House of Sora: The Hustle Mission. (Closed)

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

((I'm sorry for the dual post of the thread it switched my accounts))


Prologue

1 Month Ago--

It was an antique sort of a room, a true relic of another age. Rich in a Althanas history, furnishings from all around the globe rested in the room. Tapestries hung on the each wall of the room from every corner of the world. The blues from Raiaera, earth tones from Fallien, various tapestries from Dheathain, Antioch, Alerar, and finally all the many wondrous lands of Corone. Each major region of Althanas was represented by a piece of tapestry hanging on the wall, as well as various paintings. Paintings that illuminated various stages of Althanas' history also hung in the wall. Indeed, this was the Master Bedroom of the old house.

It was Victorian in nature by classic Althanas standards. Powerful columns held the building up, and many triangular arches could be seen at various portions of the old house. The thing resembled a fortress more than a large house boasting several wings facing every corner of the compass. The central structure was located at the epicenter of the property. It resembled a perfectly geometrically designed rhomboid. Brick for brick, the property rested solidly at several hundred yards across. Across three or four miles of solid building. On either end.

Currently, the sun set overhead. Stars twinkled from above and lit the world of Althanas with their surreal light, illuminating the darkness ever so subtly with their wisdom. A winter's wind passed through the air causing the trees and leaves on the property to shiver ever so slightly. Leaves fell to the ground signaling the start of Winter. The winds traveled all the way from the arctic North-lands of the world, Salvar and Berevar. By the blessings of the Thaynes.

The old house was made of brick and mortar and rumored to be valued at billions of gold pieces. Once used to house refugees escaping the ancient Demon War, the property had history. It also was rumored to be haunted, but none could verify that rumor. Plants and shrubbery of every classification decorated the landscape. Trees imported from Scara Brae's Liviol Sanctum grew in a garden somewhere on the property. Every tree imaginable was on the lot.

In the Master Bedroom, a scene was laid before the eyes of history. A great man, Canabus Myers faced his death bed. He was old now, and had a life filled with many great stories. He laid in the single King's sized bed. A canopy and curtain covering the bed in every direction. On the West side of the bed, the curtain was open. There were several people in the room besides the sick man in the room. One was clearly a doctor. Two were an estranged son and daughter, one was a younger Brother. The other was Sir Myers' right hand man. A fellow calling himself Baxter Crane.

All of these people bore the features of classic Coronian decent. The old man's Brother was a fellow named Ellis Myers. The individuals in the room were named Ellis, Rogers (The estranged son), Maggy (The estranged daughter), and the other was Doctor Maxalin. Kenners Maxalin. From a hospital in Underwood. The township was nearby to Underwood and Canabus was the ranking noble in this area. With him, passed a legacy. His children were busy with tasks of their own thanks to the Corone Civil War. The land was left without a proper lord.

Baxter Crane was a man with shaggy hair. He stood at an elegant height, well over six heads. His posture was perfect. His back was straight and his shoulders were broad. He owned a rather lean physique clearly not the physique of a warrior. But one who would preferably avoid a fight. It was clear why he wasn't named the successor of Lord Myers' vast fortune. Crane currently sat next to the bed. Tears flowed from his eyes freely as he wiped away at them futilely. He currently held Lord Canabus' hands in his own, clasped with a sturdy grip. The old man had startling blue eyes even at his old age, they were filled with vigor. Crane's own brown eyes were a sight to behold as well. Clearly, there was a mixed heritage in the room of various prime Coronian families and heritage. A painting of a stately Elderly woman hung afore the crown of the large, intricate bed. Clearly this was the old noble's wife. Her lack of physical presence suggested that she'd already waited judgment in the Anti-Firmanent.

"Lord Myers, please rest, you must conserve your strength." Crane said in a low voice so as not to startle the old man further. Even in his death bed, the old man looked upon the future with courage.

The old man talked in a low, barely audible whisper. His strength was fading fast and he was soon for the Anti-Firmanent. "Now now my friend, Cane. Naye. My son." His words came out with a struggle as his body was quickly decaying and decomposing on itself. He was fighting the cancer. For which there was currently no known cure. The old man expected to die of the sword, not sick and useless in some bed. "The enemy lurks in the commonwealth. I bid you, contact Akhanatin Ra, he is an old friend. By now his House of Sora venture has grown prosperous. Seek out the House of Sora...please...it is my last command..." And the old man passed to the next world dying of old age. The scent of death filled the room and strangely, the room seemed to grow just a little bit darker.

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

Lodge Bladestorm. Present Day. The sounds of combat filled Dyne Corona's ears as he stood and observed. The Monks of Ai'bron trained the warriors of the House of Sora quite carefully. Dyne Corona was training with them. He was currently using wooden melee batons against another student and dressed in a combat gi. A simple uniform really, but one that got the point across. Though the current leader of Lodge Bladestorm, Dyne Corona still saw himself as just another member and refused to deviate from his training and activities of fighting. He was a soldier first.

He'd joined the House of Sora it seemed, like many lifetimes ago. He'd been through many situations because of the House of Sora and like it or not, he was a part of the group's destiny. Dyne quickly found out that the members of the House of Sora were all good people. Good people tied together by a common set of causes. The master trainer of the Dojo in Lodge Bladestorm was a man named Cullex Simstein. An Akashiman warrior. His strangely slanted eyes and rounded facial features were a testament to his heritage.

The warriors all around Dyne trained in various sparring techniques. He was refining his lessons. Forging his skill with the wooden sword so that one day he might become a master swordsman. For now he was building the house necessary for that journey. After all, he'd recently been named Patriarch of Lodge Bladestorm, he had to work doubly hard to become a skilled warrior.

His brothers and sisters in the House of Sora were depending on his ability to function as both warrior and leader. As the fighting continued for hours on end, something happened. The doors to the Dojo were suddenly flung open and a quartet of well dressed strangers entered the training room. The leader of the group took the front of clearly military unit. "Master Simstein, I am here to look for Alberdyne Cormyr." The man proclaimed suddenly.

[streak101]

He grinned as the men closed around him, brandishing their weapons, "You cheated us!" The mercenary raised an eyebrow, he neither drew his boomerang or his sword, but stared at them with his grin. One of them spoke, "We'll teach you what happens when you cheat the bandits around these parts!" They all closed in on him, swinging their blades. Clouds of dirt and debree were kicked up into the air, and the men began to snigger, certain they had taken down this scammer.

"Wrong my friends." Banda's voice had emanated from what seemed to be the air, but in reality, he was moving at the speed of lightning. Two men collapsed to the ground, both of their weapons taken from them, the remainder turned to see him spinning their swords like play things, "These really are crude blades. You should really think about getting new ones." The bandits roared and rushed over to the mercenary. Banda sighed, "Fools."

He easily dodged the first clumsy attack, and cut the man lightly across the back. The second attack came fast, but Banda merely knocked it away and slammed the hilt of one sword into the bandit's skull. He dropped that blade and left the man to stagger around as he punched the third bandit in the face, throwing the other sword behind him. He patted the dust off his clothes and shook his head at the five men, "Honestly, whats it take to be trusted around here?"

That was an ironic question, seeing as Banda had no idea where he was, he had lost his sense of direction a while ago, and stumbled upon these bandits. He guessed it must have been somewhere in Scara Brae at the moment seeing as the last thing he could remember was getting off a boat.

He laughed, even when it came to bandits he wouldn't cheat. The only problem was that after a drinking contest people usually became aggressive and these poor men couldn't hold their ale, "Excuse me, Banda Utako?" Banda gave a start and relaxed when he had seen it was only a messenger. How the heck did he find me again!? The messenger reached into his rucksack and pulled out a letter, "This is for you, from The House of Sora." Banda took the letter and read it.

"Alright! I'm there!" The messenger began to depart, Banda stopped him, "Hey wait! Which is the way to the ferry to Corone?" The messenger pointed him in the direction and Banda thanked him, rushing towards the the ferry docks.

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

The building looked more like a stately academy from the outside than anything else. It was recently built by the House of Sora's workforce, as an amended structure to Lodge Bladestorm. It rested in the town somewhere nearby to the Dojo's edifice. The academy was really the main portion of Lodge Bladestorm where warriors could come and train their various distinctive skills in the arts of combat. The structure had a brown brick sort of hue to it. It was a simple, flat building that had several floors to it, five in total and several floors underground in the foundation levels, another two in total.

Its measurements were surprisingly large. For a flat building it crossed several miles in each direction of the lot it was on. A particularly noticeable air of tension clung to the buildings' latticework like a cloud. Oak double doors, giant in nature, lurked at the front of the property. The nearest building to the academy was Lodge Bladestorm, another magnificent structure in itself. It was a Victorian building. Columns and arches were majestic in nature with a few gargoyles watching over the building on various portions of it. These were artistically crafted busts that suggested Raiaera's fine art.

The building was more crimson-colored in nature and much taller than the academy boasting roughly ten floors. The lodge housed House of Sora's military wing. Its greatest planners and warriors all forming strategies to try to subdue Corone's disastrous current state of affairs. Right now was Radasanth's darkest hour yet. Heroes were needed to step up. Lodge Bladestorm would provide that next generation of Heroes or die trying.

Inside the academy, warriors trained against one another to enhance their knowledge of martial skills. The finer points of combat were instructed in the dojo by Master Semstein. A retired Monk of Ai'bron who saw many years of tactical warfare and became one of Radasanth's most brilliant generals. The Monk had long flowing, platinum hair, and almond colored eyes. His face was heavily angular. He had a long nose. Master Semstein wore earth-colored robes. The man standing before him was clearly a native of Corone, the classic jawline structure hinted at that much. The man had brown hair and brown eyes.

The man wore black embroidered with gold furnishing. A group of other men, three in all, also dressed in black, waited at the door. A few more waited outside. Sounds of combat suddenly stopped as Master Semstein raised his hand to the gathered crowd. A final, resonating k-yah! filled the room as the last of the sparring finally stopped. Those who sparred and those who observed all turned their attention to Master Semstein. "Students we have a visitor to Lodge Bladestorm. Remember what I've taught you about respect towards fellow Althanians."

At once, the body of gathered students bowed towards the stranger, and then bowed towards the master. Afterwards they stood in silence and waited for Master Semstein's next set of instruction. He turned his attention towards the stranger. "What do you want with Cormyr-Kun? He is busy with his studies right now, unless this is a serious matter." There was tension in the old man's voice at the thought of having one of his most prized students interrupt their studies. "I have an urgent request from the House of Myers. The House of Sora is needed there for an urgent mission immediately. Cormyr was requested due to his connection to the Aristocracy and his recent promotion as the Patriarch of Lodge Bladestorm." The man spoke to the Master in a matter-of-fact sort of way.

"I have documents to give to Cormyr, but I must give them directly to him. It was the instructions of my Master's final will." The man said calmly.

Upon hearing the mention of the Myers' household, Master Semstein's eyes widened with disbelief. He would have never thought that he'd be sending one of his students to help an old friend. The old Master shot a glance towards Alberdyne Cormyrs' general direction. "Young Master Cormyr. This man wishes to speak with you." All the eyes in the crowd were suddenly turned towards Dynes' direction. The youth nodded immediately and bowed towards Master Semstein once again. He then bowed towards his opponent.

"Jeks I must go attend to this matter. You have improved much my friend. I hope to spar with you again sometime in the near future." His sparring partner nodded in return. "I agree Cormyr-Kun. You are a good warrior. I look forward to our next battle. May the goddess bring you good fortune." With that blessing, Dyne walked briskly towards Master Semstein's direction and looked at the man that he never saw before. "Master, what's this all about?" Dyne asked casually. The man turned his attention towards Alberdyne Cormyr. "You're Patriarch Cormyr?" Dyne nodded, he hated it when people addressed him by his Father's name. He preferred his House of Sora identity or any of his other aliases.

