If I spell something wrong… Sue me.
Part 1: The Orphan

Vagerant Shade made his way up to large clean house, his long spear laying in a specially made swing to his side, a huge bow along with arrows on his back. Multi colored patches covered his cloak, an open tome of the blades that had almost slain him since his life on the road. Blond hair laid on his shoulders, strands laying across his tanned face and blue eyes. A slight limp marked his steps, but did not slow him. He had grown to ignore the pain in his right leg, along with the pain that had cause it. A life long ago he no longer thought of.

Next to him, a mountain of muscle towered a good couple of feet next to him. Leather hide covered the body of Goathes Lumberak, with simple cotton pants with a slight hole in the back to let his tail breathe. His only ornaments were the matching vest, a large hunting knife, almost a short sword at his waist and a double bladed axe with a head like a wagon wheel, and the handle of a small tree trunk laid on his back. His bull like face stared ahead, hard and sharp, yet his eyes danced with the pranks he had pulled on all he knew, and though up what they would do to those he would meat. Large horns rose from his head, both twisting neatly and pointing the way he walked. A joke that he had mentioned in his thick voice.

Faces watched from the windows of the house, small and clean. There eyes wide and innocent staring at the two strangers approaching their home. Vagerant smiled as the he could pick up whispers passing through the halls of the house. He expected his cloak made them smile, but he could only begin to imagine what they though of his partner.

Yards away from the front door, it swung quickly, the entry filled with a pale, slender woman with a mane of black hair reaching to her waist. Her eyes cut through them, dark in her short oval face.

“What can I do for you… Gentlemen?” She asked turning the full intensity of her gaze on Vagerant.

They made his soul feel bare. Every secret he had ever held seem to run screaming to her. Fighting a shudder and lowering his pack to the ground he flashed a large smile. “We are only passing through and are in need of a warm bed and a hot meal, good lady.”

Her lips did not budge to match his, making Vagerant drop his grin. “How fast are you passing through?” She probed turning the gaze on Goathes who shifted his feet.

“We need a roof only to the morning, giving the storm coming up time to pass,” Vagerant replied, a streak of lightning passing overhead to emphasize his need.

A few seconds of silence passed between them before the woman smiled, her face suddenly becoming inviting as it was attractive. “As always, Vagerant. You never seen to see more then one night.”

“O’i tried to convince him to stay longer Miss Nautica, but we are always on a job,” Goathes spoke, his voice thick and warm. “Gold makes the world go round as they say!”

“That they do,” Vagerant added reaching into his cloak and drawing out a large bag that sagged with the weight of its contents. He limped the few steps between them and placed it into the hands of Nautica who dropped under the weight. “I’m sorry it’s been a few years since we have last been through here, but...”

The pain in his eyes flashed and Nautica hugged him. “I know. But the coin that you and your friends brought last time still exist if only a fraction of what it was before. We do not suffer.”

No one spoke until Nautica released Vagerant and led them inside, several young faces poking around doorways to take in the strangers. Vagerant gave them a warm smile, Goathes sticking his tongue out at them causing most to shy away, a few to grin, and even one or two to stick their tongue back out.

Vagerant noticed that there were more orphans then when they last were here, before the end of the war. There had been two others who had traveled with Goathes and he, but duty had made one of their ranks disappear and destiny had claimed the fourth. Glancing over his shoulder, Vagerant watched as Goathes laid the axe against a wall, the blade resting in a corner. Vagerant himself removed his spear, and bow placing them in an opposite corner of the kitchen as Nautica made her way to a stone stove where the smell of stew and bread floated to them.

Turning his attention toward the children of the doorway, Vagerant asked, “How many live beneath your roof now?”

Nautica filled two large bowls with stew and retrieved the freshly baked bread from the stove, laying them on the table in the center. “Seventeen,” she answered as they sat. She made a motion toward the children and a boy and girl, older then the rest by several year approached and begin to get more bowls from the shelves. “Eleven more then when you were last here. I’m surprised I do not have more, but when the war ended so quickly, the King was able to make moves so that my home did not fill to the brim. My guess is because of what I did for you and your friends back then.”

Eating the soup Vagerant let the flavors dance on his tongue, and warm him in way he had not felt for a while. The house itself seem to ignore the chill the storm was bringing, letting the children come and go as they please with moderate clothing. “Landon did make good on his word on a lot of promises after the war. I do believe that had he not reinstated so many programs that this house would be filled, and you would be penniless.”

