Huh, I'll give you credit kid. But you don't have anything on a level 15 Merk like me. I can tell from how weak your shielding is you're around the 5's in level. All those kills you've gotten until now have been flukes. You're not a warrior. You're not even fit to swing that shattered sword."
"Try... Level... 17..."
Alyce looks up. And throws off the cloak. The rain water rinsing away the dye and blood mixed in her hair. She also takes off the wrap around her eye and tucks it in her belt, but keeps her right eye closed.
"What are you doing!?" Fendrik now charges at Alyce and launches the blade but she side steps it, purely because Fendrik's rage made him sloppy.
Keeping her eye shut, she looks at Fendrik and steps into a punch that sends him back a bit. Alyce takes her blade and drags her hand along it.
"Mekse Tulle Aina-Vailen!" as she mutters the phrase a bright blue ring forms around the blade and then another inside the first. A line connects the two rings. Alyce then swings the blade down and a large blue beam shoots out in the shape of a blade.
"What the... WHAT IS THAT!" Alyce holds the blade back up again and points it at Fendrik.
"Vwei, vwei" Alyce sprints at Fendrik who side steps her first slash and then blocks her follow up with his sword which was still out of it's sheath. The two exchange blows each being blocked or parried by the other with the occasional lucky hit.
Fendrik couldn't get past the strange blue beam emitting from the sword. When his blade connected with it, it was there. It was physical. But when he was hit with it all he felt was a burning sensation like when Diel cut his shielding back in the day. The circle formed around the blade looked to be a Glyph. Special magics used by mages, but this formation is new to him. Then he payed a little more attention to the style of blade. He's seen the guard before. It used to be a B class greatsword. The beam was in the same shape as what it must have looked like before it broke.
Fendrik then back hops away and resheathes his blade and Alyce charges. As he triggers his blade, Alyce's eyes switch, her glowing blue eye shuts while her fiery black eye shoots open. the pink pupil thin yet intimidating she somehow dodges the slash of the blade. Her eyes switch again and her glowing blue eye opens. Her leg emits her blue astrel and she kicks Fendrik's sword arm, breaking his forearm. As he drops the blade Alyce grabs the tip in her left hand which used the Astrel power from her new Gandalam to break it off. She back hops away and dissipates the blue beam from her sword. As she sheathes it, she drops the tip of the blade it also having the same ring formation around it and the rest of the blade forms. Handle and all. Even the trigger portion of the scabbard is formed. Alyce doesn't even hold it in her hand it's as though she's able to manipulate it with thought.
Fendrik picks up his own blade and sheathes it. He reaches in a pouch for a potion that would heal his broken arm. As he goes to drink it, Alyce shoots forward having charged her legs. And launches the blade out of the trigger mechanism the explosion of Astrel sending the blade outwards and as Alyce passes Fendrik his body is torn in half.
His blood spews out of the wound as Alyce slams her foot down and spins, swinging the blade around and slicing Fendriks head off.
It bounces several times as it rolls down the town square. Rain gently falling washing away the blood.
"As gold falls from the sky. Your head will roll. Vwei, vwei Fendrik."
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