Shooting Fusion

Chapter 1 - The Lady in The Black Mask

          The glint of light that greeted her as they neared the clearing of the forest was temporarily blinding. It was followed by the sounds of clashing swords and the screams and shouts of men and women. She blinked, raising a hand to her lips and slightly waving another to silence her guards as she surveyed the surroundings.  Bodies of dead men covered the once white sand; their blood soaking the ground in angry pools of red. Wahid, Leader of the City of Askano, is in the middle of the battlefield, busily fighting off several men. His second in command, Wantuk, launched himself towards a group of three bigger men, effectively moving from left to right hitting their faces with his spear before turning in a circle and thrusting his spear to their midsections. All three men fell to the ground, bloodied and bruised.

"Shall we help them, La Hara?" Muros asked. Muros is serving as her new Mashna after Aquil retired from his post. He is a tall, well-built man with rugged features and a beard covering his face. He is quite the enigma. He is always guarded and rarely speaks of himself so little is known about him. 

"No" she uttered, turning her face to him "but I will" she uttered those words in a playful tone, her eyes sparkling in excitement. It has been a long time. She needed to feel alive. She needed to feel the thrill of a dance with death. 

"Wait here and don't come after me" she looked at Muros once, raising a brow and daring him to stop her and when he didn't, she quickly turned and launched herself into the chaos of battle. 

She ran and immediately dropped an approaching enemy by grabbing his arm, twisting, and breaking it. She sensed an attack from behind so she quickly moved to her left, one arm stretching, and hitting the groin of her enemy, the man screamed, uttered curses and kneeled to the ground in agony. She smirked "that should teach you never to sneak up on me", she muttered under her breath, ducking low to her right as an angry man charged her with an axe. She quickly moved behind him, grabbing his neck and squeezing tight, her right leg extending and swiftly kicking another attacker from the right as she removed her sword from its sheath. stabbing it deep into her captive's  chest. Warm blood trickled out of him and caught her hands. She nonchalantly wiped it away in disgust as she pulled her sword out of him, releasing her hold on his body and kicking him to the side. Holding her sword between two hands, she paced left and right, making slicing movements to ward off several men cornering her. She could easily kill them and finish this off using just one of her gems but she is seeking a good sweat and determined to challenge herself physically. 

She whirled around abruptly, her sword in front of her, her senses humming to life. She silently observed the men around her. They look mean but do not have the physique of warriors. This is too easy. She took two steps forward and launched herself in the air, forcing her leg straight out in a sidekick hitting the two men square in the face before landing in the sand poised as a cat. She received two simultaneous attacks from behind which she quickly parried by driving her sword deep into the side of one perpetrator, maiming him, his unconscious body sliding to the ground as more blood flowed, her elbow hitting the other thickset man between his eyes, knocking him cold. She stood up to her full height, displaying her dexterity in handling a sword, an evil grin escaping her before fixing the remaining man with a glare. "So, it is just you and me now" her voice dripping with venom, her forefinger toying with the blade of her sword. "Have you any last wish before joining your comrades in Balaak?"

He threw his sword to the ground and kneeled. "No, please spare me La Hara. Have Mercy"

She walked slowly towards him. Her royal cape collecting blood and sand as she stepped closer to the shaking man. She pointed her sword underneath his chin, pressing the tip just enough so the man would be forced to look up at her. Her eyes have turned cold. "I have no use for coward men" and with that, she sliced him just under his throat. He shrieked in terror once before death claimed his voice. Once again, hot blood spilled to her hands. She angrily withdrew her sword from his throat as more blood oozed out of him. She moved away and shoved his body aside. The once vibrant man lay as a crumpling heap on the sand. The sun's rays bestowing warmth upon his cold, lifeless corpse.