~The Assassin~

[Metaknight]

Hello! Hi everybody! This is sort of a side story to A New Marr... It is also like a look into the future... hope you like it!

Prologue

The world of Valhalla is in ruin. War has brought plague, despair, and pain to the planet. It was once a land above the rest. A peaceful place of simple desires; that was until the war over the wellsprings started. It lasted for more than half a decade and brought many lives to a stop.

The wellsprings brought sinister power to even the most peaceful of Kyrie that ruled over the country side. They gained the power to see what none other could. They could see different worlds. Soon, the Kyrie grew awesome powers and learned how to summon others from various times and spaces. The now, Archkyrie, used these ones drawn from their knowing as soldiers in the epic Battle of All Time.

The worst was yet to come. The evil ruler Utgar had brought to Valhalla the most ruthless of beings to ever live. The dreaded Marro. These Marro first overthrew Utgar and now rule the entire planet. They obliterated the hope that remained in the Kyries.

Still some remains. Little in the Kyrie but in the ones brought from other worlds. Many of them have formed a resistance to try and stop the Marro. They are led by Drake Alexander, formerly of Jandar's legions. They hide where no Marro dares to venture. The frozen tundras. Others hide underground. Syvaris, the legendary archer, conceals his men in the caverns below the surface.

Alexandar has dispatched a secret assassin. A Kyrie killer known as Astrid. His past is hidden in shadow and none other knows he's alive other than Alexander. Astrid is special among other Kyrie. He grew up to be wingless, and an outcast. Alexander makes good use for him.


Drake Alexander and Astrid stand at the edge of a cave. Snow falls all around them. The sun has just begun to set and the sky is an orange color. Alexander stares at it and begins, "Astrid," he says. "Astrid, your first mission: destroy the northwestern hive..."

[Billtog]

You spelled "assassin" wrong in your title.

[Metaknight]

Originally Posted by Billtog

You spelled "assassin" wrong in your title.

I knew it! I googled assasin because I thought it was wrong but it didn't show any correction...

[Billtog]

Originally Posted by Metaknight

I knew it! I googled assasin because I thought it was wrong but it didn't show any correction...

Google can be stupid. Anyway, I was trying to help because a misspelled thread title "sticks out like a sore thumb," so people will be much less inclined to read it.

[Metaknight]

Originally Posted by Billtog

Google can be stupid. Anyway, I was trying to help because a misspelled thread title "sticks out like a sore thumb," so people will be much less inclined to read it.

Well, thank you very much.

Mission 1: The Hive

Early next morning Astrid stood, ready for his first mission. His belongings sat beside him in a bag. It contained light armor, a map, water, and some food. His killing weapons are an axe and dagger on a belt, a bag of arrows on his back, and a bow around his shoulder.

Astrid stared out of the cave where he slept. His long black hair waved in the breeze. It was snowing but not hard. Astrid breathed in deeply and exhaled. Then he turned to his bag. It was a tattered old thing. He opened it and began putting on the armor. It was tinted gold and good easily stop a flying arrow. Astrid had made it from a light metal found only on Valhalla. He just referred to it as his prized armor. The armor covered his chest, back, shoulders and even his neck. Plates dangled to protect his thighs and upper arm.

After a glance farther into the cave, which continued back as far as he could see, he lifted his back and departed. His armor actually warmed him some.

Even though they called it the "northwestern hive," it was actually south, as the tundra they were in was the farthest point north without coming up in the southern Forbidden Lands. Astrid needed to travel to Jutanguard. First he needed to cross the frozen sea, and go down through Laur and go west through Elswin. After that he proceeded north, from there. The tip of Jutanguard was his destination and where the Marro Hive was built. Astrid took out his map:



After a quick examination he continued his journey. The farther south he went, the less snow. Once he got to the sea where the dragons once lived, the snow stopped. The sea seperated the Tundra from the rest of Valhalla.

"Err..." he whispered. At first, Astrid hesitated from stepping on the ice. He was cautious when he finally took his first step. It held and held well. He took another step and then one more. Below him he saw a shadow of something but there were no trees to make one.

Astrid took a few more steps. He couldn't see the shore on the other side; he could only see a small island of snow. A few more steps. A few more steps. He looked down and saw the shadow. It was moving. Astrid realized that it was coming from underneath the ice. If only he could see it from a top view.

A few more steps, a few more. Crack! He turned around. The ice he walked on was breaking. Astrid took another step and watched as the crack grew. As a reaction, he ran as fast as he could. The crack followed him but he had to outrun it. He looked up a second and saw the bright sun. Then he glanced behind him. The ice was falling quickly. Wide spaces of water opened up.

Astrid ran and ran. His right foot broke the ice as he took a step. He tripped and barely avoided a fall that he couldn't afford. Once he caught his balance fully, he darted for the island as fast as he could. His heart raced. The ice in front of him started to break.

"Raaah!!!" Astrid gave one almighty leap for the island. He managed to grasp the ground but his legs sank into the water. Astrid pulled himself up and rolled onto his back. "Uhh," he breathed deeply. He threw his bag onto the white snow. The island was barely big enough to fit a house.

Suddenly, he heard a huge amount of ice crackle and break. He lifted his head to see a serpent rise above the water. "Yaaaaaahhhh!!!" The serpent gave out a cry.