Her smile widened as she looked at him. “It is good to see you again, Vagerant.”

“What about me?” Goathes snorted.

"Some have said there is no subtlety to destruction. You know what? They’re dead.” -Jaya Ballard, task mage

Cold winds blasted the house, driving large drops of rain relentlessly against the windows. Darkness danced around the outside, pushing in as much as it could only to run screaming when lightning arced across the sky, or muddy ground.

Within the darkness, within the rain and wind, a figure stood watching the house. Even in the flashes of lightning, the shadows did not leave its presence. His cloak remained undisturbed, neither the wind or rain played with it. It did not breathe, nor shiver against the cold. It only watched the house, feeling the beings inside. Somewhere within the hood of the cloak a smiled appeared. It was time to put events into motion.

The figure vanished, the air around where it had stood rushed in and the area brightened a slight bit as the darkness evaporated into the night. Somewhere close by, a group of men got an idea. And each one of them salivated with desire as they smelled the gold hidden in the house.

******

Vagerant heard the door rattle.

It broke into his dreams, causing him to open his eyes and leap from the bed he lay. A heartbeat later and he held two knives in his hands.

Silently he left his room and walked into the hallway. His eyes still adjusting, he saw nothing at first then as the shadows parted he saw the boy standing at the other end, eyes wide and alert. Very young, not much more then four or five years old with dark brown cut neat at his shoulders and tanned skin by his heritage and countless days in the sun wearing a long night shirt.

“Did you make that noise?” Vagerant asked putting his daggers to his side. The boys eyes stayed on his, not even caring about his weapons, as he shook his head slowly. His attention then turned as Goathes came out the opposite end of the hall putting him in the middle of he and his partner.

“What’s going on?” The minotaur asked, his axe resting comfortably on his bare back, his long knife drawn.

Vagerant nodded in the direction of the front door and Goathes nodded. They both had the same feeling. The boy moved, not toward his room but toward the location the noise had come from, his steps making no sound along the boarded floor. Vagerant moved to stop him and send him to his room when a loud crash sounded sending him running in its direction followed by Goathes.

They caught of to the boy, stopping him and pushing him back toward his room. Again the boys big brown eyes caught his and Vagerant was taken aback. For a moment he thought he saw a ghost in the face of the child before a shake of his head cleared his senses and he pushed the child back toward his room.

Voices sounded around the corner and Vagerant was satisfied with putting himself between them and the boy, unable escort him back. Goathes peeked around the corner, keeping low to keep from being noticed. He held up five fingers on his huge hand then closed them again. More voices joined the coversation wich was fast and slurred and Goathes held up seven fingers this time. A silent curse passing through his leps, Vagerant nodded.

“Stay here and I shall circle around,” Vagerant signed, his hands speaking for him.

Goathes watched wordlessly and nodded. “Two Minuets,” he signed back.

Vagerant stood and made his way down another hall, heading toward the kitchen in which they had been fed at earlier. He did not know who these intruders were but he did know they were not suppose to be there. Natuica did not like guest save Goathes and him alone and they were more like family then anything. The tones of the voices, growing louder and more confident also spoke ill of these men too. The way thier footsteps moved and thier voices spoke made them seem to be on a drug of some sort.

A little girl opened her door and peeked out, her eyes full of fright. Vagerant held a single finger to his mouth and motioned for her to go back in. She obeyed and Vagerant saw two others peeking from behind her their eyes also nothing but fear. Vagerant thought of the boy earlier and noticed that his eyes had almost seemed uniterested in him or Goathes, but intent on discovering the noise.

Vagerant turned another corner, coming onto one of the intruders. The man was big, wearing dirty leather armor and with a sword in his hand. He was speaking to another intruder who was dressed the same.

“How did the boss know this place exist?” One spoke, not caring who heard. “We ain’t never been here!”

The second grinned, “You know how Raksha is. He occasionally hears voices which give him info we are not priveldge too. This one just happend to tell him that there was a house full of nothing but children who happend to have a lot of gold on them.”

Vagerant moves closer as they spoke, keeping low and out of sight in the shadows. “Not only that, but Raksha says there is a very beautiful lady here as well. She’ll provide nice entertainment as the children well before we sell them as slaves.”