"I am he." Dyne started. "State your business." The aristocrat within him suddenly came out without Dyne realizing it. In an idealists' world, they could all face trial. He remembered Seti saying that to him once, he remembered it again. The saying had become like a credo to the boy as he fought hard to maintain everything that Radasanth stood for. The young hero was preparing himself to face his destiny. "I have a message from you from my former Master. He recently passed. You were specifically requested to assist in this matter." With that, the man pulled out a cylinder containing various documents and handed it to Dyne. Dyne took the cylinder in his hand and opened it at the top. Several documents were inside, including a letter.

"Now is not the time to read that information Sir Cormyr. You must come with me immediately. My Master recently passed and his fiefdom is in chaos. I was told that you'd be the ideal candidate for my Master's will." The man said hastily.

Dyne looked over to Master Semstein, waiting for approval. "Go. You are always welcome at the Academy." The old man said. Then, Dyne turned his attention back towards the Messenger. "I need to gather some supplies and get myself ready for a trip. Is that all right?" The Messenger nodded. "I shall accompany you the entire time, but we must hurry. If we do not act soon, my Master's fiefdom will became a haven for terrorists and anarchists."

It was a cry for help that Dyne could not ignore.

[streak101]

Banda stepped off the ferry, the letter still in his hands, "Hey Bert!" He called the ferryman over. Bert was getting on his years, he was in his mid-thrities when he found Banda unconscious all those years ago. Now the ferryman was in his early fifties, but his sense of direction never faltered. Banda showed him the letter, "Do you know where this place is?"

The ferryman beamed at him, and pointed towards Radasanth, "It's a little off the path to Radasanth, you'll be able to find it I'm sure, always had a knack for spotting things others couldn't, you did." Banda gave the ferryman a pat on the back, thanked him, and trodded off towards the place.

With the pretty long road ahead of him, Banda's thought to himself along the way, imagining why the House needed his help this time. He also sighed when he realized that he could have reached the dojo faster if he had Streak with him, but sadly the stables were nowhere near here, he made a mental note to visit them and take Streak with him when he left.

He reached for his boomerang and his hand brushed over the House of Sora heirloom. He reached for that instead, and began examining it. They told him that he could enchant the twenty-five foot chain in any way he wanted, he thought of all the possibilities. Maybe a paralyzing effect, or something... This seemed to keep him entertained for quite awhile.

As he reattached the chain to his boomerang sling, he realized that he was awfully close to his destination and picked up his pace. The dojo came into sight, and Radasanth could be seen in the distance. Banda stopped at the large oaken doors, and took a deep breath, Here we go.

He pushed open the doors, and nearly went breathless at the sight of Lodge Bladestorm's home. He looked around in awe, and nearly bumped into a man drssed in black. It was at this moment that he realized that he hadn't properly introduced himself, and could very well be kicked out, "Eh...hope I'm not interrupting anything too important, but I was given this invitation, something about a certain Canabus Myers and was told to come here, I was wondering if anyone can assist me...?"

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

A sound filled the air as Dyne turned to look at a man he never saw before enter the Dojo. Is this perhaps a new applicant to the Academy? Master Semstein and Dyne both spotted the House of Sora necklace dangling from the man's boomerang. It was made of yew. The stranger was dressed oddly but Dyne thought nothing of it. All he cared about was the silver pendant hanging from the man's boomerang.

Dyne reached underneath his training gi and revealed his own House of Sora necklace. As did all of the members of the gathered work-force. Those who could afford the minimal donation to the House of Sora, all wore the silver pendants hanging around their neck. A few of the students hadn't yet joined the House of Sora's work-force, but the influence of the Power Group was steadily spreading around Radasanth. With Radsanth's political situation in constant torment, the House of Sora served as bastion of hope for those who just wanted a peaceful, diplomatic end to the mad war.

Dyne couldn't speak for the rest of the House of Sora, but he had his own mind made up about the cruelties and injustices of the world. Ever since the day that Radsasanth sank, Dyne had even more negative feelings about how far the Corone Empire was willing to go to consolidate power. They needed to do something, and fast. He turned his gaze towards Banda. It was not his place to speak for the Master of the Dojo. Master Semstein addressed Banda with a loud voice that seemed to project across the distance of the Dojo somehow.

"Let him pass. All House of Sora members are welcome here. Come forward lad, the Messengers from the House of Myers are still here."

[streak101]

“My name is Banda ‘Nimbus’ Utako, relative of the House of Sora. I’ve just returned from Scara Brae, House business, “His eye caught the young man in the gi uniform, So that’s how they train huh? “May I speak to the Patriarch of Lodge Bladestorm?” The old man pointed back towards Dyne.

“My student, he is the Patriarch of Lodge Bladestorm, Nimbus, speak to him as you must.” Banda grinned and shook the young man’s hand.

Banda looked down at Dyne’s other hand and saw several maps and papers under his arm, “Guess you already got the invitation huh? ‘Cept yours came with bonus materials,” Banda tilted his head curiously, “Who d’you suppose is Myers’ representative?” The old man pointed towards the man in black, “That is he.”

Banda turned around, the man had a solemn look on his face, as if a great friend had passed away, “It seems a tragedy has befallen,” Banda lowered his head, “Please tell us why you have come here.”

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

"I'm Dyne Corona. My real name is Alberdyne Cormyr. Seti recently named me the Patriach of Lodge Bladestorm. All though I'm not sure how worthy I am of such an honor, I am just a soldier. I follow orders. I still don't know why Seti chose me. But I am certain he has his reasons." He nodded towards Banda. It's an interesting name. Once the two had introduced themselves the Messenger went straight to business.

"Good word got out to members of the House of Sora. You will need many able-bodied soldiers for this mission. My Master, an old friend of one of your Elders, Akhanatin Ra, has recently passed. The trouble came with his will. No successor was named to his large estate and considerable fortune. He has named the House of Sora as one of the potential beneficiaries of his estate and fortune. I am a Messenger working for Baxter Crane. The person currently in charged of his estate. Other groups and factions are currently competing for control of the Master's property. I am here to warn you that you are going to face a great many challenges ahead. I heard that you are a marked man Alberdyne Cormyr. The Syndicate is after you is it not?"

Dyne nodded. "That is correct, but the House of Sora looks out for its own. So I need not fear the Syndicate." He said proudly looking at his House of Sora brother. I am a patriarch, not a leader. He remembered Seti saying once. But the position of authority meant that they were de facto leaders of the group. They needed to accept such responsibilities. "The Syndicate has a heavy presence in the commonwealth. They are popular with the people now that the fiefdom has become lawless. There aren't enough Corone Rangers around to defend every fiefdom around. So we are left with a poorly funded defense militia. You know the Civil War has greatly weakened Corone. We are expecting an enemy attack at any moment."

"Or one could have already happened and nobody would know." Dyne added calmly, rubbing his chin. "That is correct. Only those with influence in Corone's Empire know what is going on. But I digress. My Master has willed that the House of Sora journey immediately to his estate. Will you comply?"

Dyne looked from Banda and over to Master Semstein's position. The old man nodded calmly giving the youth permission to interrupt his studies for the important mission. Returning his gaze back to Banda, the youth thought carefully about his response. He closed his eyes and thought about what his Father might do in such a situation. Father, give me strength to make the correct decisions. I only want to do what's right. He envisioned his Father lecturing him on the principles of the Aristocracy and watching him train in physical combat. The warrior knew a decisive decision was needed for this to occur. "I will comply. When do we need to leave?" And the mission was officially under way to Master Myers' Estate.

"Immediately." The Messenger said. "The Syndicate is already on our commonwealth wreaking havoc."

[streak101]

Just as soon as Banda had come, he had left- with a few other people. It didn't take very long for Dyne to pack, and then they were off. The dojo was now behind them as they made their way towards Underwood, "The fiefdom can be found near there." The messenger explained. Banda nodded his head in understanding, but raised an eyebrow at the men in black surrounding the messenger in a circle as they walked. Tight security...

Dyne walked alongside of Banda, the mercenary thought it a good idea not to disturb the Patriarch. Being the leader of Lodge Bladestorm must have meant planning ahead, strategy-wise, and taking into account so many things, the lives of your men, their moral, the time, the place, what to expect, especially if you were running the military portion of the House of Sora. Alberdyne was probably thinking of even the smallest details as they walked, it was something Banda thought he could do- until he participated in the Gisela. He lost embarrasingly, it was then that he realized that he had no idea what he was doing, his strategy fit him and perhaps a few others, but he had no idea what to do with an entire army.

He sighed, reaching into his back pocket he flipped open the pages of the only book in his possesion, the book that would reveal its secret swordsmanship techniques when the holder was ready. But of course like always, the pages remained blank except for the first few that went over basic swordplay. He closed the book disappointingly, mumbling about Demetri's bad taste in books.

Banda looked again towards Dyne, If I don't ask him anything, I might be clueless until we get there, but if I do start a conversation, I might interrupt his thinking...Ah screw it, I'll talk to him anyways, "Sorry to break the silence here," He said jokingly, "but what do you expect is going to be at the fiefdom when we get there?"

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

It all happened very quickly. Dyne gathered his supplies and got dressed in one of the locker room areas and met back up with the rest of the team. He hugged Master Semstein with a warm embrace and said farewell to his instructor. He hated to have to part with his teachings, but Dyne knew that House of Sora endeavors came first. It was time for them to acquire a fiefdom. With the documentation in hand, Dyne went back to go meet with the Messenger after he was appropriately dressed in fine Vlince garments. He sheathed his plynt longsword at his side and prepared himself with his liviol hammer. All of his supplies were ready to go. He said goodbye to a few of his fellow students and finally met back up with Banda and the others.

Dyne looked at the Messenger strangely realizing that they'd never been introduced. "I'm Dyne Corona." He told the Messenger before any of Banda's words were ever spoken. "I know your name young Master. They simply call me Red. I'm not allowed to reveal my true identity for various reasons." The man stated simply. Dyne didn't like all of the mystery and cloak and dagger stuff, but he accepted as it was, for now. Dyne's mind was on the situation at hand as he considered whatever possibilities he could. He even considered a run-in with The Syndicate. The Messenger said already that the Syndicate was running amok. That prospect was no good for Dyne, it would prove to be an increasingly dangerous challenge. Suddenly, Banda spoke to him and the youth smiled at Banda. "Sorry about that. What do I expect to find there? Well between you and I, I expect to find a lot of trouble. A fiefdom without a Lord is ripe for criminals and bandits. There will be those attempting to usurp power and take advantage of the situation. We have to prevent the fiefdom from falling into the hands of the enemy. Especially the Syndicate."

Dyne clearly had a lot on his mind. His eyes were calculating and intense filled with a certain passion for life. He liked Banda's line of questions, the fellow youth certainly wasn't a fool. After all I'm a fellow member of the House of Sora just like he is. My position doesn't put me above him. We are equals. He is a brother like any other member of the House of Sora. If I expect him to fight alongside me I need to be able to respect him the same as I want him to respect me. "Sorry we don't have a chance to get to know each other better. This came as a surprise to me as well. Apparently, Myers is a close friend of the House of Sora through political contacts. We have to honor our allegiances." Dyne said calmly. Would Seti approve of that?

[streak101]

Honor our allegiances... Banda nodded, he understood what Dyne said. They didn't speak for awhile after that, so Banda resumed to his usual travelling games of nonsense, "We are almost there sirs." Banda looked up, the man who had introduced himself as Red was pointing ahead of them. Banda pondered why this man wouldn't reveal his true identity.

Perhaps to be free of suspicion if such a situation arouses? Maybe he thinks we're Syndicate members trying to kill him before he makes it back to the fiefdom, or maybe he's got a price on his head. He might even think we're using fake names to try and grab the fiefdom for ourselves...Or he could be Syndicate himself! Banda felt a sinking feeling in his stomach at the thought of that. If they already introduced themselves, then this Red man already knew who they were and knows that Dyne is being tracked by them. Dyne could be in serious danger.

