Nightstalker
06-04-10, 06:48 PM
Magesha sat in The Red Dragon, a small tavern in Radasanth. Fire flowed through his veins, pain filling his heart. He had failed Lin Kuei, Shogun of the Akashiman demons. As punishment for not killing his enemy, he had been forced to drink a measure of demon blood, an act that corrupted his own blood. His eyes were no longer human, and his skin felt like aged parchment. Aside from a slight aversion to holy objects, he was still mostly human.
Now the fallen Ronin waited for Nightstalker once more, again to do the bidding of his demon masters by taking out a person that was both his own mortal enemy, and fated to become one of the most powerful forces in Althanas. This time, he had help from another source. John Shelby, known to the rest of the world as The Trap Master, infamous for his murders in the citadel, had been approached by Magesha and a sorcerer from Lin Kuei's forces.
Together, the pair successfully hid all of their demon traits, and let it slip to John Shelby's own information network that Nightstalker was a horrid person that needed to be punished for all his evil deeds. Magesha spoke at length to the sorcerer about how the ninja had taken his father from him, and stolen his honor. The sorcerer spoke of Nightstalker's other evil deeds.
Eventually, John Shelby himself visited them or at least someone claiming to be him. They acted surprised, even though Ninja hiding in the woodwork of the inn and the rest of the small hamlet that lay just one day's ride west of Radastanth told them well ahead of time of the man's arrival. They spoke to him at length of Nightstalker's past. John Shelby departed, The Trap Master would set up his traps, all Magesha had to do was lure Nightstalker into them.
Yet, other forces seemed to conspire against Nightstalker, for while Magesha was busy telling only half the story, Master Hokkaido, who was Nightstalker's sensei and a master ninja, was visiting with a powerful traveling wizard he called a friend. This wizard told Master Hokkaido that he had looked into Nightstalker's immediate future as asked, and the future foretold that if Nightstalker went to Radasanth, he would learn a powerful lesson, one Hokkaido could not teach him.
So it was that Nightstalker eventually stumbled into Radasanth. Ninja were looking out for him, and while some followed the human, others ran to tell Magesha. Nightstalker wandered through the city wondering just what sort of lesson he would learn. Nearby in a back alley, he heard a the sounds of a struggle, one female, one male. He ran to investigate, and found absolutely nothing. Thinking he had found the wrong alley, he realized too late that it was a trap, as footsteps echoed behind him.
“Well old friend, it would seem there is a lesson to be learned.” A familiar voice said.
Nightstalker turned in time to catch a glimpse of his self-proclaimed arch-nemesis. He pitied the fallen ronin, and the company he chose to keep. He blamed Nightstalker for everything, but the truth was, everything was a product of the ronin's own imagining and doing. Everything went black, as lights went off in his head. He had been the target of a sleeping spell.
“This time, your demise is assured, you will suffer and you will die. I may not be able to kill you, but I found someone who can. I will content myself with knowing I had a hand in your demise, even if I am not the one to kill you.” Magesha said.
...
Nightstalker groaned inwardly as the spell lifted. Something told him his situation had changed, that he was in a dangerous place. Slowly he struggled to wake up, and as he did so, he braved a look at his surroundings.
Now the fallen Ronin waited for Nightstalker once more, again to do the bidding of his demon masters by taking out a person that was both his own mortal enemy, and fated to become one of the most powerful forces in Althanas. This time, he had help from another source. John Shelby, known to the rest of the world as The Trap Master, infamous for his murders in the citadel, had been approached by Magesha and a sorcerer from Lin Kuei's forces.
Together, the pair successfully hid all of their demon traits, and let it slip to John Shelby's own information network that Nightstalker was a horrid person that needed to be punished for all his evil deeds. Magesha spoke at length to the sorcerer about how the ninja had taken his father from him, and stolen his honor. The sorcerer spoke of Nightstalker's other evil deeds.
Eventually, John Shelby himself visited them or at least someone claiming to be him. They acted surprised, even though Ninja hiding in the woodwork of the inn and the rest of the small hamlet that lay just one day's ride west of Radastanth told them well ahead of time of the man's arrival. They spoke to him at length of Nightstalker's past. John Shelby departed, The Trap Master would set up his traps, all Magesha had to do was lure Nightstalker into them.
Yet, other forces seemed to conspire against Nightstalker, for while Magesha was busy telling only half the story, Master Hokkaido, who was Nightstalker's sensei and a master ninja, was visiting with a powerful traveling wizard he called a friend. This wizard told Master Hokkaido that he had looked into Nightstalker's immediate future as asked, and the future foretold that if Nightstalker went to Radasanth, he would learn a powerful lesson, one Hokkaido could not teach him.
So it was that Nightstalker eventually stumbled into Radasanth. Ninja were looking out for him, and while some followed the human, others ran to tell Magesha. Nightstalker wandered through the city wondering just what sort of lesson he would learn. Nearby in a back alley, he heard a the sounds of a struggle, one female, one male. He ran to investigate, and found absolutely nothing. Thinking he had found the wrong alley, he realized too late that it was a trap, as footsteps echoed behind him.
“Well old friend, it would seem there is a lesson to be learned.” A familiar voice said.
Nightstalker turned in time to catch a glimpse of his self-proclaimed arch-nemesis. He pitied the fallen ronin, and the company he chose to keep. He blamed Nightstalker for everything, but the truth was, everything was a product of the ronin's own imagining and doing. Everything went black, as lights went off in his head. He had been the target of a sleeping spell.
“This time, your demise is assured, you will suffer and you will die. I may not be able to kill you, but I found someone who can. I will content myself with knowing I had a hand in your demise, even if I am not the one to kill you.” Magesha said.
...
Nightstalker groaned inwardly as the spell lifted. Something told him his situation had changed, that he was in a dangerous place. Slowly he struggled to wake up, and as he did so, he braved a look at his surroundings.