His blades cut through the air, aimed for vital spots on the two men. Both daggers silently bit flesh and dove deep cutting skin, muscle and vessels giving each of his opponets the brief second to relize what was happening then silencing them forever. He grabbed them, keeping thier dead wieght from causing any noise as he laid them down. Removing his blades and cleaning them on thier leather Vagerant glanced over his shoulder catching sight of the boy.

He was low, imitating the way Vagerant had just been moving, hiding very succefully in the shadows, his white shirt the only thing giving him away and barely at that. Vagerant made a face but the boy ignored him, not caring about the dead bodies as well. Sighing with no time to argue, Vagerant turned and continued down the hall, reaching the opposite end of where Goathes was, catching sight of the Minotaur’s face on the far end. Goathes held up a finger then made a cross sign against his throat. Vagerant nodded and did the same with two fingers.

"Some have said there is no subtlety to destruction. You know what? They’re dead.” -Jaya Ballard, task mage

Two down, four more to go that he knew of. Another intruder came in from the opposite hall from the front door, walking between them and out the front door. Vagerant rushed toward him, catching the man by surpise and pinning him dead against the wall and out of sight. He laid him on the ground and took a peek out the front door. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, but he saw or heard nobody else.

Goathes was already moving in the direction in which the intuder had come from, his long knife ready cut at his enemies. The towering mass of muscle looked strange moving silently but Goathes had mastered it with a lot of time and effort.

Following his lead, Vagerant again noticed the boy still making no noise and still undisturbed by the three fallen men. Goathes turned a corner and with a sickening rip brought another man down and charged a second. Vagerant turned the corner and stepped over another man, his throat bleeding steadliy onto the floor. He could almost hear the lecture that Nautica would give them when this was over with. But with time, they would be forgiven. Goathes laid another down, two large holes leaking blood from his chest, and Vagerant caught blood dripping from Goathes horns.

Five down.

Vagerant stopped moving and listened. He did not hear any noises leading to the location of the last two but they were out there. A tug pulled at his sleeve and the blond man looked down at the boy who was pointing at a door. Vagerant studied the door before he relize that the door was Nautica’s and his feet began to move. Not caring about silence anymore Vageant opened the door at a run and made his way into the room. His eyes went to the bed in which Nautica normally slept to find her standing next to it, one man with a dirty blade to her throat, another man going through a closet, shedding the clothing inside.

They turned and with a roar filled with fury, Goathes slung his knife at the man holding Nautica who in his surpise briefly released his grip allowing her to drop to the ground and crawl away. The knife caught the man in the forehead with a thud sending him crashing to the floor heavily. The sound of cloth tearing stopped and the man peeked from the closet only to have a smaller blade cut into his chest and through his heart allowing only another beat before killing him.

Nautica made her way to Vagerant throwing her arms around him, sobbing loudly. He placed a hand on her back to soothe her. “Are the children alright,” she whispered as she pulled back smoothing her night gown and hair.

Vagerant nodded turning back to look for the boy who had followed and helped them. No one was at the door way when he noticed the light that was now blazing through. Running out of the room, Goathes behind him they entered the living area outside the room slightly smaller then Goathes stood, his hand around the boy’s neck. The boy did not show pain or fear in his face, nor did he cry out but he did stare directly into the larger man’s eyes.

“I did not know that there would be fighters here,” the man spoke, his voice clear of the slur the others had spoke with. “The voice failed to let me know that.”

“Who are you?” Vagerant demanded, his dagger ready to fly through the air. “What are you doing here?”

The man smiled, his teeth bright white. Two balls of fire flared behind him, their flames making no smoke but giving off intense heat reflecting off the red armor he had adorned. A large blade hung at his side, rubies engraved in the handle. Bright red hair fell passed his shoulders, wild and seeming to suck in the light from the flames.

“I am Raksha,” he spoke his words well pronouced, his eyes dancing. “I am a Prophet.”

“And the men were your disciples?” Goathes spat, his massive hands gripping the handle of his axe.

Raksha began laughing, the sound echoing off the walls. “Those men you murderd were simply ones I had chosen to serve me untill I seemed fit. It appears you cut that time short!” His voice had tunred spitefull and Vagerant could see his grip tighten on the boy.

Goathes grinned relizing the spot he had touched. “Seems to me, that a Prophet would have seen it coming.”