He leaned in closer to Dyne, "Say, who do you think this Red guy is? I mean, we already introduced ourselves, what if this is all a trap set up by the Syndicate or someone else trying to claim the fiefdom for their own?"

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

The trip to Lord Myers' fiefdom was an uneventful walk. It took a good portion of the day for the stalwart group of adventurers to get to the fiefdom but it was well worth the walk. Dyne conversed with Banda, starting to get to know the young warrior very well. Dyne realized quickly that he liked Banda quite a bit and could become friends with him. Dyne was thinking about Red. The potential for Red to be an enemy lurked there like a shadow surrounding everything they were attempting. The fiefdom lay in a state of disarray when they arrived. Buildings were falling apart.

Packs of scavenging birds like crows and ravens clung to the rooftops of buildings where a once proud community existed. Dyne saw trees and vegetation clinging tightly to the various buildings inside the crumbling, fortified walls surrounding the area. Statues tainted with bird manure and the feces of other creatures were seemingly haphazardly placed around the main area of the villa. Windows were boarded up and doors were shut tightly in an unwelcoming atmosphere.

Dyne felt a tension in the air as his growing psionic abilities warned him of imminent threat. But the threat wasn't coming from Red at all, it was coming from the fiefdom itself. With every passing day, Dyne's instincts grew razor sharp enabling him to feel things before they happened. Dyne was getting a strange sensation in his gut but saw no immediate threat. He sought to ignore it for the time being. Considering Banda's words, he walked very near to Red's position as a precaution. It was better to be safe than sorry.

With the fiefdom in the state that it was, Dyne could see why outside help was needed. Everywhere he looked there was deterioration and weathering. A single chapel to an unknown series of local deities was the hallmark of the villa. There was a school, a marketplace, and a basic academy started by the local military which was corrupt in every way to the point of being saturated by its own greed. It was a choked out organization ripe with corrupt officials and corrupt police.

A single large building marked the local Mayor's Office. It was a brownstone building that was slightly taller than the other buildings. At the top of a large hill stood Lord Myer's estate. It was now overrun with undergrowth and in a sorry state of affairs. Overall, Dyne felt that the place was ugly. But he'd seen uglier places. Sighing, Red didn't even bother making any grand introductions to the villa. Instead, he continued to walk in a brisk pace so as not to draw any unwanted attention. But it was already too late. Lecherous eyes were upon them from the moment that the trio entered the village. About five minutes after they arrived, Red stopped moving.

"Give me a moment I want to check something out. Be on guard, something is even more messed than normal." Red said and left without giving them any room for discussion.

Dyne looked over to Banda. "I don't know this feels all wrong. Maybe you were right..."

[streak101]

Banda nodded in agreement, he drew his claymore, the rather new blade gleamed as he twirled it around in his hand. This place looked nothing like special. The town itself seemed as though it died a long time ago, the image of a ghost town made itself apparent in Banda's mind, I think the reality is a lot worse than what I'm imagining.

His eyes paced back and forth in his head, examining every corner of his surroundings. Banda's ears pricked up when he heard the faint sound of a twig breaking underneath something's feet. He looked towards a pair of shrubs, and dived into them. He sighed, "Yep, we're in danger alright...Bunnies are attacking," He picked up the furry little creature, its feet kicked outward trying to run away, "I think we're safe here..."

Banda relaxed his grip on his sword as he let the bunny skitter back into the bushes, "Besides, you wouldn't think Red would leave the only two warriors around to help alone would you? Neither would he leave his targets by themselves!" Banda beamed, he laughed loudly.

An arrow zinged at Banda, the mercenary managed to swing his claymore in the way but he couldn't grip it. The arrow knocked the claymore from his hands and Banda gritted his teeth. A villainous roar came from behind him as he drew his boomerang, "Friends of yours?" He asked Dyne sarcastically. Banda parried the man's axe with his boomerang, the wood splintering under the sheer force.

He jumped back away from the large man. Slowly another large man stepped into the clearing, and two lanky men jumped from what seemed like the trees, putting away bows and drawing small daggers. Banda grinned at the crowd of enemies, "You take the skinny ones, I'll take muscles for brains!" Just like the guys in the bar! Banda rolled under the large man's legs and picked up sword, "Which one of you wants to go first?"

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Seeing the arrow out the corner of his eye, the thing scraped across his cheekbone and created a small incision of the flesh. Fresh blood streaked down his face. The apprentice blacksmith looked down at the cut and placed a hand on his face wiping blood away from himself. He immediately became angry at what had just happened. Thanks to his recent mission with Seti Dylan, the man was more experienced and relaxed at times like these.

Red had abandoned them to their fates, he would see to it that he made Red pay in kind for this betrayal. I'll make sure that we get him later. Make sure that he faces trial for his crimes. I'm certain now that Red has some sort of involvement with the dirty dealings in this town. Thinking about the situation, Dyne drew his Plynt longsword and prepared for combat. Moving into his combat stance, the swordsman relaxed. He allowed his sense of combat tension to fill his gut so that he was more open to the experience. You must be like water. Fluid and without form.

Dyne stole a glance towards Banda. He saw that his companion went to take care of the bigger fellows. Turning his attention to the more leaner of the two other other fellows, Dyne wore a calm expression on his face. The two men slowly covered the ground between themselves and the readied swordsman. "Look, he's only just a kid! They are both just bunch of snot nosed punks. Let's kill them and rob the loot!"

"You're certainly welcome to try you cretin! Come and get your gold!" Dyne called out without realizing that he was taunting the villains in return.

Dyne recognized the uniforms that the Agents were. "Syndicate Agents!" He suddenly called out to his friend Banda. "Don't underestimate them!" He returned his gaze back towards the two Agents and prepared to attack them in kind. Moving forward, the swordsman prepared his tactics and strategy against the two warriors. They both had blades made of Dehlar. Dyne couldn't forge weapons and equipment made of Plynt or Dehlar. Moving against the two warriors, the apprentice realized that he was going to take their weapons as a trophy.

Immediately, the sounds of swords clashing filled the area. The air carried the noise of battle. Dyne reacted to the two warriors with skill and kept up with their level of talents. He was allowing himself to just react to their attacks. Trusting his instincts, Dyne allowed the sword dance to commence.

[streak101]

It was clear that both warriors of the House were ready to take whomever that stood in their way. The large men answered Banda's question by charging forth. Banda marked them out, one man was balding and the other had lots of facial hair. The bald one came at him first, swinging his axe around like a baton. Banda parried the attack with his claymore, and jumped away from him. He smirked, "They won't budge an inch no matter how hard I push." The bearded man came next, his broadsword nearly chopping Banda's head off, "Hmph, cheeky bastard." Banda jumped away again.

The men came after him, attacking one after the other. The next attack came suprisingly quick and the attack buffeted Banda backwards. The mercenary dodged the broadsword and jumped onto the bald one's back, "I'm going to kill you now." He breathed into his ear as his claymore sank into the man's back. He gasped as the man shook Banda and the claymore off. He picked up his sword, and jumped back as the broadsword came swinging at him again. Banda grinned at the bald one, "Nice trick, let me show you mine, if you can catch me that is."

Banda disappeared in front of the two men's eyes. Banda spluttered blood out of his mouth and swore when he realized he had done his meditation to quickly. Either way he was still in the slow paced world that appeared before him when his Sly Striker technique came into play. He had wasted enough time trying to stop coughing up blood and only had enough to attack once. "It's all I need to take him down." Banda rushed up the bald man's back and swung his sword down vertically. The resulting attack lopped off his opponent's head.

He was thrown back into the action. The bearded man screamed as he could have sworn his comrade's head exploded. He then saw Banda rushing up to him, and knocked the mercenary to one side. The claymore flew from Banda's hands, it landed near Dyne and the other two men. The large man stomped towards him, Banda looked around for a weapon. His boomerang was damaged, and there was no time to run for his sword. Banda's only hope was to dodge. He rolled to the side as the broadsword came swooping down. It was still no good, he was defenseless unless he risked his boomerang to break.

He backed up against a tree and heard the rattling of metal, he had completely forgot about the twenty-five foot chain. He pulled it off his boomerang sling and jumped over the low swing of his opponent, "There's a first time for everything!" Banda swung the chain over his head like a lasso, and threw it low to the man's legs. The broadsword came rushing to Banda's right, he prayed to whoever was looking at him at the moment and pulled the chain back.

The large man tripped over and his attack became interrupted, the broadsword falling to the ground next to Banda. The mercenary began to shake with excitement, and laughed like a schoolboy. The bearded man looked at the grin on his face. Banda stared at him with his eyes ablaze, "I think I found myself a new toy!"

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Jumping over a sword swipe was the easy part. Dyne hung in the air for a brief moment as he looked upon his opponents. He'd countered every move so far with a great amount of skill. The warrior was prepared. He fought like a man who wanted to disable his opponents, but not kill them. The war in Corone had already claimed far too many lives. Even the lives of Syndicate Agents were still lives worth saving none the less. They could be put to work for the House of Sora. Dyne smelled the particular scent of blood in the air and assumed that Banda already took care of one of his opponents.

As his opponent moved against him, Dyne sent his body weight crashing down upon the man's sword. His maneuver connected better than expected and he landed on the flat side of the blade. Pushing downward, Dyne sent the sword crashing to the ground. Swinging at the same time that he swung his weapon around, Dyne aimed for the side of his opponent's skull with the flat side of his blade. A moment later, he heard a grunting sound as opponent had some teeth knocked out of his mouth. The man suffered a minor concussion and fell to the ground, disarmed. Dyne landed upon the ground with just enough time to meet the other guy.

The man was already swinging quickly as Dyne moved to counter the other warrior's attack. The movement lasted a moment of time for the swordsman, but it was a long moment none the less. Across the eternity the warrior reacted with split second timing. Time seemed to slow down for the man. The Agent's short sword met up against the Corone Ranger's longsword with the sound of a clashing noise. Dyne heard a whimpering behind him which was coming from the previous man he'd just attacked. Trusting his instincts, the swordsman continued to fight. He used his great knowledge of swordplay to react against the second man. Countering blow for blow, he suddenly sensed that the man behind him was getting ready to counter with a hidden dagger.

Kicking up his feet nearby to the man's sword, Dyne kicked the blade up into midair. Suddenly swinging with his own sword so that it struck the flat bladed part of the weapon, he knocked it so that it turned over to the pointed tip part of the weapon. Knocking the sword once more with all his might, he sent a downward moving projectile of a sword back towards its owner. The man had little chance to react since he'd already committed himself to a sneak attack attempt. Keeping his other enemy at bay with his free hand, the swordsman watched as the flying sword struck his opponent dead in the shoulder. Perfect aim. Trusting his instincts, Dyne parried another incoming attack and reacted fluidly to yet another attack. There was a scream as the first man was struck with the flying sword. He grabbed at the weapon and moved backwards in shock. Staring at Dyne, he wondered how the man was able to keep up with two well trained Agents of the Syndicate! Its my Monk's training. Dyne thought as he kept the other man busy. It was time to end this pointless skirmish...

[streak101]

Although his opponent was unarmed, he had the arms of a gorilla. Banda made the mistake of allowing the man to attack him without a weapon. The man's gigantic arms acted like the arms of a trebuchet throwing a mighty boulder into Banda's face, literately. Banda had not noticed the large rock in his enemy's hand until it connected with his left cheek.

Banda was thrown three feet across the air and skidded several feet across the dirt. He stopped directly under Dyne and his opponent; the skinny man looked down and Banda, "How you doing?" Banda chimed sarcastically, and slid back towards his opponent. When he stood up he realized he was quite unbalanced. The man came after him again, this time with his broadsword in his hands. Banda shook his head, "Nice shot! Let me return the favor!"

He swung the chain vertically with his left hand. As the man got close enough for an attack, he swung the broadsword down at Banda. The mercenary shook his head in disagreement, "I'm sorry, but that was not the right choice." He threw the chain upwards under the broadsword. The chain wrapped itself around it and Banda yanked the blade as hard as he could to the left. The chain slipped, but managed to knock the broadsword slowly out of the man's hand. Banda wasted no time, he yanked the chain again to unwrap it, and threw it to the right.

