Master of Death

Chapter 1 - A Dark Stranger

A Dark Stranger

Because nothing makes me happier, and nothing makes me sadder- than you.

Silently sliding an arrow out from the quiver on my back, I place it against the wood of the bow, then pull back with my left arm fully extended. I release the tension absent of hesitation, and watch the arrowhead slice effortlessly through the air, hitting its target within a matter of seconds. I nonchalantly walk forward and remove the arrow from the mans neck, cleaning it off with dirt before returning it to my back. Rolling him over with my foot, I get a good look at the face of the person who had been following me for the past couple hours. His skin is dark, and the sun marking on the centre of his forehead tells me of his origins. Or at least, the god he worships. There are more; others that have been stalking me for days now, and each time I have had to kill them to give myself even a day out from under their prying eyes. I don't know much about my situation, but what I do know is who has been sending their servants to watch my every move. The sun god, Ra. I cannot come up with an idea as to why he would find it necessary to do so, which means I will be digging up answers on my own from here on out.

But for now I know that I have no other choice but to leave the town I am currently lodging at. They have seen me in this area, which means they may be back to check if I am still there. I stray off the dirt road and into the thick bamboo foliage, taking the ten minute walk to the closest village. I quickly enter the small house owned by my old friend, Annchi. She is at the very least two hundred years old, and an earth spirit of sorts. The second I enter the one room house, she glances up from her herbs and gives me a quizzical look.

"Is something the matter, my child?" she asks in an ancient voice. It goes well with her deep wrinkles and snowy hair.

"I just killed another of Ra's servants. The patrol comes around just after sunset, so I have until then to be gone," I reply before taking a bite of the dragon fruit sitting in a basket on the short table.

"In which case you should hide your weapons in the floor if you are not taking them. We cannot risk having them discovered,"

I nod and eat to give myself time to think through what I need. The first thing I do is toss most of the weapons I have lying around into the trapped door beneath the wardrobe. I change into my long silk dress with slits in the sides and tie on my long black cloak, then pin up my hair in a relatively intricate fashion. I then proceed to sharpen the arrowheads. It seems as if no time passes at all before the sun hangs low in the western sky, and Annchi and I can both hear the commotion beginning outside. I listen especially carefully to the words being loudly spoken by tonight's head officer.

"A man has been found dead a few minutes up the road! Everyone is to open their doors for a weapons search!"

Time's up. I pack all my arrows into the quiver and sling it up across my shoulders, proceeding to slide my dagger in the specially designed slot in the back of my dress. "I will see you some time soon, Annchi. Please take care of yourself," I say before diving out the back window and doing a somersault on the ground.

My little black shoes do little to protect my feet, but are light and perfect for running. I dash off south towards the closest city, and the one place I'm sure I can find the most safety. After twenty minutes of running and an additional hour of walking through thick brush, I come across a small pond. I see no harm in making a short stop to clean my body, though I did do so only yesterday. I remove my clothes and dip my toes into the water reflecting the nearly full moon in the sky. I spend a few minutes washing myself off with the cool water, absorbing its rejuvenating light until I feel an odd chill and rise out of it for a while longer to dry. After redressing I lift the hood of my cloak and continue to my destination.