"The dragons of the sea lives," said Astrid to himself. He still lied on his back and swung over his bow from his shoulder and drew an arrow. All of his arrows had a metal tip. The serpent gave out another cry. It swung its head back and forth staring at Astrid.

It had a frill along its back and had whisker-like strands coming from its nose. The serpents teeth were long and razor sharp. It was brownish-red in color. Its scales looked almost serrated. Its eyes were glowing yellow.

The serpent roared and Astrid released his arrow. With deadly accuracy, it landed on the roof of the monster's mouth. The serpent's head swung and darted in all directions. It jabbed forward towards Astrid but missed him. Then the beast went back under the water.



-----------
You like this fiction so far?

[Deathclaw767]

It's shaping up to be a good story. Just a few nitpicky grammar issues to fix and you're set. I think I also read a 'good' where there should have been a 'could.' Anyway, I hope you continue 'writing' to help give me something to do on week days. Good luck!

[Metaknight]

Thanks, maybe I'll start rereading the stories I write. Maybe...

Mission 1: Continued

Astrid waited until nightime to move back onto the ice. He knew that it would stay frozen if longer because of the dark's chilling cold. He managed to cross without any trouble before morning. Soon he was in Laur.

The Marros have a Hive in Laur but it had a Hivelord. No one wanted to deal with one of them. The Hive in Jutanguard, like many others didn't have a Hivelord simply because there wasn't enough.

Astrid moved slowly and steathily. He entered known Marro territory. Astrid crouched behind a bush. He continued slowly forward. There was a fork in the roadless path. One way went down into a valley and the other went up the sheer edge of a cliff. Astrid took the cliff. If a Marro in the valley appeared he would have full few of it. The Kyrie reffered to that position as height advantage.

The cliff went high up. On one side was the deep green valley and on the other was a mountain. It had a grassly ledge but it would give easily. Astrid took a step, being very cautious. He was almost at the top. Sweat tripped from his cheek. The ground started to crumble. He ran for it. Crrrkkk!!! The ground behind him fell but Astrid made it to solid ground on the top of incline.

"Aack! Why does the ground keep falling on me!" He caught his breath and then heard another sound. It was off a peaceful ocean. He turned around. The mountain was thin, more like a plateau or a skinny valley above a valley. On the other side was the sea. It had a long way down to the ground. Another cliff; an irregular coastline. Jagged rocks awaited anyone who fell.

Astrid stood on a landbridge inbetween the ocean and the valley. It was no more than 4 feet wide. He slowly crept across it. He got to the other side without any problem. He was still on a mountain and getting down was the problem. In the distance he saw the Marro camps.

[Darkomen57]

So the Marro take over? And where'd you get that map?

[Metaknight]

Originally Posted by Darkomen57

So the Marro take over? And where'd you get that map?

Yep. And that's an official map of Valhalla! You can get it as wallpaper. Go to "wallpaper" on the heroscape official website: Link: www.heroscape.com

[Darkomen57]

awesome! thanks.

[Metaknight]

Mission 1: Continued

Astrid saw the Marro camps. They were spread out, only a few hundred yards away. Astrid crouched and moved slowly keeping an eye on them. In the center was the Hive. It was a Hive ready to produce. The northwestern Hive was a newer addition to the Marro's forces.

Astrid looked ahead of him. The hill sloped gently down into the valley. There was no cover down there. He glanced to the other side. He saw the irregular northern coastline. It was a pretty steep cliff down but his only choice.

He started down it before the slope began. There were many good footing areas. Soon he was standing flat against the wall of the cliff. Astrid breathed in, then out. For most of the time, it was easy.

By nightfall he was on solid ground again. The coastline evened out. Astrid slept that night on the beach. He was far away from the Marro.

He dreamed of what his life was like before the Marro took over. He remembered the war for the wellsprings and his home in Jandar's second city. He had a wife and kids but they were all lost. All he had left were memories.

The next day he reached the sparse forests where the Hive stood. Astrid moved stealthily through the trees. He saw Marro and froze.

"A dozen more soldiers were sent on the hunt yesterday," one said.

"That's not nearly enough! Ga-Ne-Vu needs more!" said the other. The moved slowly towards Astrid who was hiding behind a bush a few yards away. Astrid quietly lifted two arrows from their holder on his back. He put one in each hand.

Quickly, he ran and stabbed each of the Marro in the back of their neck. The silently fell to the ground. "That's how an assasin does it," Astrid whispered to himself.

He moved deeper into the forest. In the distance, he saw the Hive. It wasn't as big as the one he passed along his journey. There weren't as many Marro either.

Astrid was far away from it and would wait until nightfall. Assasins learned to be patient. He waited in a large bush next to a huge tree. His armor helped him cope with the twigs jabbing his stomach. He hoped the Marro wouldn't be too out and about for the rest of the day. They weren't. All they did was chat by the Hive. There were only about 20 of them.

Astrid planned out his strategy while waiting motionless in the bush. A while back, a Kyrie nearly died to find out the Marro Hives' weaknesses. He learned that most boney Hive had a soft spot. A narrow streak of pure fat and no bone. It went from the tip of the Hive to the bottom. Just wide enough for someone to drive a sword inbetween and deep enough to kill the Hive in one great gesture. It was only a matter of time until his first mission was over and he earned Drake Alexander's full trust.

[humble]

good story.
Ga-Ne-Vu is a big leader now?