The chain quickly wrapped itself around the man's shoulders. Banda tsked, he was aiming for the neck. Either way, he ran around the large man until the chain had reached his neck. Banda pulled on the chain again, and this time his opponent fell on his back, unable to get back up. He squirmed for awhile, and then gave up. Hmm, maybe I could enchant this with a strength sapper. He tugged on the chain to make sure his catch wouldn't get loose and looked towards Dyne and his battle.

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Its time to end this. Dyne thought as the sword fighting continued. Each blow was met with an effective counter or evasion technique. Moving upon the warrior, he decided to fall back on his Aikido training. Keeping himself relaxed and nimble footed, the two warriors danced with another. Dyne noticed that his fencing skills were no match for the Agent's training. Continuing the dance, the swordsman decided to take a more aggressive position.

Slashing forward with a quick fencer's lunge, Dyne flicked the tip of the sword several times in an attempt to confuse his opponent. Dyne's foe reacted quickly by attempting to meet his blade up with a counter from underneath.

This was just the reaction that Dyne was looking for. Carefully reacting towards the movement, Dyne used his might to attack downwards and lock his opponent's sword in movement. After a split second passed, Dyne flicked his wrist forward. His sword attack sailed quickly through the wind and Dyne was hoping for a connection.

A moment later he heard a satisfying scream. Dyne's sword pierced the man's pectoral muscle. Moving forward with the motion, Dyne made sure that his well made weapon plunged deep into the man's body. Dyne moved forward to the handle and then waited a moment. When he saw that the man dropped his sword to the ground, Dyne suddenly removed his weapon from the man's body further injuring him. The man coughed up blood from the injuries he received. The injuries were non-lethal but critical. Sending a roundhouse kick to the side of the man's skull, Dyne effectively knocked the man out. The two warriors were out of commission.

"There that's over with." Dyne said and sheathed his weapon. He turned to look on Banda. "All clear here. Let's go."

[streak101]

Banda rolled the large man out of the chains, "Your going to stay put with your friend here until we send someone to come get you. If you run away or try and kill us while we're not looking, I swear I will bring down the wrath of poseidon so hard on your ass you'll have to crap out of a different place. If I so much as even see you around here again I'll kill you on sight, understand?" The man spun out of the chain and sat down next to his comrade, defeated and frightened by the insane look in Banda's eyes.

The mercenary took a deep breath and picked up his boomerang from the bloodied ground, it had splintered half-way through the midpoint, if he used it in this condition the chances were that it'd break. He put the boomerang back in its sling, coiled up the chain and re-attached it to his boomerang's sling, and picked up his claymore. Banda cleaned the blood off the blade and put it back in it's sheath. He nodded at Dyne and followed the monk.

He had no idea why he expressed such a crazed look when he spoke to his opponent. Perhaps it was the surprise attack at them, or the fact that Red might have betrayed them. He was also ticked off because his boomerang had been rendered useless by one of the attackers. These Syndicate guys are on my 'fight on sight' list now. He continued following Dyne until he realized he had no idea where they were going now. Banda caught up with his comrade to the point that they were walking side-by-side, "Where are we going?"

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Seeing that the Syndicate agents turned tail and left, Dyne looked over to Banda with a satisfied expression on his face. Frowning slightly, his green eyes captured the current mood he was in. A hint of frustration lurked in those haunting eyes. Trying to remain calm was a difficult endeavor under such a stressful situation. Dyne heard his friend's question.

"We get to the estate and try to get a handle on things. This town is obviously completely out of control. We have to bring back law and order here. There's a new police captain in town."

Dyne smiled at the thought of that. He was a Corone Ranger after all. Flapping in the breeze, his bandanna's tail and long hair created the eerie effect of having extra limbs. Whatever corruption existed in the fiefdom, they would have to take care of it.

Looking in the general direction of Myers' estate, Dyne still saw no sign of Red. Possible involvement with the Syndicate crossed his mind as he thought about the situation with Red. It was possible that Red sold them out to the Syndicate. However, his gut instinct was telling him different. Red is an ally. I have to trust him that he's doing the right thing. Benasik would want me to show trust in others. I have to make the leadership decisions here, I can't make the House of Sora look weak.

"We go."

Dyne said casually. He started to walk towards the estate which was a a mile or two away from their current position. Dyne realized that they could easily get attacked again during their stay here, but the apprentice was prepared for anything. He had a skilled warrior by his side.

"Banda I can fix your boomerang later." Dyne said as he walked.

[streak101]

Banda shook his head in disbelief, "You can?!" His spirits rose very quickly, if Dyne knew how to fix his boomerang then this man would surely become a very good friend of Banda's. He pulled carefully pulled the boomerang out of its sling and examined the broken weapon. The blade had cut through the wood like a butter knife against butter, the only thing holding the boomerang together were several twigs of wood. Banda sighed, his boomerang is completely useless now, should he throw it the boomerang will break and injure his hand in the process, "Well it would be great if you could fix it before we get into some serious trouble later."

"Onward then Patriarch Bladestorm! Haha!" Banda laughed, oddly enough the title rolled off his tongue when he said it. He carefully slipped back into the sling. He swore when one of the small splinters holding it together snapped. They traveled towards the Estate from the small clearing, leaving the bodies and the damages to the land behind them. Maybe I should ask Valanthe to help heal the trees and plants around here when this is done. Banda recalled that the druid and her wolf were able to help a forest heal after being nearly killed by people called bleaters, destroyers of nature. His most recent adventure repeated itself in his mind which gave him something to do as they walked.

They were about halfway to the Estate when Banda began to wonder about the man that led them here, Red. He couldn't figure out whether Red had left them there on purpose, or if he hadn't expected a Syndicate attack. Of course he did say something was more awkward than usual, but was it really mere coincidence that they had been attacked right after Red walked off? Then Banda remembered what Dyne told him earlier, to honor our allegiances. Well, if Dyne says we should then I do not have to worry about Red. The messenger will see the bodies and head in the direction of the Estate, like any person with common sense would.

They stopped at a building covered in moss and vine on the side to rest. Banda gripped the mossy wall and pulled on it, the plants had been growing for awhile, perhaps this building had been in bad shape before the fiefdom hit rock bottom. "I'm going up, see if I can spot anything unusual." Banda said casually. He gripped the moss and slowly climbed the building. He pushed himself over the edge of the roof and laid flat on his back on top of the building to catch his breath. He stared down, the building wasn't the tallest but it was enough to see the path towards the Myers' Residence which could be picked out from all of the crumbled buildings around it.

Most of the way was clear, except for a few men and women patrolling the area, Banda couldn't tell whether they were friend or foe from his point of view. He gasped slightly when he saw six fighters skirmishing several yards away from them. They could easily get over there in time and possibly save some allies. He hung from the edge and climbed down as fast as he could to get to Dyne. He landed with a thud on the ground. "There's a fight between two groups not too far away from where we are. If we hurry we can become a great advantage to either side. What are your orders?" He asked Dyne.

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Glaring overhead Dyne saw the sun shining angrily down upon them. Clouds threatened to cover the shiny disc in the sky and shafts of light pured down upon the land like lances. Everywhere, vegetation grew dominant as weeds, vines, and other aggressive plants threatened to overwhelm the rest of the plan population in the area. Dyne observed his surroundings carefully as his companion went up and over the wall to get a better feel of the area around them. Dyne turned his attention back to the area they just left, and much to his surprise, no bodies were present. Either they'd left or something had ransacked the Syndicate agents.

Was it Red or something worse? Dyne ignored Banda's comments about the boomerang for the time being. The apprentice knew that he needed a suitable workshop in order to fix the boomerang up, and perhaps there was one available in town. But first, they had to clear the Syndicate agents out of the town and any others attempting to take advantage of the situation at hand. Lord Myers needed allies. Even past the grave Dyne was able to understand that the noble guided their hand. Looking around him, Dyne heard a voice from above, it was Banda. A new situation presented itself.

Dyne weighed the carefully. On the one hand they would be able to prevent any needless deaths. On the other hand, it was a battle that wasn't theirs to begin with. What would Seti do? Dyne wondered. He'd seen his friend make some serious leadership decisions in times of great need, and even be exceedingly cruel. Dyne looked up at his companion and began to climb the wall. A few moments later, he sat atop the wall next to his friend. He felt his haunches tighten as he observed the situation. Just as he thought. Men in suits were fighting men from the villa over whatever dispute what at hand.

The men in suits were Syndicate agents. Dyne's eyes narrowed as he observed the battle. It seemed like it was an even fight, but the Syndciate agents had the upper hand with their experience and weaponry. Dyne saw more men in suits approaching the battle, and more people from the villa getting involved. Dyne knew that there were people they needed to meet, the locals could handle their own problems for the time being. This was a military decision, and Dyne needed to be a strong leader of the military. He looked towards Banda. The choice was painful to the philosopher, but they had a greater need at hand.

"Banda we can't involve ourselves in this. There is a chance that we could fail and be captured. Then we're no good to anybody in the hands of the Syndicate. We use the fight as a distraction to sneak on the property and find our ways into the house." Dyne said in a matter of fact way. He began to climb down the wall on the inside part closest to the property of the estate. Once his feet touched the ground beneath him, he waited for Banda to climb down as well. "Come on Banda, this window is too important to pass up. I'll fix your boomerang later." He added to be sure that his ally was aware that he hadn't ignored earlier comments. "Let's go."

[streak101]

Although he didn't agree with it, Banda nodded reluctantly. "Your the boss." He sighed as he pushed the skirmish out of his mind. "Who knows? Maybe both groups are our enemies." He noted casually, but Banda knew Dyne probably thought of that already. "Okay then, off to our target then." He scratched the back of his head, "We'll have a lot of cover going around the buildings on our way there." He pointed a finger towards their destination, the least grubby looking place around here. Regardless of whether Dyne had agreed or not, Banda made it a point to carry out his idea, he had to make it apparent that he could be a leader as well.

He descended down from the building and headed away from the fight and through the compact homes and buildings. Returning to his thoughts, Banda grabbed his boomerang again. He sighed, he was severely at a disadvantage now. If him and Dyne were attacked by archers the mercenary would have no weapon to fight back with. Banda would be helpless in that situation. Dyne said he could fix it later. He probably needs some sort of materials. He looked at a tree. I could always make another one, but where am I going to find stronger wood? He put away his boomerang.

His ears twitched, the sound of battle could be heard around them. "This isn't just a few people," He said with regret. "Looks like everyone has been battling it out." He could hear men and women screaming, and a very disturbing flashback reappeared in his mind. His mother, being sliced open, his father with the look of twisted pleasure. He pushed those thoughts out of his mind, now was not the time to have a nervous breakdown. Chills went up his spine when he could distinctly hear someones last words. "Let's hurry up before more people have to die." Banda said. He quickened his pace.

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Moving quickly across the estate grounds; Dyne could see new phantoms emerging as the count of the dead rose. The youth shook his head. He hated having to ignore the dead and dying; but they would be useless to their situation if they got caught. Knowing that Banda would follow; the apprentice took point in their team. He went in the general direction that Banda prescribed taking a glance at the huge dilapidated structure that served as the central building on the estate. Dyne noticed several smaller buildings that were quickly coming closer.

Using the cover of darkness; Dyne crouched low against the wall that surrounded the huge property. Dyne was envious of the estate's size and property value. It seemed like it was once a beautiful series of architectural studies. Motifs of Coronian design were visible on the edifice of the main building. Gargoyles predating the Demon War and designed by the finest architects in Corone. The busts were showing the signs of their age and falling apart due to erosion and weather. Dyne felt pity as he observed the chipped walls, broken windows, hanging shillings and other worn objects at and about the building. A fountain was in the center of the property that had a layer of soot, dirt, moss, and other flora growing upon it. Dyne shook his head as he moved. He could see why the Syndicate wanted the property so bad; there were probably many ancient secrets waiting for them in the bowels of the property.

