Black & White

Epilogue

The sound of carriage wheels creaked in the mist.

A large caravan walked down the road, even though the mist was thick and showed no signs of it clearing up. However, the safety of the five kingdoms depended on the delivery of the weapons and supplies to the five armies.

"Shiden, we're gonna stop for a break. And I got to stop and take a piss."

Shiden locked at his commanding officer and rolled his eyes scorn fully. Shiden was only a private in the military, but he knew how everything worked. Always listen to the commanding officer, Follow the commanding officers orders, and Disobey the commanding officer, and the punishment is death.

So far, he had listen to commanding officer Gabriel Patterson's orders without flaw, though he thought the man was a pig. The way he acted made all of those in the regiment disgusted, thus, later on during lunch, the men would talk about Gabriel and how he was one of the most horrible commanders in all of history.

--The guy's a prick.

With a snort, Shiden nodded his head and started heading towards the head of the caravan to tell the drivers that they were stopping. However, that's when a strange sound filled his ears.

*snick*

He turned around to see what was the source of the noise. But when he did so, there was nothing there.
Raising a brow in agitation, Shiden tightly gripped the hilt of the dagger that rested in it's sheathe that hung by his waist. What was that sound, he thought while he turned around towards the lead carriage. He pushed the thoughts aside, he tried to look brave, but that sound reappeared once again, this time, it was much closer.

Shiden turned around with a quick motion, he grasped the hilt of his dagger and removed it from it's sheathe quickly, his posture changed from his composed stance to his combative stance. He pointed the dip of his weapon towards whomever was behind him while he called out:

"Whose there!? Show yourself!"

This sharp demand was only due to his prowess in the military academy he in rolled in two years ago, for only a private, his voice was rather more lowered pitch and full of sternness. If he showed this and killed whomever is attacking the caravans, he would receive a promotion.

However, what he saw before his eyes--

A private like him who held his throat. His eyes were wide as an owls, which made Shiden wondered what was wrong. But he discovered after a second had past.

Blood stared to pour out from the man's throat, and then started to move down his throat, like a river in the Crystal Forest. Shiden's eyes widened in horror as the solider collapse, revealing a hooded figure who held a short sword within his left hand.

"Commander...!"

A shriek escaped from Shiden's throat, he glanced around to see the caravan was now engaged in a fierce battle with other hooded figures, who leapt out from the shadows.

Shit...! Dammit, who is this-

Just as he thought this, he lunged forward towards the hooded man, swinging his dagger furiously. The hooded figure just stood there, with a smirk starting to etch across his face, even as he was about to meet his demise.

But--

To Shiden's surprise, the mysterious figure moved out of his reach with unimaginable speed, making him let out a gasp in surprise. He turned his head to see what the man was up to, but he felt a stinging sensation hit his cheek, causing him to stumble backwards. Stunned and with his guard down, Shiden didn't see the hooded figures blade sink into his stomach.

"Gwuahh...!"

The sharp pain pierced through his body, as if he was struck by a viper. Shiden glanced up at his killer who stood over him with his own dagger in hand.

Glaring at the hood figure, he grasped his right hand gripping it tightly. Shiden coughed out a mouthful blood, trying to gather enough energy to speak.

".........Damn, you............ so you're the one, tearing the, country apart...... Do you have, any idea, what you've...... done?"

The hood figure didn't answer, instead, he moved the dagger closer to Shiden's neck. Shiden continued as he closed his eyes, he took in a deep breath, gathering the remain strength he had left, and spoke with more luster in his voice.

".........This country, is trying to live... in peace...... and you...... you're the one, destroying that peace...... and, for what!?"

As his question finished, with a swift motion, the dagger smoothy drew across the soldiers throat without hesitation.

The body, in his eyes, fell slowly onto the earth. The eyes grew pale as the light left them, signaling that the life of that person had ended. The hooded figure looked at the body for a moment, then glanced at his left hand where the dagger had been tightly clenched in his fist. The silver blade was stained in a deep crimson color. The words of the soldier were circulating his brain, making him think about what he was doing.

Shaking his head to push the thoughts aside, he gazed up towards the cloudy sky. There was no rain, no thunder, just the clearness of the endless starry night­sky. He let the words of the enemy soldier play out through his mind once more.

--Do you have, any idea, what you've...... done?

--This country, is trying to live... in peace...... and you...... you're the one, destroying that peace...... and, for what!?

The words sunk into him, somehow they brought back the past, a memory the hooded figure had buried away to hide himself away from the pain. However, the memory was what fueled him to do such acts that were against the laws of nature. It was that one purpose that keeps him going, until the end of his days.

The hooded figure opened his mouth, his voice was barely above a whisper, but it was louder than a single heart beat.

".........To save............ the world..."