Soul Count: 0

Warren: A Paladin of Graham who has been sent to escort priest Delkue to the Gilga tribe's new home on the great four mountains.
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The forest seems to be extra quiet tonight. The wind being the only sound made, if only our footsteps were not heard. The dirt road we lay on's calm brought awareness to me. I looked about, but only saw tree and darkness. Then I look to my right. There in that sight was a loyal priest of Lord Breaker. Yet it saw my heart in sadness to see the old man bound at his wrists. He looks back at me, then begins to speak. "Paladin, do you really wish to fulfill this order?" I turn away to the front of us as we continue to walk. Then I bring a response. "I will not question Breakers orders." Through the corner of my eye, I see his head turn to the ground. "I figured as much, Paladin." I can't help but to feel pain in my heart. I knew the intention of his Majesty. He was to sell his priest to the Gilga for petty unearned Pounds... "It is not like I wish to do this, priest Delkue. I even attended one of your sermons. But I do as his Majesty wills, not my own." The priests frown grows. "Paladins used to live by Lord Haoss's will, not Breakers..." Curses... He was right about that, and I can't really counter it. But I will not easily sway to such words. "I am sorry, priest. But I am a simple soldier of Breaker. I may be a Paladin, but only by class. See? I even carry a sword instead of holy spear... No tradition lies in me." He looks to the sheathed sword attached to my waist, but it doesn't boost his confidence. Instead, it only lowers his faith further. "You are no Paladin." Delkue says to me coldly, turning his head back to in front of us. He may have been an old coot, but I felt great pain from hearing a priest denounce my Paladinship and faith. I ignore him, instead paying attention to our surroundings again. I notice that on this night, Luna did not show. It was very cloudy, making seeing almost impossible. But I am used to nightwatch, and I am actually better in the dark. #Snap# I suddenly hear a branch fall, and it causes me to fling my right arm out to stop the priest. I look up to see only darkness, almost nothing out of the ordinary. The priest begins to speak, unaware of the situation. "What is it, Paladin Be-... What is your name?" I unfalter, answering both questions in whisper. "I am Warren, priest. And we are in danger." His face goes to shock and takes a step back in fear of what I say. "Heh-heh-heh..." I hear a voice that is not my own, not the priests either. I heard it from above, in the tree. I looked back, seeing dead grey eyes staring back, both slightly covered. I suspected he wore a helm, but I could tell not. "I never expected to see the holy out at this hour." The voice spoke again, and the eyes moved little. Delkue was shaking in fear, and took another step back. "Stop right there, priest! Another step, and consider yourself gone..." "You dare threaten a priest!" I say in rage, bringing my left hand to my hilt, gripping it tight. "Oh! I dare!" The eyes fall from the tree, but as it reached my level I heard no sound, as if whoever was there weigh nothing. "State your name, and your perpose?!" Behind the shade of the tree, I couldn't make out a shape of this Pepal. I did see the edging of purple linen, surrounded by blue in its center. I knew it was a Pepal because of this visibility, because it wrapped around his head, as the scarf it was. "My name is unnecessary, as for my perpose of being here..." Delkue suddenly interrupts. "An Assassin, or maybe a trader? A proper escort?" His insult I ignore, instead paying attention to the dangerous hidden one ahead. "Actually... Assassin is probably the closest your gonna get." He walks out from the shadow and shrugs. I looked closely at him, and it seemed that he wore a warped black armour, not of common arms. To his side was a blade of unknown name, looking just as rare as his armor. But the words alarmed me, and I drew my blade and swung where his scarf lied. "Stupid Paladin." He mocked as he dodged with ease, only taking a step to the left. He now aligned with me, and with time to spare I brought my shield from my back. "Really? Not even Lord Haoss can save you now!" The dark figure said, bringing right arm to waist, and drawing his sword with hilt on high, causing the blade to be in reverse, carrying the blade backwards. He brought his arm with blade up to eye level. Tilting his hand down so the blade reaches beyond his elbow. "Come forth, Warren. So I may strike you down!" His last sentence sounded stressed on his lungs, making his voice waver in horrid ways saying it. It struck