A Darkened Hand (closed)

[black shadow]

"You know your orders. Do not fail me again," A man garbed in dark robes spoke softly. He leaned against a mahogany desk, scars covered his face. The look he gave would turn people to stone, and as he spoke you were naturally compelled to obey. This was not the man to mess with.

The man he was speaking to said nothing. Instead he simply turned away and left the room through the large iron double doors. His exit was quick and quiet, an obvious assassin.

~

The market buzzed with life. People could be seen running from stall to stall, scrambling to obtain what they needed, small children played happily, and the shopkeepers had happy smiles upon their faces.

Black Shadow was taking Espoir, his beautiful daughter, to the marketplace. It was like their father-daughter bonding time, and Espoir was always happy to go.

"Daddy!! I want this!" Espoir screeched happily, pulling her father to a nearby stall. Pointing at a dagger, she put her hands together and began to beg. "Please daddy, please?" She asked. "I want it so badly!"

Black Shadow sighed and reached into his money bag, nodding at Espoir to ask how much it would cost.

"This beauty here?" The merchant said, pulling the dagger from the glass display case. Espoir nodded as the merchant continued, "just for you little lady, I will sell it for fifty gold pieces."

Black Shadow took the dagger from the man an examined it. The craftsmanship was done very nicely and the dagger was not very expensive. He took fifty gold pieces and hands it to the merchant, Who smiled and thanked them for the business.

"Oh thank you daddy, thank you!!" Espoir said happily as she grabbed at the dagger. Black Shadow pulled it away and put it on his hip. He looked her in the eyes and began to speak in his usual way, sign language.

"This is not a toy. If you hurt anyone with it I will take it away and you will not get it back until you are sixteen." He said.

"Oka..."

"I am also going to keep it until we get home and I teach you to use it." He finished.

"But daddy!"

He just stood and continued to search the items on his list.

[black shadow]

The bow string tensed and the arrow locked into place. With a slight slip of the finger the white arrow flew through the air as a hawk dives for its prey. A loud whistle protruded in all directions and could e heard for close to a mile.

The body not only fell lifeless but was punched forward from the impact. It was a perfect hit. The man stood and fired three more arrows into the air, as was the archer's signature. He may have been hired for this job, but he would still honor his target in death.

~

Screams roared from the marketplace at the sight of blood spilling from the lifeless body. A nearby doctor tried frantically to keep the man alive. Whoever he was, he seemed important.

Black Shadow replayed the arrow trajectory in his mind, recreating the scene. The aggressor was up high, most likely on a rooftop. Black Shadow scanned the roofs of the nearby buildings, spotting the white archer upon the steeple of the city chapel.

He ripped an arrow from his quiver and aimed at his target. With a low pitched whine the arrow flew through the air.

With a loud clash of metal, the white archer shot Black Shadow's arrow from the sky. He was quick and smart, finally someone who would give Black Shadow a challenge in archery.

He turned to Espoir saying "run! Get home!" She turned frightened and began to run home not far from the Marketplace.

Black Shadow's attention turned back the the archer. He watched as an arrow was shot at his daughter. Time felt like it slowed, adrenaline pumped through his veins. The arrow was in the air before Black Shadow had a single thought. Metal clashed that the arrow was sent to the stone flooring of the market.

Adrenaline was replaced with anger. It was a short time before Shadow reached the top of the cathedral, it felt like two seconds to him, but to everyone around him it was almost instantaneous. A quick punch was met with he steel gauntlet of the archer, Black Shadow had speed, but so did the he.

[black shadow]

Black Shadow was caught off guard by the swift movement of the assassin landing a kick to shadow's chest. He stumbled back and slipped, barely catching himself on the ledge. Adrenaline still punpong through his veins, Black Shadow pulled himself up. The two men stood facing eachother, watching each move the other made. When Black Shadow lifted his hand the other moved his.

"I do no wish to hurt you. Leave now and we will neve see eachother again." The assassin said in his deep voice.

Black Shadow clenche his fist. After all this the man offers him a truce? Maybe he should just... No! Black Shadow thought, ripping an arrow from his quiver as firing it at the archer. It was ten he realized that he could not win this battle. The man stood, the only thing that moved was his arm, his fist clenched. The man caught the arrow, did not even flinch. He was too fast for Black Shadow.

