It was a cold, gloomy day in the Courtyard of the Black Order. Dark clouds interfered with any sunlight getting through to the earth's surface. A harsh wind blew throughout the land, crushing nearby farmlands' barns and cabins, though this was typical.

Our story begins in the Courtyard, where the first meeting and assignment of the Special Forces Unit shall commence. All members are to gather here and meet with Vincent Knite in order to be debriefed.

Vincent Knite stands against the wall to the right of the Courtyard's main gate, covered in his cloak in order to warm himself from the chilling winds.

"The others should be pleased with the mission mother gave us..."

Victoria walked along the road that led to the Courtyard of the Black Order. The weather were cold, and the land around the road were all looking like wasteland because of the darkness. Victoria stopped up and looked at the black sky. It had been some time since she had seen the sun shine on the Black Orders land, she missed feeling the warmth of the sun. I should hurry to the Courtyard, rather than think about the weather. She began to walk again. I must live up to the family name, and show that this organisation needs me.

As Victoria got closer to the Courtyard's main gate she spotted Vincent Knite. She walked closer to him and knelt down.
"Victoria Benedict, at your service"
She then stood up and awaited further information.

Wisps of blonde hair caught the breeze, blowing soundlessly around pale cheeks. A slender hand reached up, brushing them impatiently from ocean green eyes, before smoothing the rest of the wave of hair. Out of that hair protruded two pointed ears, elven ears. Apart from the fairness of her skin, her ears were the only thing that gave her away as an elf. She was tall, slender, but toned from the constant training. Rounding a corner, a sigh left the girl's pink lips as she galanced at the darkened sky. It was gloomy, too gloomy. Shivering, she wrapped her cloak around her, ensuring that her helmet was safely tucked beneath her arm. A beautifully carved bow was thrown over her shoulder, with a quiver of arrows. A gift from her father who had made it himself from the wood of an elm tree. The arrows were made by her own fair hand. A carefully woven belt sat on her waist, holding her sword. The girl was known as Callie and she was a Knight of the Black Order's Special Forces Unit, which she was greatly proud of.

Callie stepped out into the Courtyard, running a hand through her hair. Determination as cold as steel resonated in her eyes as she glanced around. Anxious to get moving, she didn't want to wait around too long. There was work to be done and she was just the person to do it. Longing to get down to business, she hoped that they could get moving. Demons had ruined her lives and she intended to destroy as many as she could. Glimpsing movement close to the main gate, she turned slowly, deliberately. Her bright eyes fell upon Vincent in the shadows and she strode towards him. It was then that another joined him, a girl. Billowing behind her, the cloak had caught the wind. Her hair too flew behind her in a sheet of shimmering gold. Callie nodded once, bowing her head slightly to him and then her, but without saying a word. She remained silent.

Vincent was pleased with the first arrivals. Glancing at the first girl that approached him, the man crouched down to her level.

"You know, there is no need to bow to me, friend. We are all equals here, you and I are no exception."

As he rose from his crouched position, he pulled out a folded piece of paper, and checked something off on it. Victoria Benedict. He thought to himself.

Soon after Vincent would turn his head to gaze upon the elven warrior that showed up. This one must be Callie. The man nodded in return to her, then removed his hood allowing the wind to push his hair to the left of his head. His dull, grey eyes could barely be seen beneath his flowing white hair.

"Now we must wait for the remaining three before I can debrief you." After saying this he reverted to leaning against the wall they were standing in front of.

With a final heavy gulp, the rest of the herbal/alcohol beverage was washed down the man's thick throat. Sitting in a slouched position, located in a small deserted shack of a farm was the large man. He slammed the glass down, breaking it and throwing the remnants to the wall. He heard the wind howl at his building, making it groan and lean slightly. As if the wind was beckoning him, he decided it was time to start his mandated shift. He pulled away from the corroded table and stood up from his bench, showing the full behemoth size. Standing at seven and a half feet with the body of a bear, he easily took a step over the bench and wrapped the cloak around his open skin. The wind was going to be biting today and he wanted to be in top shape for the meeting.

After applying his helmet, he pushed the door opened and looked out at the dreary landscape. To his right, he looked at two tombstones and bowed his head for a moment, saying a short prayer as he usually did. After the few minutes of silence, he lifted his head and began to tread along the broken road. The castle in the distance was breath-taking, but the surrounding areas were anything but. Dead shrubs, dry ground, the occasional blood soaked soil, and not a farmer around tending to their absence of crops. The farmers had already abandoned their land when the attacks got more severe, more abundant, more brutal. But that was another time, a much happier time and it was in the past. The present and future was all he could look forward to. The future and the hope of getting his hands on that one demonic general that took his life away from him...

He walked up the broken cobblestone road, heading into the courtyard. Once entering, the wind died down quite a bit at which case he loosened his cloak. Through his helmet, he already saw three of the individuals attending. He continued to walk towards the three, quiet and stoic in nature.

"You must be Vincent, ay?" He said in a heavy accent and extended his large hand in a formal greeting, "Mey names Alexander."