little fear into me, but it looked as though Delkue was praying for his soul because of it. He spins the blade quickly to return his blade to proper position in front of his hand. I swing, only to taste his blade. He parried well for a cursed one. He swings hard after, but I raise my shield to block it. Luckily, he had none. A sudden white burst of Energi passes me and hits the dark one. Only for a glimpse through the light, I saw half of his armor clearly. It was imbued with carved marks of the Ancients language, and in his chestplate a carved eye shown in the middle. The blast hits without parry or dodge, but my enemy's body was unphased by the blast. He turned his head to the priest behind me to my right, showing a peak in his helm that was quite unique. "Your flash could grow annoying. Begone!" I swing my sword down with both hands, hoping to press into his shoulder. But he was too fast for me. In the same second my sword slammed into the dirt road, I heard the screams of the priest. I turn around swiftly, forcing my sword from the dirt and pointing it to the scum in front of me. I see him standing close to Delkue, his blade peircing the chest of the priest. As his eyes grew lifeless, the cur whispered into Delkue's ear. He ripped his blade out, and the priest hit the dirt. He was dead... Forget that! I need to kill this monstrosity. "Oh soul of sinful shed, join with me." The words come from the dreaded, disturbingly calm. He rose one arm, palm pointed toward the air. I couldn't believe it. I looked to the dead priest, and as the black one rose his arm his body raised from his chest to the sky. Eventually, a weird glow begins to peel from the priests cloth, and when it comes completely out, his body falls back to the ground. A square glowing object shown. Its rimmed light being yellow, and its middle white. The floating unknown object begins to move, and lays in the palm raised high. He brought that same hand down to his chest, and began to speak. "Square... Orderly... Yellow... Virtuous... White... Pure..." The thing dissolves into the eye in his chest, it was kind of gross to watch. He turns his head back in wicked curve, looking right into my eyes. "Not many have a soul like that, Paladin. Do you, Warren?" He begins to laugh in a dark sick turn. I tense to regain focus... "You will never find out, wretch!" I swing, aiming for an opening in his armor. His laugh grows louder as he jumps high on to my blade, immediately pushing it to the ground. Scraping the dirt, it slowed my swing that only cleaved air. He jumps again out of sight, but I soon found out where he was... I feel a sudden stab into my back, cutting down until it rips out. The pain goes numb as the red stains my overcloth. I collapsed to my knees in hopelessness. I suddenly see the armored man returning from his back slice to the front of my vision. His cold stained blade caressed my neck, for I was stupidly unhelmed for this doomed trip. "What are you?" I manage to say, having to take deep breaths to stop myself from crying. "Go ahead. Flow, Paladin. Your kind is not known for fear." He mocked me much, slowly sliding his blade back and forth. "Answer my question!" I yell, sheer pain following from my back. Indeed, I begin to flow. My tears rained down, and he laughed in response. He raises his left gauntlet to his helm, sliding it off his face. The helm fell to the ground in a loud clank. A uniquely styled hair shown. It being white, directly contrasting his black armor. His skin was pale. Dead. His eyes sagged beyond measure, and his eyes have lost their light. For someone who spoke so cockily, his face shown ready to die. His eyes were a dead grey as previously mentioned. But they showed the truth of him. He was dead, and he did not want his life. "This is what I am, Paladin. Interpret the way you wish, but it doesn't matter. I am forsaken, betrayed by the Ancients to live this death. Fear for my soul, Warren... For you will not be the last soul I wreap before this night ends." He pulls his blade away from my neck, twisting it and pointing it back to the castle of Graham's direction. He brings his other hand to the hilt, and further hardens his grip. "Any last words, Paladin?" He said, eyes shut. Do I? I feel after tonights events I know nothing of this world. "No, dark one... I think not." I say slamming my own eyes shut, lowering my head to the ground. From the darkness I heard the dark one say last words of his own. "May your death be swift." His words were not angry, nor sad. Instead they showed no emotion, showing a last dark thought that he was indifferent to his sinful slay. I pray in my mind for Lord Haoss, but I am cut off, by the cut of my head.