The tail ends of his bandanna flapped in the wind; as did his long, flowing red hair. Dyne moved quickly towards the nearest entrance of the large building which strangely reminded him of the castle he grew up in. Dyne thought about his family property and wondered what kind of state it would be in now that he was no longer the master of his household? Now that the Duke was fallen? Dyne thought of his fallen Father and remembered that his Mother had killed his Father; and the Butler...Reeves. Dyne allowed his angry, negative emotions to build up like a volcano within his heart.

Dyne stole a glance to his companion; Banda. The other seemed equally upset that they had to make sacrifices in order to complete this job. We are as ghosts in this. Dyne eyed a utility door located on a portion of the East Wing that seemed likely to suit their purposes. Dyne pointed to that door so that his friend could see it. Drawing his weapons; the youth prepared himself for imminent combat. He handed one of his melee batons towards Banda so that the other could have a weapon to fight with. Dyne could always make another one for himself once he got back home.

He moved quickly towards the door ahead of him...

[streak101]

Banda gripped the baton in his right hand awkwardly. Dunno what I'd do with this...suppose I stick it up their ass? He drew his claymore with his left hand, it felt all too familiar. He stared down at his boomerang, it was now completely split into two pieces. He looked up at Dyne at and nodded showing that he was ready for a battle.

As Dyne moved towards the door, Banda stopped him. "I'll go in first and make sure everything is clear." He looked at Dynes figure, "Besides, I make less noise." He laughed and carefully opened the door. There was no sound, just silence, Banda rolled a pebble into the room ahead. There were no sounds of shifting feet or men checking to see what it was that broke the silence. Once again Banda nodded to Dyne and stepped in.

The inside of the room was similar to the outside of the property, unkempt. Blankets were hung over several pieces of furniture and dust filled the air. There was a staircase that led up onto an elevation of floor which most likely led into the main hall. Banda held in a cough as he looked around. He signaled to Dyne that the room was clear. He sat down on one of the blanketed chairs, "Well, we're here. What's your plan, patriarch?" Banda grinned, he wanted to see Dyne's strategy that earned him the title.

"My my, guess the Syndicate couldn't stop you eh?" Banda immediately rose from his seat. "I'm up here." Banda turned to the balcony of the elevated floor. Who else would be there but Red, there so called ally. Banda threw the baton at Red who returned it back to him easily, striking Banda in the stomach. The mercenary recovered from the blow and prepared to throw the baton again. "Hold!" Red said, "I am not a threat to you, at least for now. I only wish to speak to you."

Banda spit on the ground, "Your choice Dyne, do we sack the lier or do we give him a change to redeem himself?"

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Entering the room; Dyne drew his plynt sword keeping the tip pointed at the ground. He wanted to be prepared for any circumstance that might befall them at any moment. Dyne observed Banda's caution and had to admire the rogue for that. Following when the signal was given; the warrior stepped inside the building. Looking around; he saw that the air inside the edifice was perfectly still. The only traveling breeze seemed to be from the door that they just opened. Dyne moved to close the door carefully making sure he locked it. He didn't want anybody trying to come in from behind and sneak attack.

Seeing a piece of furniture; the Patriarch moved it so that it was aligned with the door forming an effective blocking mechanism. There wasn't much else that Dyne could do to barricade the door. Turning around; he stopped just in time to hear the altercation between Red and Banda. Clutching his sword tightly; the smith rotated his weapon once then sheathed it. Dyne kept his melee baton held tightly in his hand though; just in case Red attempted something in their moment of weakness. Dyne was a marked man and he had to be cautious. Turning his attention to the confrontation; Dyne blinked at the hostility that Banda was displaying. It was unlike him. Thinking a moment on that; Dyne knew he just learned quite a bit about his friend. He saw Red atop the staircase and made a move to walk over towards the position at the bottom of the staircase. He took the point of the team once again.

"So what will you decide, Patriarch?" Red said with a note of venom in his voice. "Are you a friend or a foe?"

"That would be up to you. My friend here has brought up a valid point. Do we sack you, turn you into the Corone Rangers or listen to what you have to say? So far, things aren't looking too good against you Red. You left us to dry against the Syndicate. Mind you; you probably already know I'm a marked man."

"I had to be certain."

"Of what?" Dyne asked.

"That you were sincerely House of Sora members and sent here by Seti Dylan himself. There are a lot of pretenders out there nowadays. But you had the official House of Sora insignia on your person. I saw you in action; you never know the value in someone's heart until you see them fight."

"So you were merely fucking with us?" Dyne said; a slight hint of anger in his voice. "What is the meaning behind all this then? Are we really at war with the Syndicate?"

"You ask the right questions. But there is only so much I can explain. Come with me."

Dyne didn't like the answer that Red gave them. "No. I think I'll stay right here until you give me some answers. Why are we here?"

Red audibly sighed. He was clearly frustrated by the insolence of the young leader. "Give them a bit of a tug and they will pull the rug right from underneath you. Listen up, Patriarch. You were summoned here by my late Master to help provide security. The entire estate has become lawless. Its gotten to the point where the Syndicate has involved itself. We need to regain control of the estate from a third party police force. This is where you two come in."

"So you want us to defeat the Syndicate?"

"You don't understand fully. We need you to take over our local police structure and help rally control of the criminal element in our town. You can use this building as a base of operation but there are battles happening all over the grounds. I left you alone to see if you could handle the level of threat we currently face. You proved yourself worthy. Now come. There is much we need to discuss."

Red prepared himself to go further into the building. Dyne suddenly understood the level of depth they were in this time. He turned towards Banda.

"This is a serious matter. Are you sure you want to be in this deep in the shit?"

[streak101]

"You kidding?" Banda said raising an eyebrow at his companion, "I'm made of adrenaline, show me the enemy and I'll show you their blood on my blade." The words were unfamiliar to Banda's personality. Whenever he got like this it meant that his adrenaline had kicked in, which also means that he can be angered easily. His eyes portrayed his current state clearly, where the gentle, energetic young expression had been seen there was now a look of cunning and skill. He grinned, and looked to Red.

"You, I'll forgive you if you hurry up and get us up to speed so we can start the fighting." Red returned Banda's grin, they almost seemed like brothers. "I like you kid, or at least this side of you. Still, rushing in would be a dumb thing to do in this case. Come on, I'll lead the way." Banda grunted. Fucker. They followed Red into the main area. Banda's ear twitched in the direction of the sounds of battle and he regretfully ignored them. "Come on and hurry up damnit! " He said irritated

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Red was a man with a certain air of danger about his person. The apprentice kept his eyes locked upon their guide even as he explained the situation. Dyne didn't like it one bit. Third party police force? Is this the type of missions that the House of Sora would be doing? Dyne wondered carefully about how to proceed. Will Seti approve of my course of actions? I wonder? Dyne knew that being the Patriarch of Lodge Bladestorm meant that the youth would have to make painful leadership decisions. Some would be diplomatic; others would be military in nature. The youth knew that he would face many hardships. The important thing was to keep the House of Sora together as a functioning organization when Seti was nowhere to be found.

Dyne looked at his friend Banda. The other youth was more open and honest about his emotions than Dyne could afford for himself. Dyne needed to be a leader for this excursion. He was glad that his friend could back him up in case he made the unfortunate mistake from time to time. Dyne kept his hand on the handle of the melee batons just in case he was walking the duo into a trap. The apprentice would be prepare for any such eventuality. And then; Red lead them to a room. Red was a man of tall stature; a thick black mustache, dark brown eyes and matching hair. He had thinned eyebrows; a pronounced forehead, and his hair was tightly cropped with a wavy structure to it. He wore a red cap on his head and matching red attire; hence the name, Red.

Dyne wondered if Red was his real name. He noticed the slightly darker skin tone of the man which suggested he was someone who liked to be outside a lot. The man had a slender physique but seemed to have broad shoulders and chest; suggesting someone who was physically athletic. Red lead them to an amphitheater chamber and opened the double-doors. "The rest of your team is in here. I am sorry for all of the precautions but I had to be certain you were really from the House of Sora and not imposters." Red said. Dyne shook his head. "You could've just asked to see our necklaces next time."

Red scowled at the comment from the youth; staring at him with a cold expression on his face. Opening the double doors; Dyne was able to identify the classic Coronian architecture. Arches were sweeping in nature and built extremely high into the room creating rafters. Dyne studied the architecture for a moment noticing their worn nature. Several large chandeliers hung overhead to provide lighting from glow balls. The room was well lit; was very large and contained many rows of chairs. The chairs were made of steel and kept very simple in stature. There was a stage in the front of the room set up with a makeshift command center.

Five individuals were arguing on the stage over some documents and some other stuff on the table that Dyne couldn't identify from his distance. He turned his attention towards Banda. Red entered the room and took the front point of their party. He walked with an air of arrogance. Dyne immediately realized he didn't like the man at all. After all; he'd just forced them to go through flaming hoops. Dyne kept looking at Banda with a look of worry in his eyes. The men on the stage were not wearing the classic suits that the Syndicate agents liked to wear. That at least meant that these men weren't Syndicate Agents. One of them turned towards the arrival of Red and his company.

Suddenly; the man looked at Dyne with a look of recognition on his face.

"Hey! That's the guy! There's a bounty on his head posted by the Syndicate!"

[streak101]

Banda shot a glance at the one who spoke, he stepped in front of Dyne with his claymore's flat side pointing diagonally in front of him. "What of it?" He said calmly. Dyne's bounty was indeed surprising to Banda, his partner seemed to have quite a background on him already. The mercenary continued to look straight on at the man who acknowledged their presence in the theater. "You want the reward?" Banda asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah...no, as a matter of fact, having him on our side is a good thing!" The man replied.

"How so? It would only strengthen the Syndicate's resolve to destroy us!" One of the other men said.

This caused another discussion to begin, which Banda quickly ignored. He looked at Red, "Not a very organized group from the looks of it, are you sure these are the guys you were talking about?" He asked the enigma. Red scratched the back of his head and sighed.

"They don't get along so well, but they're skilled that's for sure. Make no mistake, we are a force to be reckoned with." He said, "Let me introduce you. Hey, shut up for one second!" The five men around the table almost instantly ceased their arguing. Banda guessed Red was a leader figure to them. "These are the representatives from the House of Sora," He placed a hand on Dyne's shoulder, "This is Dyne Corona, patriarch of Lodge Bladestorm, and the one who's ready to knock someone out is Banda Utako, a very reliable member of the House of Sora."

Banda nodded, "Hello there."

Red continued with the introductions, "Banda, Dyne, meet Blue, Green, Yellow, Black and White." Banda gave Red a confused look. He caught on quickly, the men were dressed in the same color as their names, Banda sighed, it was a pointless thing to do. Their aliases kept their true identities hidden but to go so far as to name the entire rainbow was strange indeed. Banda was sure at this point that Red wasn't the man's true name.

"Okay, right," Banda said sighing again, "how about you tell us your real names or we give you new ones?" He turned to Dyne, "This is up your alley, take it away leader."

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Was this some sort of a guild? Dyne was busy studying the architecture of the house. It was an interesting find. The arches were modest and built of liviol wood. They flowed high into the room where the chandeliers were hung at the apex of the ancient archways. Judging by the basic architecture of the room Dyne guessed that the house was at least a century or two old. He would bet that it was around two centuries old. With his mind busy on the appraisal of the house; he heard one of the men utter the threat. Banda's response was instant and solicited an interesting reply from the men.

Dyne Corona immediately decided that he liked the rogues. They were an interesting operation indeed. Opting to name themselves after various colours in the rainbow; Dyne wondered if they would have to do the same. Observing Banda's reaction carefully; Dyne knew that he would be safe from imminent attack should that occur. Instead; Red introduced the members of the group by their code names. The whole time; Dyne found himself with his hand tensed around the hilt of his sword. He relaxed his grip once Red made the introduction. "I'll be Magenta then." Dyne said casually as he looked at Red.