Vincent stepped forward off of the wall to greet the towering Knight that stood before him. Gripping the man's hand firmly - as if an equally sized hand were grabbing it - Vincent nodded in assurance.

"Yes, I am he." he said calmly. "Welcome, Alexander. You're someone I have been studying from afar during your combat training in the dungeons. I am eager to see you in actual combat."

Vincent released Alexander's hand and looked around.

That leaves two more, he thought. And then there's him as well...

Alexander shook his hand briefly and nodded. "Ya know, me father always told me 'Never judge a man by his character, but by his handshake." He had a bellowing laugh and gently gave a friendly pat on Vincent's shoulder, "You are a good man ta me."

He accepted his welcome and nodded, back to his stoic rapport, "Thank ya sir, I'm as giddy as a wee lass to be fighting next to ya. And I promise, I won't let ya down." He turned to Victoria and Callie and gave them a nod, "Please to meet ya two as well. When we going to start crackin' demon skulls?" He asked and began to walk around, noticing the gorgeous courtyard, even with the sun blotted out.

Arising from his bed was tougher than he had first thought. The tall blond man which lay on it moaned, rubbing at his eyes and he eventually stood, scratching his head and yawning. Then he remembered what day it was. He made his way to his rudimentary wardrobe and opened its oak doors. Inside were very few clothes, all black, all Black Order approved.
He reached inside and pulled a long coat out, followed by a padded black shirt and trousers. Pulling them on he then put on his knee length boots and armed himself.
"Crossbow, check, daggers...., check... katana, check..." he listed off the other miscellaneous items he was going to end up carrying then shut the wardrobe doors.
To him it seemed a bit... final. Well, it was. He doubted he would ever come to this wooden shack ever again!

Stepping outside of the weary old house the man moved forward, joining onto the main road which would eventually lead to the Black Order headquarters. AS he walked he bit into an apple, chewing the chunk in his mouth slowly as hep pondered the possibilities. Was he doing the right thing? Was this a suicide mission? Would he ever come home?
The answer to all of them was probably no but he wouldn't find out until he got there.
He passed dead landscape, long since abandoned by farmers after attacks got worse. The few shrubs which grew were weedy, pathetic, nary a flower on them to brighten up the brown, dead world.
This was why he was fighting, this was why he had been chosen. To help make a difference.

He joined the cobblestone path which lead to the castle, taking in the beauty of the place as he went through the main gate. He found himself in a courtyard which had four people occupying it. One of them was a giant of a man who was easily other 7 feet tall. There was another man, younger, and two women. One elven, one human.
The blond man walked forward, steeling his nerves. He had a feeling the others were much more experienced in the art of killing demons, they all exuded a certain aura of calm.

He eventually stopped in front of the younger man and said, "Sir Vincent? I am Macanta Dorth, ready to be of service" he held out his hand and raised a wary smile on his lips.

Vincent nodded and shook the man's hand.

"It's good to have you on the team, Macanta."

After releasing Macanta's hand, he gazed off into the distance down the path that lead towards the castle. One member left, and then that other fellow mother spoke of should arrive soon...Where could they be? Vincent shook the feeling of doubt from his mind and continued to wait. The mission needed to start soon before it was too late. The team would have to move at a doubled pace in order to reach their destination later on.

*Adrian's walk was lazy, like that of someone who had nothing to prove. Shoulders slouched, head down, hands, stuffed into his belt. He slowly looked up at the once blue sky now blackened by clouds. Adrian was covered by his cloak which the hilt of his sword slung around his back poked out the top, preventing him from pulling the hood up. He stopped once entering the courtyard to examine the group of people from a distance. For a brief second he caught himself contemplating just turning around and leaving before any of them saw him. Deciding against it he bent his neck until he heard it crack and sighed. Approaching the group, he slowed his pace out of hesitation. Garbed in his cloak his slow walk gave the appearance of almost gliding. Adrian stopped just outside the small circle of people gathered and spoke. Staring through strands of dirty blond hair he didn't seem to be looking at anyone in specific, it would almost seem as if we were speaking to himself.

"I'm looking for Vincent Knite," he stated, "which one of you is he?"

Vincent's ears twitched when he heard his name. The sound of that voice was familiar. Yes, it was him. Adrian was the fresh new Knight who mother believed was exceptionally skilled for someone of his age and build. Vincent read his reports and studied his training for the past several years ever since Adrian joined the Order. Tilting his head to the left and turning it slightly so that it cracked, Vincent stepped forward to greet the Knight.

