The Shadow Keeper (A Land of Shadows Novel- Book 1)

-11-

September 7th

The Province of Inaho

Growling Thunder Citadel, Murder Guild Headquarters

The air was tense in the great hall of the citadel. Members of the murder guild sat scattered around in chairs, drinking beer and spirits at tables, trying to ignore their leader who sat in his 'throne' at the front of the hall, expression dark. His partner, an older player of about 30, looked nervous.

"Sir, why have you decided to wait for so long? Our players are growing weaker and weaker. Maybe we should start thinking about breaking up the guild? Our members are our guild, and we should try to integrate them into guilds so that they can safely reach physicians. Maybe we could-"

"Shut up! This has nothing to do with that!" He sat brooding, his cape pulled into his lap. He played with the guild seal which had been embroidered into it, eyes burning with something close to fury. "And we were waiting for her to get weak enough to attack. I want her to give us some advantages before killing her off. I think I'd like to play with her for a while."

"But sir! Why don't we give up on her? She's the strongest and most protected player in all of Land of Shadows!"

"I can't leave her be Torez! I'm not some weakling! Growling Thunder is not some weak little PK party! I will have her!" He coughed. "Damn."

"Sir?"

"I will have Taro, Torez, and Growling Thunder is going to help me get her," he said calmly, but it did nothing to hide the dark intent. "No matter how long it takes, I will have Taro Kagemune, Ace of Land of Shadows."

-.-.-

"Will you go out with me Taro?" Taro looked utterly shocked at the man in front of her. It had been a long time since she had heard those words, and she had never expected them to come from the person they did. Frost stood in front of her, gray-blue uniform neatly arranged and pristine. The normally too serious man looked more nervous than he ever had, and Taro was pretty sure that it had more to do with the wall of her family... and Benji, most likely glaring at him from behind her than it was of her turning him down.

"Frost," she said quietly, reaching a hand out to him, but being dragged back by Masa and Collin.

"Taro isn't interested, Frosty boy," Masa hissed over her shoulder. "She has to show our visitors around. She has to show them a good time today."

"Isn't that right Taro," Collin sneered at him. William, his whitish-blond hair shining in the light stepped in front of Taro, arms crossed and glare firmly in place, but a bright blush staining his cheeks. Nothing like the game's emotion sensors, Taro thought. Frost glared back.

"Let Taro decide for herself! I'm a visitor too, so she should be showing me around too! I've been around longer," Frost argued back, but the men in her family were less than receptive to the other guildmaster's counter.

"But we're newer and haven't had time to explore. Plus, we're family, Frostbite," William growled. "Stupid Taro! Why am I helping you?"

"Bye Frost," Masa said, dragging Taro backwards. Frost stood totally shocked, his normally calm, cool, and collected aura wiped away. His normally handsome features that had earned him the titles of tall, dark, mature, and handsome among the girls of the Shade Guild were now making him young and childish. He looked utterly appalled.

Benji looked completely silent as he brooded beside the girls in the group, ignoring as they cooed and complimented him and how handsome he was. Rin was the most persistent of the bunch, the young girl always looked at him like he hung the moon and the stars, which more than surprised the rest of the group.