[Private-GrandShadow & The Storm] Trial of Destiny

Kane remained silent and expressionless as he followed Hime out of the room.

Kore kept on grinning as he walked into the conference cavern, as it had come to be known, and sat down at the table laying out his plan of attack for the morning. He looked up as he noticed the resistance members begin to pour into the room from all different areas, including Hime and Kane; who looked surprisingly depressed Kore noticed. He thought it better not to say anything and just move on with the meeting. Kane sat down directly across from Hime as they all took their seats.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice. And another thing I wanted to add, a special congratulations to our victory today. It was absolutely flawless, and we struck a decent blow to Phernez with it!"

The room erupted in applause and congratulatory handshakes and boasting; all except for Kane, who stayed melancholy and quiet throughout the uproar. Kore stood up smiling, waving his hands for everyone to calm down.

"Alright everyone, yes congratulations to all of you, well done. However, we now have an even more momentous and serious matter at hand. Tomorrow Phernez will be holding a ceremony to crown the new Battalion Commander of their armies. If he is allowed to be put to power, it could mean the end for the resistance as we know it. This new commander is wise, cunning, tactful, resourceful, skilled in battle, and merciless when it comes to bloodshed. If he is allowed to take control of those armies he will not stop until every resemblance of Aelai, man beast or other, are drowning in a pool of their own blood. We MUST stop him!"

One of the resistance members stood up to offer their opinion.

"And just how would you propose we do that, Kore? Phernez is far stronger than us. Yes, when in small groups like today, we can defeat them, but you are talking about making a critical strike at the heart of Phernez's forces. This will not be easily done. There could very well be hundreds of troops attending this ceremony. How do you propose for us to defeat them? Simply barge in and ask permission!"

Kore smiled. "We have an operative inside their lines of defense. Why do you think Jack is not attending this very meeting right now?"

A quiet hush made its way around the room; followed by whispers and talk of Jack and something about a suicide mission.

"Now listen, all of you," Kore said quieting them all once more. "Jack is the key to this plan. He will not let us down, he never has. All we need to do, is create a distraction so that Jack may slip onto the ceremonial floor and assassinate the new Battalion Commander. Tomorrow's battle is not about winning or losing; it is about giving Jack that window of opportunity, and once we create it, we must flee quickly before the enemy has a chance to regroup and attack us full force. We must now do what we have been working for and have been taught all our lives, my friends."

The entire group sat on the edge of their seats awaiting the next words of Kore's motivational speech.

Kore only smiled. "Hit and run technique. We must fight, in order to flee."

 

The city was bustling with noise. The soldiers of Phernez had all gathered at some sort of large, acropoliptic building, literally beaming from the lights glowing on the inside. It may have appeared to be some sort of shining waypoint symbolizing all that was Phernez structured into one focus point. Kore and his team glared at the building with lust. He, Kane, Hime, and a few other resistance members had all disguised themselves as peasant folk of Phernez and crept into the city via underground tunnels provided by their one secret confident within the walls of the magnificent city.

"O'lrighty there Kore, I got yer men inside safe an' sound. I hope yall ain't plannin nothin too rash, but just in case yer in need of a quick escape route, come on back to my home at the southern entrance of this here city. I'll getcha all out in no time!" Gurtney grunted.

"Thank you very much, Gurt. We will take it from here. It is good to know there are at least a few people still loyal to the old ways of Aelai. Now hurry, you need to leave before any of these Phernez troops find you out. Stay safe my friend."

"Aye aye, capitain! Ahahaha," Gurtney chuckled as he made his way back to his residence.

Kore smiled. "Great man. He risks everything to aide us in our time of need to get inside these walls..." He paused a moment to recollect his thoughts. He then looked forward, brimming with confidence.

"Alright team, let's go. And remember, keep a low profile."

Meanwhile...

A quick shudder of the soldiers, and he was ready to go.

"Are you feeling alright, Sir?"

"Yes, Jerrick," Rai quietly replied. "It's just that I have been waiting for this for a long time..."