"You catch on fast for someone your age." He replied casually. "We are called the White Fist. We are the resistance in this township. The Corone Empire has all but ignored us. This is the plight of many lesser known villas in Corone. Since the Empire is busy with its witch hunts; everybody else is left to fend for themselves. It's a drastic situation. It leaves local security overburdened and having to deal with experienced groups like the Syndicate. We had to be absolutely certain the House of Sora could live up to its reputation."

"You showed a lot of skill in taking down those Syndicate Agents by yourselves. Without reinforcements. You also left them mostly alive." Blue said casually. He was stroking his beard. The others were watching Dyne closely for their reaction. Blue had a long beard that ended at the bottom of his chest and was slightly unkempt. Blue seemed to be one of the senior officers of this organization. Whatever it was; Dyne was trying to ascertain the nature of the group. "We all used to be security officers here. I was the local Sheriff. Till things got out of control. These are my lieutenants. We are willing to fight alongside you now that you have proven yourselves worthy to us. What's at stake here is the old man's estate. We need leaders, Magenta. Leaders who will take back this place from the criminal elements. Taking back the villa is just one part of our plan. We intend to rebuild this place back into a profitable workforce. For that we will need an experienced Power Group like the House of Sora. We can work together to fund projects once the security situation is cleared up."

Red started to talk after that. "But we can't do that alone. Obviously there are Syndicate Agents everywhere. Some are hiding amongst the populace and not in their usual attire. We have to single out all of the Syndicate Agents and get rid of them before they can cause anymore trouble." By then; Dyne was rubbing his chin carefully. He was deep in thought. As the military leader in the House of Sora; Dyne had to carefully consider the situation at hand. What they were asking versus the prize. Risks versus rewards. He had only one fellow House of Sora member with him; but that fellow's life was worth more gold than these men could afford.

Dyne was at a loss. He had to ask the inevitable question. "What will you be willing to pay us in return for our services? I will have to base my decision based on risk versus reward. I can't afford to place either myself or Band in mortal danger. As representatives of the House of Sora we are valuable senior members to the organization. They can't afford to see us go down either. I will base my decision depending on what you can offer the House of Sora. Not just myself or Banda. You are now asking for the House of Sora to commit valuable resources and time." Dyne looked over at Banda casually when he finished speaking. His words hung in the air for a moment. It was Red who responded.

"I understand that Magenta. We are prepared to offer significant positions of authority and influence for your House of Sora members. We are also prepared to offer the Estate to the House of Sora. The late owner of the Estate was left without heirs to the Syndicate's bastard actions. We've been looking for worthy heirs to the manor. We believe that the House of Sora could rebuild the estate and use it as a personal base." Red took a deep sigh. "We are also prepared to offer you the sum of one thousand gold a head." Dyne's eyes went wide at the thought of what was on the table. More land and property; plus a significant amount of wealth. He turned to look at Banda.

"I already have my mind made up. But what do you say Banda? You also need to pick a color for this Guild."

[streak101]

Banda rolled his eyes, Dyne seemed to have completely ignored him when he made it clear that the code names were next to awful. It sounded worse when his friend joined in on the color coding gave himself a codename. "Won't they already know who you are? I mean, you are on their hit list." Banda said more to himself than out loud. He sat down and listened to the boring conversation that commenced. Of course he wasn't in the mood to talk about negotiations he just wanted to get on with the fighting.

He regretfully calmed down and payed attention to what the men were saying. It really was at that moment when Banda began listening that was most important to him - the rewards. There was the manor, and positions of authority involved but Banda cared nothing for that right now, nor did he care about the money involved. His mind trailed off for a short while when Dyne asked Banda about his decision.

"I've already gone as far as taking another man's life for this fiefdom and its resistance," He said casually, "The Syndicate are a bad influence here, and it's pretty obvious they have evil intentions. I should probably thin their numbers while I'm here." He felt his hilt, he wanted to get back onto the battlefield. "You can call me Blank, because there is no way I'm naming myself a color." He smirked, "Can we go now?"

"Not yet." Blue chimed in. Banda sighed, he had a feeling this was going to be complicated. "There are several battles taking place outside, we need to split up our forces and aid our allies in the fighting in these three areas." He used a map to point at the three places, one was just outside this building, the other two places were a couple of blocks away from the manor. "We also need to form a rescue team of four to evacuate some of the civilians that are defenseless and recruit the ones that are fighting."

Blue marked several places on the map. "Blank, since your all hopped up on hacking and slashing, you'll be charging the front skirmish outside, which is the one thats been lasting the longest, I'm sure with the current mood your in you'll be able to take the Syndicate members outside hands down." Banda ran out of the theater when Blue finished speaking. "Magenta, since your supposed to be the strategical genius, I want you to decide where we go, and what you are going to do." The five men looked at Dyne intently.

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

"Banda wait!"

Dyne said with an increase of decibels in his voice. Turning towards his companion, he didn't like the idea of splitting up his forces. That's what these men seemed to want to do. Shaking his head in the negative, Dyne looked at his companion sternly. There was something amiss. His gut instincts told him that he should just bail on this mission, but Seti had posted this job on the House of Sora mission board. This was as good as the word as Seti himself insofar as Dyne was concerned. All of their eyes were upon him at the moment, but Dyne's eyes were on his friend. "Don't go. It's never wise to rush head first towards a battle anyway." Dyne turned towards the waiting individuals. He could tell that they didn't trust him yet.

Only fools trusted individuals they knew nothing about. Dyne had to admire the caution that these men were using. They were obviously a rushed lot, Dyne was certain of that. They had a large group of individuals at their disposal and had to make leadership decisions. Dyne could relate to that situation firsthand. Thrust into the position of the Patriarch of House of Sora, the youth was forced to grow up rather quickly. He was forced to take on the responsibilities that nobody else wanted. It was the same with this strange Guild that Seti had stumbled upon. Closing his eyes, he could imagine what Seti would say.



"Dyne. Remember now, not all situations will have a peaceful solution. It is your compassion that makes you strong but it also your weakness. The House of Sora cannot have a leader burdened by compassion. Some situations require that you rise above and beyond yourself. They will require military solutions in order to progress our agenda across the world. Remember that Dyne and you will go far. The House of Sora will be known for its love. Our enemies will know us by a different side."



The image of Seti passed from his mind and the youth turned to look at the gathered men. "Well we're waiting." Blue said. Dyne blinked and felt frustration in his stomach. "Effective strategy cannot be rushed!" The young leader quipped, a hint of acid in his voice. Dyne walked over to the map that was on the table. He studied the layout of the town. Having already thought about the battles he witnessed, he noticed the tactical expertise of the Syndicate and their strategies they used. "You guys are holed up right on the property." Dyne took out his melee baton and pointed it on the marked battles that were taking place upon the map. There were some figures made of wood representing both the known Syndicate forces, and the known resistance fighters.

Watching his every movement, the various pairs of eyes were like masks in the dark. Nobody spoke whilst Dyne talked. "We need to find the central intelligence center of the Syndicate. These battles here and here, can be ignored." Dyne turned towards Banda. "Banda, I don't like the idea of separating our forces. We stick together my friend. We will go after the Syndicate directly at the head." Dyne pointed to the central structures of the town. He also pointed to the area they were attacked by a couple of Syndicate members earlier.

"But sir if we ignore those battles, what about our comrades!" Green said with a look of sincere worry on his face. Red looked upon Dyne with a look of great interest. It was clear that Red understood the nature of sacrifice and these goons didn't. "We're supposed to be a police force? So let's police. Using the cover provided by the battle we sneak deep into enemy territory. Judging by their position and the places we were initially attacked, I say that the enemy stronghold is this warehouse right here." He was following what his instincts said. Gathering a knife that was on the table, Dyne jammed it loudly into the position of the warehouse structure on the map. "We cut off their supply lines by securing the front gate area. We tackle their leadership body and their communication lines go down." Dyne's eyes was filled with concentration. "We try not to kill any of them if possible. Taking prisoners will allow us to gather more information. We place the captured in a temporary jail. It can be anywhere. The dead should be buried." He looked towards Dyne.

"When we fight, we fight together, as members of the House of Sora. They will want us to fight battles individually so they can conquer us as separate units. The Syndicate never operates directly. They send small tactical squads as diversions to an ulterior motive. My guess is they don't even want the estate, but they are after this right here." Taking up another knife, Dyne jammed it in the location of the bank and it's precious vaults.

"Gentlemen. We have ourselves an objective. If we work together we can guard the bank and its valuables, cut off the Syndicate's supply line, and take out their leadership body. With their leadership removed, we can get rid of any stragglers later."

"Banda and I have already taken out several Syndicate Agents outside."

Dyne waited to see what they would say.

"Red you can't seriously be considering his plan! What about our people!" Blue said angrily.

Red responded.

"It's the best plan I've heard since we started this Guild." Red said casually.

[streak101]

He wanted to punch his partner in the face, Banda desired the enemy's blood on his blade! The built up adrenaline in his system popped, and just like a slashed tire, Banda's adrenaline was released in a long sigh. "Damn it Dyne..." The air around Banda seemed to relax. His common sense came back to him with a screaming pang. Your good, but not that good to go in alone. Humbled, Banda returned to the group silently. He looked to Dyne and listened intently to what the patriarch had to say.

The plan was a bit complex, but with Dyne leading the group, Banda was sure that everything would become simple as they went along. "I'd hate to put others in danger as well Green, but if we don't use the men currently fighting as cover, we could lose many more, look at the men around you, you could lose them as well." Banda shivered, he could have lost his life awhile ago if he hadn't listened to Dyne.

"So the Syndicate are after the gold stored in the vaults, and whilst defending the vaults we have to cut off supplies? Even so, we can't split our forces and risk being overwhelmed by numbers, but we can't do both if we stick together." Banda said. "How do you suppose we go around doing both things without splitting our forces to protect the vaults and strike the Syndicate?"

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

"We plan a diversion."

Dyne stated simply. He turned his attention towards the battles outside. From experience with the Syndicate, he knew how they operated. Already, many in the allied side were suffering serious casualties. Dyne paced for a moment. He noticed that the air in the chamber tingled with the energetic residue created by Phantoms. There's a Phantom in the room. Dyne thought to himself as his eyes searched for the familiar resonance of the ghostly entity.

An argument broke out between the members of the Guild. Dyne sighed, but concentrated on finding the Phantom. This was no time for heroics. Using his concentration to its fullest depth, the youth finally spotted the origin point of the Phantom in the room. Dyne allowed the Guild members to argue whilst he walked over to the Phantom, eyes glazed over from the concentration. By now, communion with the Phantoms was becoming second nature.

An aching sensation throbbed across his forehead. Hidden underneath the bandanna he always wore, the youth felt the weight of the scar upon his epidermis. Dyne touched it for a moment and the pain intensified. Flinching, the apprentice stared in the general direction of the Phantom. "You there. What are you doing here?" Dyne called out to the entity.

A moment later, the Phantom turned towards the psionic. It had the body of a girl who was once a servant of the estate. She had tears streaming down her face, her legs were missing, only vaporous energy replaced the space where her legs were when she was alive. A flowing servant's dress crackled with energy. Was this the girl that helped us earlier? Her hair flowed naturally with a breeze that was ethemereal in nature. If she were alive, Dyne would've found her beautiful. But in her Phantom state, there was a certain supernatural quality to the girl. Without realizing, he felt his loins bulging in his pants.

This is no time for those types of thoughts. People are depending on us right now. "I'm cleaning the vases." Came the voice of a youthful girl in her early twenties. At least, judging by the features of her face, Dyne guessed her to be around her twenties. Pity. Dyne would've taken her to his bed. "Don't you know the state you're in?" Dyne asked quickly. His voice shifting to a more commanding tone. By now, the members of the Guild, including Red, were looking at Dyne with an astonished look in their eyes.