Raksha released the boy, the balls of fire behind him flared in anger touching the ceiling causing the wood to burn. The large blade leapt into his hands and Raksha charged the bull who stood ready. Vagerant let his dagger fly, hoping to catch the man off guard when a flash of red stuck the blade down and sent him flying into the wall. The air was knocked from his lungs as he watched Goathes’ axe catch the greatsword that Raksha swung. Sparks flew as Goathes went low, gettin leverage as he pushed back on the large man. Raksha found his blade rising despite his stength baring down on the blade and pulled back.

Goathes let his axe swing coming at the armored mans chest who stepped back then foward with his own effort to kill the Minotaur. A twist and Goathes turned his swing into a roll that put his shoulder into the man’s stomach and underneath the swing of the blade trying to rip at his hide. A cry of pain escaped the lips of both fighters as Goathes pushed the large man through the burning wall and into the room on the other side. Goathes released the man pulling back and Vagerant could see that his reddish hide was singed black where it had connected with the man’s armor.

Vagerant finally stood with Nautica’s help and caught his first good breath. Glancing around the room, he could not catch sight of the boy and the fire was begining to spread quickly. “Where’s the boy that the deranged prophet was holding?”

“Drea,” Nautica whispered looking around. “I’m not sure where he went. We have to find him though.”

"Some have said there is no subtlety to destruction. You know what? They’re dead.” -Jaya Ballard, task mage

"Drea,” Nautica whispered looking around. “I’m not sure where he went. We have to find him though.”

Vagerant shook his head. “I’ll find him, you start getting your kids out of here. This place may burn if we can’t stop this soon!” She nodded and ran down the hall gathering the couple of kids who had found courage enough to see what all the noise was.

Another roar of anger caught his ears and Vagerant watched as Goathes came through the wall again landing hard on his back, burns covering random areas in his body. Raksha stepped through the hole as well, breathing hard, and bleeding from his lips, but smiling. The man wiped his mouth with his gauntlent hand, looked at it then turned his attention on Vagerant.

Raksha started toward Vagerant who retrieved his dagger off the floor and took a defense stance. He doubted he could not stand much of a chance against this man but he had to give Nautica time to get out. Goathes groaned at his feed as he rose to his knees. His axe was nowhere to be seen, but looked to weak to wield the heavy weapon, had it been next to him.

“I will spread fire to every part of this world before I am done,” Raksha spoke, his words still well pronounced but his words wet with blood. “I know of the evils that are coming, and I shall spare this world from them!”

Raksha rose his huge sword over Goathes and Vagerant moved to take advantage of the opening he had created only to be struck down by an invisible wall that flashed red with fire against his skin. The blade began cut downward at an arc when the man let out a sicking cry, lunging forward and releasing the blade sending it harmlessly against the far wall.

Blood poured from his mouth and nose, his eyes filled with pain and fear as they slowly lost the light that danced within. Falling to his knees, then falling over on his side. Vagerant rose to his knees in amazement as he saw the boy Nautica had called Drea behind the prophet, his spear at the boys feet pushed into an opening of the armor underneath where his arm and shoulder met. No tears shone in the boys face but he did look tired with the effort of carrying the huge spear that had been secured with his stuff in the closet.

Drea moved to where Goathes slumped heavily on his knees, fighting delruim against the burns and cuts over his body. Vagerant moved to grab Goathes and with a little help from the bull they made thier way from the burning room and toward the door. Vagerant made sure Drea was following and saw that the boy had retrieved his spear and was carrying it best he could. Not arguing with the boy’s decision, they made thier way into the rain and toward a barn a little ways off where Nautica and the rest of the children waited for them.

The fire that had spread quickly through the house seemed fall victem to rain now that was getting through the holes it had eaten. More then that though, without the furry and madness of Raksha feeding it, the fire seemed to simple give up life itself and died.

**************

Somewhere in the shadows of the storm, the dark figure smiled within the safety of it’s cloak.

"Some have said there is no subtlety to destruction. You know what? They’re dead.” -Jaya Ballard, task mage

Wow. Me likes. Good work dude. I liked every second of it. Now if only they would hire you to write Kotor :p Keep up the good work because I am waaay interested about what happens from here…

Customer Service is best served with a lightsaber.

Still waiting patiently for more. Good stuff man.