Jerrick smiled, and then he opened the door. Security guards filed in, one after the other, armed and ready to intercept any type of attack. As Rai finally got his feet in the door, the entire ballroom erupted in applause and handshakes. Rai grinned.

"Finally.... My time has come..."

 

"Kane, did you line the walls with that powder like I told you to?"

"Yes, brother..." Kane solemnly replied.

"Alright then," Kore said dryly, "Now all we have to do is wait for our best opportunity. Kore and the rest of the resistance group stayed crouched outside the ballrom rear window, looking in and listening as they witnessed Rai enter the room.

Rai grinned as he walked up to the front of the stage and waved a hand to silence the troops. He smiled at all the soldiers who cheered for him, and were now looking to him for support and guidance. He cleared his throat a moment before speaking.

"Thank you very much, Sir Arc. This is quite an acheivement... I must admit, I never saw any of this for myself. The only thing I ever saw in me was what any new recruit to the Phernez army would want; to grind Aelai into dust and drink from their skulls."

The crowd roared with laughter and thunderous applause.

"But after awhile, that just was not enough for me anymore. Sure, bloodlust, swordplay, decapitation, disembodiment, I could go on forever about my hobbies."

The crowd chuckled again.

Rai himself even chuckled a bit. "Alas... There is only one thing I have truly ever wanted more than just being a successful soldier. I have always dreamed of being the one responsible for crushing all future hope of Aelai being reinstilled. The power you have given me will not be taken lightly. I will do everything I possibly can, until their is not a breathe left in me, to destroy all remnants of the old ways, and ensure the continuing stability and successful future of the Phernez Empire, led by our great King, Rector!"

Now the soldiers really burst into applause. Rai smiled and raised his hands into the air, all the soldiers clapping louly and making a louder uproar than ever before.

"Nows our chance Kane! Hit it!" Kore yelled.

Kane struck a match and lit a trail of powder. Smoke and fire erupted as bits of brick and cement flooded everywhere into the ballroom encompassed by a wall of fire. Rubble blasted into the room, knocking out many soldiers and even crushing a few in the process. Rai peered to the back of the room to see what was going on. As the smoke cleared, Kore, Kane, Hime, and a few resistance members stood there, weapons drawn and ready for battle.

"FOR AELAI!!!" They all screamed.

"Oh... Ehm hm hm hm hm..." Rai chuckled.

Kore was puzzled a moment, as none of the soldiers even attempted to assault them.

"Is this really the best your resistance could come up with?" Rai taunted at Kore. "You go through all of the trouble of sneaking into our city, and this is all you have brought to my attention? A demolitions expert, a few fighters and," Rai snapped his fingers. Doors to the left of him flew open as two soldiers dragged in a man's body, hands and feet bound with a bag over his head.

Rai smiled, "And a traitor."

Rai pulled the bag off the man's head to reveal it to be Gurtney, the merchant who had helped the rebels sneak into the city. Blood was leaking from different areas on his face, and his body was badly bruised as if he had been beaten within an inch of death.

"This... This is the man that ratted you out. But, whether helpful or not, we do not deal with those who play both sides of the fence. You, traitor." Rai snapped at him.

Gurtney slowly rolled his head to look up at Rai.

"I want you to... Beg me to kill you and put you out of your misery. Beg me for death."

Gurtney gargled a moment, and opened his mouth as if to reply, but only spit flew out onto Rai's shoe. "To hell with yall Phernez trash! I'd rath'r die loyal to Aelai, then live under yer crazy ass rule!"

Rai smiled. "Oh, such an unwise decision..."

A flash like lightning revealed Rai holding a Katana, dripping blood, and Gurtney's head rolling to Kore's feet while his decapitated body slumped down to the floor. Soldiers from the city surrounded and barricaded the rebels from escaping. Rai only chuckled as he wiped the blood off his blade on Gurtney's corpse. Then he looked up, as if surprised.

"Oh hoh! Look here boys," Rai smiled, "The Aelai trash have brought us a pretty young gift. Bring the girl to me... Now."

A few soldiers stepped forward to take hold of Hime while the rest stood with their spears pointed at the resistance members necks.