They spoke whispers about the situation, not understanding why Dyne spoke seemingly to himself. His eyes had a far away appearance to them as he stared at the pretty Phantom. Is this what I am thinking about? The dead, often times, didn't know they were dead. The girl looked at herself and seemed as if confusion lurked in her heart. "The state I'm in? I don't understand Mi'lord." Dyne shook his head. "You're dead." He said bluntly, and the girls' reaction was that of tremendous momentary shock.

Suddenly, the temperature in the room began to drop several notches. Dyne saw a cloud of frost flowing from his mouth and nostrils. The apprentice stepped away from the Phantom girl for a moment. A moment later, she shrieked in agony. "THIS CAN NOT BE!" Her anger affected the very air around it, and a vibration began to flow across the room. Furniture started to shake against the tremendous ectoplasmic residue that was exerted from the girl's entropy.

All at once, several chairs in the chamber were uprooted from their position on the floor. Nuts and bolts holding the seats down were unscrewed violently and shot up into the air with the force of a bullet like projectile. Dyne barely evaded one such projectile that painfully skinned his arm. A nasty cut developed where the bolt struck against his skin. In the Phantom's agitated state, ripples of energy would be visible to all.

Staring at the chaotic scene, the medium felt at a loss. His hands went to his weapons, but another idea went to his head. "Wait. The people who killed you are still here." Dyne began. The girl swirled about in agony and wrath, but flowed towards Dyne as if listening to what he had to say. Despite that, furniture was flying all around the room. "Where are they?" Dyne understood what she wanted. "Outside. The people who killed you are from the Syndicate. You are not alone. Many are dying right now. I need your help."

Dyne said casually. The Phantom girl looked at the medium in return.

"There will be a price."

"I will pay it."

"They always say that." The girl said with a sad tone of voice. "What do you want me to do?"

"I need your help incapacitating as many of these Syndicate bastards as you can lay your hands on." Dyne said simply. Red stared at the interaction between Dyne and the Phantom from behind a table. He watched with fascination as did the other members of the guild. "It will be done."

And then, the Guild developed their edge.

[streak101]

The fact that Banda can only see a silhouette of the spirit is part of the effect the pool of saffron has given him, I'd like to unlock that skill I was talkin bout awhile back during this quest if its alright with you.

Banda watched awkwardly. His companion was speaking to a gray faded figure he couldn't make out with his eyes, and he heard muffled voices emanating from the creature. He moved closer to see if he could make out the figure, but what was pushed back by a strong gust of wind. He ducked as a chair flew over his head and pressed his weight to the floor to prevent being lifted up by the winds. The wind intensified as Dyne began speaking louder, and Banda could just barely hear his words.

The wind then died down as Banda saw the strange silhouette like being escape through an open window to the battle outside. Banda stood back up, "I'm guessing this is when we take advantage of the situation?" he said awkwardly. The other members of the Guild nodded slowly in agreement, finally ceasing their arguments. "Okay then," Banda said calmly, "you see that folks? That's our leader! He just got something to help us no doubt! I suggest you listen to me and him, and Red from now on!" The Guild members nodded again, humbled by the sight they just saw, it was proof that Dyne was worth all he was said to be.

Banda slipped through the front door of the manor, he walked through the bush and looked to the battle outside. He saw the silhouette there again, fainter than before. It moved next to the Syndicate members and one-by-one they groaned and fell unconscious on the floor. The fighters competing against them stood there in surprise, not knowing what to do. Banda nudged Green, who was following behind. "Shouldn't you be giving new orders or something?" The man nodded and separated from the group to instruct the fighters.

Banda sprinted across the open street as another syndicate member fell to the ground. He rested behind a home, the building casting a shadow over the alleyway. Banda felt the wall, there was vegetation growing up the side, not as much as the other building he scaled, but enough to lunge himself to the top and get a better view of things. He signaled to Dyne what he implied to do and scaled up the vines, throwing himself to the edge of the roof. He lifted himself up and laid prone on the roof of the home. He sighed, and leaned over the edge, the Guild members waited below, awaiting Banda below. "Dyne, Red, come up here, I need to know exactly where we're going because I have no clue."

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Dyne saw that Banda chose to climb up a nearby building. Their phantasmal partner was quickly taking care of any Syndicate members that she came across, putting them to sleep as was the terms of their contracts. There would be no more needless deaths. Members of the Guild worked quickly, coordinating new orders to apprehend the fallen Syndicate agents for interrogation. For a moment, Dyne could breathe a sigh of relief.

Clutching the side of a tree that was located a pace or two away from the house, Dyne could see into the structure. A lone window revealed the situation inside as blocked by a set of curtains that was drawn tightly together. Even with his rapidly advancing senses, the apprentice couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on inside the house. So he ignored it. He couldn't even sense anymore nearby phantoms. Had the All-Thayne blessed us? Dyne wondered if that was the case. He hadn't seen very many Phantoms despite the fact that there were many people dying.

A harsh wind was blowing. Dyne climbed the tree knowing full well that Red was right behind him. The tree's bark felt harsh against his person. He checked his progressive climb to make sure that he didn't disturb any local wildlife. Monsters lurked everywhere. And sometimes, the trees themselves were the monsters. Darkness began to settle across the land as the afternoon slowly shifted into early evening. Dyne knew that time marched on against them. Lanterns were automatically lit by complex runes, magical symbols and incantations, placed upon them. Only a few worked anyway so the fiefdom was not well lit by night. Dyne was worried about that. He would have to use the tools in his own packs in order to light the way. He stole a glance at Red. Red was already catching up to him.

"Something wrong Magenta?" Red asked.

They were both a good ways up the tree by then. "It will be dark soon. We will have to work under the cover of night. It will give the Syndicate an advantage."

"You've fought against them before?" Red wondered out loud.

"I have, on several occasions. Not by choice. You see..."

"You're marked aren't you?" Red concluded.

"Aye."

"So all of this could end if we give you up to them couldn't it?" Red suddenly said to Dyne, a dangerous expression on his face. Dyne appeared shocked by the suggestion, but conceded to the idea.

"If it could end the fighting, the needs of the many far outweigh the needs of the few--"

"Or the one." Red added. "I am afraid we must put this debacle to an end."

"You aren't who you say you are, are you?" Dyne suddenly asked.

"'Fraid not Alberdyne Cormyr. The real Red's been dead a long time now, we've almost got full control of this town. The only hindrance has been that bastard old man. He hid his will someplace and we can't figure out where the damned thing is."

"Have you tried looking you bastard?"

And the attack began. "Banda, its a trap!" And as soon as he said that, several Syndicate agents appeared around the tree. Red took off the intricate mask he was wearing, and--

Red wasn't a he at all. He was a she. Dyne was shocked as a fist came right to his face. A moment later, Dyne was on the floor coughing up blood from his mouth. It was a hard strike and the duo was now at a disadvantage.

"I don't understand what you did back there at the mansion. But it's irrelevant. This fiefdom belongs to the Syndicate." Red jumped out of the tree skillfully and walked towards Dyne with a more feminine grace. "If you hadn't betrayed us so long ago, you could've been in on this operation for the winning team. Not those fledgelings, the House of Sora." She spat on the ground.

She was a woman who maintained her height and stature. Her hair flowed out from underneath the mask, a deep raven color that reflected the light from the sky. She had amber colored eyes, and milk white skin. Her physique was athletic and slinky. Her thighs was well shaped, Dyne had to admire her as he stared up from the position of the floor. It's a damned double-cross! I should've seen this coming. Police force my ass! And then it all made sense now. The Syndicate Agents were actually the former members of the guild that suckered Dyne for a fool. I gotta hand it to you Ottocar, you old bastard. You got me good. Dyne wore a smile on his face despite the seriousness of the situation. But I will not let the House of Sora fall to such impotence.

"My name is Monica Rose. I am here to collect the price on your head, Alberdyne Cormyr. Ottocar never forgives betrayals and Ottocar sends his regards to you."

The bitch. She was going to pay. They all were. Dyne grinned and sat up on the ground, rubbing the blood that flowed freely from his lips. "You're not the only one whose come after that dead mark. I doubt you'll be the last. You should've seen what happened to the last batch Ottocar sent after me. I figured that last defeat sent his dumb ass a message." Dyne grinned, she kicked him hard across the face. "You bastard. You'll pay for your insolence!"

And so it began.

Dyne hoped for a sign.

Dyne hoped for anything.

"Get up you bastard. Let's make this a quick and easy one. If you surrender now, we'll let your friend live. We'll let the town folk escape with their lives."

"If I refuse?"

"You all die."

[streak101]

Banda stood up from the roof when he heard Dyne's screams. Syndicate Agents were appearing from the homes and alleyways. Several Agents fell from the trees like leaves and stood around his partner. Red, whom Banda thought was a very loyal man to the fiefdom, was nothing more than a fake. It was a woman in disguise. Banda swore and reluctantly looked down to the other guild members. They too were only disguised Syndicate members, and they were already scaling the building Banda was standing on.

Banda drew his claymore and was prepared to strike down his false allies. As Green reached the top of the home, Banda saw the silhouette again. It floated in such a fluid manner that Banda felt mesmerized by it. He hadn't even seen the Syndicate Agent swing at him with his blade. Banda came to his sense abruptly and parried the blow with a light twist of his wrist. The claymore deflected the opponent's sword but shot out of Banda's grasp and stuck into the ground below. He was defenseless now against several well built and well armed men.

The silhouette then floated up to the man formerly known as Green, and touched him. The Agent fell to the ground below, unconscious and seemingly dead. The other guild members followed, without any say in the matter, all of them fell from the walls of the home and landed in a heap on the ground. Banda smirked. "I knew their names were too cheesy to be real." Banda jumped down and fell onto the Agents. He ran off towards Dyne and the woman.

He caught her name as he was buffeted back by more Syndicate Agents. Banda only stood as the silhouette found the Agents and put them to sleep in front of him. "Though I have no idea what you are, I give my thanks to you, strange floating shadow." He said awkwardly. Banda ran up to Dyne and pushed him aside. "Sly Striker!" Banda closed the distance between him and Monica with the extreme burst of speed his meditation allowed him to bring. In his own mentality, Banda was moving in a slow motion world whenever his Sly Striker came into play. His fist connected with Monica's face almost instantaneously, and pushed the woman a few paces back.

"You'll kill me?" He said casually and looked at Dyne. "What kind of threat is that?" Monica stood up infuriated.

"This is no joke, the Syndicate can easily remove you with their rookies, you have no chance of living if you refuse this offer." She said proudly.

"Hmph, people have been trying to kill me since I was a child, my own father wanted me dead! Do you really believe that I'm frightened by your Syndicate?" He replied.

"Fool, you will be the first to die." Monica answered. The Agent ran towards Banda with her weapon raised in the air. Banda never bothered to collect his sword from the ground, despite his life being in danger he had not wanted to kill a woman. He pulled out one half of his boomerang and held it like a dagger, the blunt piece of wood could not kill her, but it may just be enough to subdue the Agent.

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Like a sigh in the wind, the spectral entity was busily taking out agents at will giving them an unyielding advantage. At random, some of the agents fell to the ground, victims of mysterious heart failure. Blood trickling down from their nostrils and lips until only a few agents remained. There were approximately five left and the ghost that Dyne had recruited to assist them in the battle was making short work of the Syndicate.

When Monica noticed her fellow Agents falling down to the ground to their deaths, her eyes went wide with terror. She turned towards the mysterious assailant and faced down the spectral entity. "Reveal yourself!" She shrieked suddenly and put her sword in front of her. She was prepared to make the necessary sacrifices in order to ensure that the Syndicate one.

