Nightstalker
12-16-10, 08:22 PM
Nightstalker awoke on a cot in the middle of an unfamiliar room. There was little light, but he could make out the paper walls five feet away. No furniture beyond his cot adorned the room, the bamboo floor remained uncovered. His sole comfort in this room was his sneaking outfit, and his weapons. These of course were already outfitted on him.
He tried hard to remember how he got here, but all he could remember was Master Hokkaido telling him it was time for a test of his skills. The white tea was soothing and delicious, so very delicious. Then, nothing. This was a dream, obviously. Nightstalker rolled over and the point of a shuriken poked him in the ribs. No dream, this was reality. So what had happened then? Realization dawned on Nightstalker suddenly.
He had been drugged. The tea, it was the only explanation. But where was he now? What place was this that would test him? In what fashion would he be tested? The room looked similar to Hokkaido's pagoda in the comb mountains, perhaps he was in a secret room. The Ninja got up and silently padded to a sliding door, opened it, and closed it behind him.
Moving from room to room, he quickly realized he was in a giant maze of rooms. This meant he was either under the pagoda, or somewhere else. Looking up, the walls stretched into infinity, disappearing into an inky blackness far above. He had to be somewhere other than the pagoda. Such an occurrence was unnatural.
He couldn't be outside, stars would be shining overhead, and moons. Instead the only light came from paper lanterns hung sporadically throughout the maze. Shadows everywhere, but not a person to be seen. This place was magically constructed then. Nightstalker still didn't know where he was, until he moved to a large throne room.
This room had ornate jade pillars scattered throughout it, carefully sculpted tigers and dragons kept them company. On the floor was a massive gold seal, and Nightstalker knew precisely where he was, for it was the seal of The Citadel.
“Alright Monks, let me out. I don't want to fight.” Nightstalker said.
Silence greeted his voice. Nightstalker sighed in frustration, not knowing what to do next. The sound of a great stone door opening somewhere came to his ears. Seconds later it closed.
“This is a game children play, scaled to an adult level. Which one of you can find and assassinate the other first? Both of you walk this path, one of you is more experienced than the other. Neither of you will be free until you slay the other.” a disembodied voice belonging to an unknown monk said.
Nightstalker knew what his test was now. He was to be tested against a master Ninja. The monk had said so, he said one was more experienced than the other. Certainly Nightstalker couldn't be better than anyone else. For one brief moment, Nightstalker was terrified out of his wits. Then he remembered he was in the citadel, and even though he knew he was going to lose, he would still live to tell the tale of how he was thoroughly outclassed by someone better than him.
Well, he wasn't going to make it easy, that much Nightstalker knew for certain. He would do everything in his power to beat his undiscovered opponent, and provide the master with as much of a challenge as the young ninja could put up.
He tried hard to remember how he got here, but all he could remember was Master Hokkaido telling him it was time for a test of his skills. The white tea was soothing and delicious, so very delicious. Then, nothing. This was a dream, obviously. Nightstalker rolled over and the point of a shuriken poked him in the ribs. No dream, this was reality. So what had happened then? Realization dawned on Nightstalker suddenly.
He had been drugged. The tea, it was the only explanation. But where was he now? What place was this that would test him? In what fashion would he be tested? The room looked similar to Hokkaido's pagoda in the comb mountains, perhaps he was in a secret room. The Ninja got up and silently padded to a sliding door, opened it, and closed it behind him.
Moving from room to room, he quickly realized he was in a giant maze of rooms. This meant he was either under the pagoda, or somewhere else. Looking up, the walls stretched into infinity, disappearing into an inky blackness far above. He had to be somewhere other than the pagoda. Such an occurrence was unnatural.
He couldn't be outside, stars would be shining overhead, and moons. Instead the only light came from paper lanterns hung sporadically throughout the maze. Shadows everywhere, but not a person to be seen. This place was magically constructed then. Nightstalker still didn't know where he was, until he moved to a large throne room.
This room had ornate jade pillars scattered throughout it, carefully sculpted tigers and dragons kept them company. On the floor was a massive gold seal, and Nightstalker knew precisely where he was, for it was the seal of The Citadel.
“Alright Monks, let me out. I don't want to fight.” Nightstalker said.
Silence greeted his voice. Nightstalker sighed in frustration, not knowing what to do next. The sound of a great stone door opening somewhere came to his ears. Seconds later it closed.
“This is a game children play, scaled to an adult level. Which one of you can find and assassinate the other first? Both of you walk this path, one of you is more experienced than the other. Neither of you will be free until you slay the other.” a disembodied voice belonging to an unknown monk said.
Nightstalker knew what his test was now. He was to be tested against a master Ninja. The monk had said so, he said one was more experienced than the other. Certainly Nightstalker couldn't be better than anyone else. For one brief moment, Nightstalker was terrified out of his wits. Then he remembered he was in the citadel, and even though he knew he was going to lose, he would still live to tell the tale of how he was thoroughly outclassed by someone better than him.
Well, he wasn't going to make it easy, that much Nightstalker knew for certain. He would do everything in his power to beat his undiscovered opponent, and provide the master with as much of a challenge as the young ninja could put up.