Black Shadow stepped back, motioning his hand to the side attempting to say "leave now"

"Good choice. Oh and when I said we won't see again... I lied, I can guarantee we will meet again." The man said, Taunting Shadow. He the began to run, jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

~

"Well done. You never fail me." The contractor said. "Now I believe I have a few more contracts for you." Three papers came out from a desk, a purple like glow around them. Obviously they were being controlled by the man. " pick your poison."

The archer grabbed a bounty and looked at the details.

Mr. Gregg Horinger must be eliminated, reward: 10,000credits.

The man smiles as he folded up and put the bounty into his quiver. He did not do it for the money, but for the thrill of the hunt.

[black shadow]

Black Shadow sat on a chair within his home, a piece I paper in his hand. An artist had drawn a picture of the archer and given it to Black Shadow. He stared at it, thinking back in the battle. This man was now his enemy, hated by Shadow. His mask was down, revealing his face, only shown to his daughter Espoir at home.

Black Shadow felt te soft hands of Espoir press lightly against his leg. He smiled and took her hands in his own. She was beautiful to him. Her bright blue eyes matched the color if the ocean one day when he took we to the beach, and her blonde hair almost matched te beaches. She had a cute did voice that made Shadow's heart beat. She meant everything to him.

"Daddy?" She asked, looking into his black eyes. "Who was that man?"

The question haunted Black Shadow, ad it stuck in his mind for the following days. At the time he could say only three words: "I don't know."

He stood again, pulled his mask up, and walked out the door. If it was the last thing he did, he woul find this man.

~

The White Archer fired an arrow, missing its target by inches. Horinger was no normal man, but instead a master archer himself. Everyone who knew about him feared him, and mor importantly respected him. It would not be an easy task to take him out. The White Archer attempted to fire a few more arrows, hoping one would hit target. Instead he was met with a few arrows of his own.

He five to his left, one arrow catching his right foot. He stood, push g aside the pain. As he stepped a slight link could be noticed but it was nearly invisible. The clashing if steel could be heard for nearly a mile in every direction until it finally stopped. The familiar sound of the Archer salute could be heard, and the Archer disappeared.

[black shadow]

There was silence, not even the sound of a mouse running along the ground of the market was there. The darkness of night engulfed the area, and the fires if lamps lit very little if the area. Every soul in the market was asleep. All but Black Shadow. He waited for the man to show up, hoping he would. He got away once but Vlack Shadow would not allow it again.

He waited with an arrow ready at all times. The moment his opponent shows himself he would attack, no hesitation. No one hit his daughter or even try and get away. His breaths became heavier and more frequent as he became more anxious. The thought of the man still out tree drive him mad.

A man steppe out into courtyard, empty with no stalls left. It was clearly the man he was waiting for. Black Shadow released his arrow and hoped for the best. There was the clash of metal, and the archer held the arrow. Black Shadow became enraged, firing another seven shots from his quiver. The archer dodged and caught the arrows, moving towards Black Shadow.

It was not long before the man reache Shadow, sending a kick to his chest. Black Shadow fell back, the wind nocked out of him. The archer grabbed him by his shirt and picked him up with his left hand, looking him in the eyes. His right hand slowly moved to his face, pulling down his mask and showing Black Shadow his face.

"If I were you, I would stay aways from me. You don't know what you're dealing with." The man said in his deep voice. He then pushed Shadow back onto his back, placing one of his arrows onto Shadow's chest. When Shadow finally was able to stand again, the archer was gone, and so was Black Shadow's hopes to ending this man.

[Philomel]

Name of Thread: A Darkened Hand (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?28794-A-Darkened-Hand-%28closed%29)
Type of Judgement: No Judgement
Participants: Black Shadow

Rewards:
Since this thread does not fulfill to the 10 post limit for rewards, then this is not completely eligable for rewards. However, rewards are given for recognition of work.
Black Shadow (http://www.althanas.com/world/member.php?16247-black-shadow) is to be rewarded 100 EXP and 30 GP for his efforts.

[Hysteria]

exp/gp added.