The afternoon sun was already beginning to set. Her sword was a longsword, masterwork in quality, made of the purest dehlar. It seemed to glow with a mysterious energy of its own. Dyne gathered himself as he prepared to face the female warrior. She was more skilled than he was. Get it together Dyne. You can't let your fellows at the House of Sora down. What would Seti Dylan think if he saw you like this? Getting up from the recent knock-down he grabbed his sword and wiped blood away from his mouth. He was injured and she was good. His plynt sword was at the ready in fencing position. She was swinging her weapon wildly at the wind providing a necessary distraction for the apprentice to take advantage of. She turned her back on him and the fencer lunged forward with a highly skilled attack towards her lower back. He moved with great agility and speed, as much as moving with the sword would allow. He struck at her lower back attempting to cut her deeply with a critical strike. His face was filled with concentration despite the pain and humiliation he currently felt.

She turned suddenly at the last moment feeling what was about to happen and struck with her weapon. He turn was quick, speedy, and agile. Powerful and lithe leg muscles reacted quickly to Dyne's attack. "What do you think you're doing fool!?" She taunted, intercepting Dyne's sword slash with tremendous skill of her own. Dyne was excellent as a fencer, having trained with the sword for a long time. But her swordplay skill was currently superior to his own. There was a loud clanging of metal upon metal. Dyne kept his plynt sword at the ready and held himself up well against her counter. He locked eyes with her and she wore a smile on her face. "I'm going to kill you." She said calmly. Her voice was deadly serious and he knew that she was speaking the truth. He had very few options against this woman. They were locked in a tug of war of power, trying to vie for the position necessary to finish the battle. Dyne was struggling against her rather impressive strength. "What's the matter Cormyr? Can't handle yourself against a little girl?" She was grinning by now knowing the truth in her words.

Dyne was on the verge of feeling his powerful muscles falling underneath the weight of the maneuvers. Flashes and sparks of heart were flying into the air from the exact connection point of the two weapons. One was fine dehlar, the other was a good quality plynt sword. It was green against the metallic hue of dehlar. The sparks were igniting the heat of the two weapon and sending more sparks to brush against Dyne's muscular skin. He had pounds and weight on her, but some aspect of her was gifted with superior strength and speed. She was too well trained! Dyne lacked the on hand power necessary to defeat her. If only he was stronger. Dyne found himself getting ready to submit to his fate. He was holding his weapon with both hands, and she was only holding her weapon with one hand. He admired the skill that she possessed from one swordsman to another. The clanging sounds of the weapon filled the air. Dyne growled in agony as his muscles were getting ready to get in. She's too strong. She's too damned strong, I'm sorry Seti. I can't hold on...

Then, as Dyne was getting ready to give up his mind cleared.

In his mind's eye he saw vast field that was familiar to him. This field was home in Concordia Forest. He was home staring at Fort Cormyr. Dyne had just come back home from one of the many trips to the Academy in Radasanth. His Father, Duke Gallen Cormyr was waiting for him. Dyne rushed towards his Father and kept running. For a moment he forgot everything that had happened in the past. He forgot the fact that his mother had betrayed them all and killed his Father. She had destroyed the very world that Dyne had believed in. As he ran, the castle kept moving further and further away and the apprentice ran for what felt like an eternity. There was another flash of light, and Dyne found himself on a field alone with his Father standing in front of him. He had a calm expression on his face.

"Memories are a funny thing aren't they. It's easy how one forgets the past and replaces them with what they believe is truth."

"Father. Is it really you?"

"I am always in your heart." Gallen became quiet for a moment and then started to speak once more. "Son listen to me. You have a reason to fight. There are people depending on you. People who need you. Your friend is there who needs you. You can't give up now. If you give up now we won't ever see each other again."

And the flash of imagery faded quickly. His Father was gone before Dyne had a chance to ask him so many questions he wanted to ask. Dyne stared at the woman before him. "No! You're not better than me. I have the finest education that the Cormyr Household could provide! You're not better than me! I'll show you!" And then dyne did the unthinkable. He felt a sudden rush of adrenalin, and pushed his weight up against her. All two hundred pounds of raw muscle. In an instant, her sword came flying upwards, dislodged from her hands. At that close range, the tip of her blade cut Dyne's chin spilling his blood upon the ground. Dyne used his fencing skills to their highest capacity just then. Her sword was wrenched from her hands as he pushed upwards and then at the zenith of the movement, he struck at her midsection.

A horrible sound of blade piercing flesh was the next thing that followed.

Dyne had stabbed her in the stomach, but at the same time he felt tremendous pain in his chest. She had also quickly reacted by grabbing her sword and stabbing him in the chest, very close to his heart. She wore a satisfied grin on her face. Blood trickling down her mouth. "That is more like it you son of a bitch." She said weakly and fell to her knees, still grasping her sword. "I knew you had the skill within you. You just needed a reason to fight." She stared up at Dyne and placed her hand upon the side of his face. "I am glad I became your reason to fight." She fell to the floor and slid off his weapon, the movement further injuring her. Dyne stepped away with a look of horror on his face, but at the same time, a sense of accomplishment. I defeated her. He suddenly remembered where he was and what he was doing. He looked at the rest of the Syndicate Agents and narrowed his eyes casually. "Tell Ottocar he's lost this day. He's lost it badly. I want that dead mark on my head removed." The Agents talked amongst themselves for a moment and stared at Dyne.

"I'm afraid that's not possible."

[streak101]

Banda stood back as Dyne intercepted Monica's attack and repelled her. But the danger was not over, Banda's right leg buckled and a sharp pain in the back of his knee made him cringe agonizingly. He had forgotten that there were still Syndicate members conscious. Banda pushed himself up with his left leg and turned to face the Agent bare-handed. "Time to do what I do best." He challenged the Syndicate Agent by calling him over. The man accepted it and charged forth with his sword poised for attack. Banda closed his eyes and placed his hands together. "Whether armed or bare-handed..." He felt the energy around him slow and felt the energy within him accelerate. Banda opened his eyes and stared directly at the enemy. "I will not lose!"

Banda ran forth with unmatched speed at the Agent, such was the advantage the Sly Striker meditation gave him. He seized the man's weapon and stabbed through both legs. Banda shuddered and felt an extreme impact hit him square in the chest. He fell to the ground along with the Agent who screamed as the sudden realization that he was missing a leg was acknowledged. Banda wiped away the blood protruding from his mouth, he had held the meditation's effect for a bit too long. Prolonging the effect causes the impact to grow stronger and deadlier to the user. Banda removed his bandanna and tied it around his own wound.

Another man stood before him as the other was carried away by two Agents. Banda readied himself, but the challenger fell to the ground suddenly. Banda squinted and could see the silhoutte floating around again. Banda turned around as the sound of battle reached his ears. By the time he could assess what was happening Dyne had ran his sword through Monica and she had wounded him gravely. "Dyne!" Banda ran to his comrade's side and looked at the wound. The injury was in his chest, Banda could tell from the pain in his face that Monica had stabbed Dyne close to his heart. Banda closed his eyes and focused his remaining energy to his hand. One by one his finger tips lit up with a green aura and eventually his entire arm up to the elbow was glowing.

Banda placed the hand on the wound and pushed forcibly. It would be painful at first, but it would heal the injury and Dyne would dodge his death. Banda grunted and fell down on his haunches. In healing another, Banda had to sacrifice his own energy and strength. He was out of commission and if he had to, Dyne would have to fight the enemy on his own. Banda stared up at the agents standing in front of them.

[Alberdyne_Cormyr]

Blood trickled down Dyne's mouth. Rivulets gathered at his chin and formed into droplets that splattered into a million tiny fragments against the ground beneath him. Monica had fallen. The leader of the Syndicate was down, but Dyne was still facing several Syndicate agents. How can this be? Their leader is down!

His companion, Banda was down for the count.

Dyne stood closely by his friend even after the other had healed him. Two more agents went down in that time period crumbled by the unseen force. There were only three left all together. They were well armed but hesitating to move against Dyne and his cohort. "I'm afraid we can't remove that dead mark on you. Ottocar's rules. We have no say over it." One of the agents pulled out a gun. Then, he extended his hand a nearby fellow pulled out a second gun. The second gun was handed to the first Agent. "We'll leave under one condition Alberdyne Cormyr. Do you want to hear what that condition is?" Dyne sighed. "Aye."

"We duel. First one that falls, the other gets to stay." Dyne listened to the man's terms. They were fair rules of tactical warfare. The apprentice couldn't help but shiver with fear as he took the gun in his hand. "One more thing. We do this blind folded." A few moments later, Dyne and the Agent were blind folded with black cloth bandannas. Dyne's back was against the taller man. His eyes were shut tight, but little did they know that Dyne could sense things anyway. He was focusing on the position of the spectral entity, another Agent had gone down. Only the last two remained.

"On my mark turn, draw, and fire."

"Take five steps each. Go."

Dyne walked the five steps and each step he took was like a living nightmare.

His legs weighed a ton by the time he took the last step. He waited for what felt like an eternity, and was able to keep track of the spectral entity. The ghost was standing right nearby to his opponent. Dyne kept his eye on the ghost and knew he was cheating, but also knew that he didn't want to die such a dishonorable death. The ghost shone brightly like a torch in the darkness as he waited for the order to turn and draw. It was coming quite soon. Many ghosts were gathering around the duel now. They were the individuals that had fallen during this bloody street fight. Dyne could see most of the town folk in this fashion. The Syndicate was merciless in its actions against the people and the House of Sora was called just in the nick of time. Otherwise, there wasn't going to be any town left to save. People who were living stepped out of their houses to watch the duel. They were the final two Syndicate Agents left. The phantoms were waiting for either individual to join their ranking so they could make the trip to the Anti-Firmanent. A portal was waiting for them nearby.

Dyne could see it.

"Fire!"

Everything became white.

Bang!

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

Dyne sat at the estate sometime later with several towns people including Banda, standing nearby. Dyne was eating and drinking a meal with the town folk discussing the future of the fiefdom. Dyne felt far away like he was riding a dream. Currents around him were as energy. The image of the peaceful town started fading away and things went back to harsh reality. There was a bullet in him!

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

But his opponent faired worse. Dyne had managed to shift his body weight to the side so that the bullet went right through his shoulder with a splatter of blood. It was not Dyne Corona's day. His face was flinched with agony as he lifted the weapon in his hand, took careful aim, and fired. The Agent was still in the motion of reloading his weapon when the bullet soared through the air and caught him with deadly accuracy. Dyne had been aiming for the ghost behind the man! Instead, the bullet fired right through the head of the Agent splattering his brains across the ground. Skull fragments, tissue, and gore hit the floor with a loud splatter and the body soon followed. There was a hideous thud against the ground as the Agent fell down. His partner sighed and walked over to the fallen warrior. With his hand, he gestured in such a way that his hand slid across his throat. It was a gesture that clearly meant it was over. Dyne fell to his knees, clutching his shoulder in pain where the bullet had shot through and tore through tissue and bone.

He was gasping in pain and looked in Banda's general direction.

"We did it Banda. We beat them."

[streak101]

"Yeah, but sheesh, these Syndicate guys are pretty dramatic wouldn't you say?" Banda coughed, panted, and laid down flat on his back with his arms and legs spread apart. A small grin spread across his face, it was the first success in a long time for him. "We won!" He jumped up and down with the energy of his happiness. "It's about time we do something right!" He laughed happily. "But...what's with all these shadowy things?" The spirits were already departing for the other realm, and were dispersing from the crowd.

The living townsfolk slowly left their homes and soon began cheering and running about in happiness. Banda cheered with them and run about spreading the word to those who were still in their homes. He joined Dyne in the spot where the duel had taken place and patted him on his good shoulder. "Seti would be proud." The crowd surrounded them in glee, chanting their names. Banda waved and smiled. "We might have to help this place get back on its feet, are you ready for that? Because I sure as....?" Banda staggered and dizzily fell to the ground, his body rejecting the activities he had just done.

Banda pumped a fist in the air. "For the House!" He grinned happily. The crowd picked him and Dyne up as Banda drifted into a much needed sleep.