"I am he." he announced. "Welcome, Adrian. I hope this mission will be a success for you specifically. I have been instructed to grant you a permanent position on the Special Forces Unit if this field test goes well." Vincent clapped his hands together. "Alright! Let's get down to business!" he exclaimed. "The mission debriefing will now take place." Gazing off into the distance, Vincent wondered the mission and what exactly they would end up running into. Regaining focus seconds later, he looked around at his team. "On the outskirts of the country, where the borders of this region end, there has been a major increase in demon activity. Widespread slaughtering of innocent citizens and farmers has been happening, as well as camps being set up by the enemy. It is our Leader's belief that they are setting up an attack on the castle, but for now they will slowly start approaching us by wiping out all of the towns and cities in between. The main city, Nekonia, will be their first target." Slamming his fists together, he continued, "We must stop them from reaching the city. Nekonia may be the largest place in the region, but it has little to no defense. Nobody thought the demons would dare come this close to our area, and our armies are not ready for a battle this close to home. There are women and children that will be slaughtered if we cannot stop them from reaching the city. SO, we must leave immediately. It should take us about a week's travel time to reach Nekonia, where we can stock up on whatever we need and rest for a night at an inn, and then another few days to reach the border. Now, since this is an organized attack, we have reason to believe one of the Generals is there as well. It might take all of us to take him down, so everybody needs to be at their best."

Vincent glanced over everybody's faces and took in their expressions.

"Does anybody have any questions?" Vincent asked, even though he knew that at this level of Knighthood, there should be nothing to be concerned about.

Alexander's demeanor was quiet as he paid close attention to Vincent. This is it... he thought to himself, feeling his adrenaline start up, ...finally, my hands shall have their fill of black, tainted blood... He listened intently to the plan, making sure everything would work out without a hitch. Especially with the new recruit present, he wanted to be sure getting his knighthood would be a sure thing. The Order obviously needed all the people it needed for the upcoming battles in this endless war.

After hearing the chance that a general would be on this mission, his blood began to boil. "Uh, I have a pickle of a question," he spoke up and took a step forward, "Will this general happen to be Urzil of the East?" He's done research on the demon when his parents were slaughtered and studied all he could from books and stories from survivors of battles with Urzil. He still didn't know where he came from or even what he looked like, but knew of his heartlessness and cruelty from the many tales he's heard.

Vincent turned his head to face Alexander.

"It's highly possible," he answered. "Urzil has been known to rush into battle, and also to be irrational when it comes to war strategies. I'm ninety percent sure that he is leading this insane attack on us." Vincent lowered his head to look at the ground and sighed. "I know about your background, Alexander." he paused. "and I know how you feel about things. And I assure you, if this General is Urzil of the East, his head will be yours." Vincent, growing up with a harsh mother and no father, had some understanding to Alexander's position, although he could never truly relate. This man's resolve is incredible. he thought. "If that is all, then I suggest we leave right this moment!" Vincent turned to face the gate that began to open.

Callie had stepped back into the shadows after she had joined the group, leaning against the wall and watching the rest. Her watchful eyes swept over each one, every feature, everything about them. Just by looking she could tell a lot about them and who they were as a person. It was something her father had taught her. Observing is the key way to learn. Keeping note of everything she observed, her eyes returned to Vincent, their leader. He was speaking to the last one to join the group. Callie looked over him too as he introduced himself as Adrian, frowning. There is definitely something elf about him, She thought to herself, running a hand through her long hair as she listened to Vincent brief them on what they would be doing. Silently, she stepped forwards, back into the light, her eyes intensely upon Vincent. Body tensed, her fists were clenched at her side. She was ready to get going, ready to slay those beasts that had detroyed her life, ruined everything she had ever known. She listened carefully to Alexander's question, an eyebrow raised at Vincent's response. So, Alexander has experience with demons already.

Falling in behind Vincent, she faced the twisted iron gate, looming above them. It began to open. This was it. The time that they had been awaiting was finally here. It was time to face what they all secretly feared. One last glance at the group, her face impassive, she chewed her bottom lip. An unlikely group to be travelling with, but a predictable group to find alongside...

Macanta sighed at the eagerness of murder. Sure, he hated the Demons and he was good at killing them as well. But being eager to murder, that was something he'd hope he'd never acquire.
He fell into place behind the elf and waited for the order to move forward. This week trek would be interesting, he could get to know his fellow Knights.
While waiting he pondered the Giant Alexanders question. Alexander was obviously experienced in combat, the elf in front of him gave off an aura of calm... and the new guy gave off an aura of casual strength.
Was Macanta the only one nervous? The only one who wasn't sure if he should be here?
He may have proven himself in training to be skilled at various different weapons but that was training, what about now?

Macanta growled at himself. Buck up! Grow up! He'd signed up for this, to get revenge on those beasts to avenge his father, he couldn't chicken out now. Smiling he stood straighter and started to calm his mind and prepare question's to ask the others.

Victoria put a hand on Macanta's shoulder. It was obvious that he was nervous. "Take it easy" she spoke so that only Macanta could hear the words. "Trust your team, and don't get carried away by your feelings. We will all protect each other" She gave him a smile. Victoria hadn't fought against many demons before, but she knew that if the moral of the team wasn't good, they wouldn't be able to survive a mission against a demon general. Especially not if they were to meet Urzil. Urzil was known for attacking in a extremely violent way, only attack no defense, and having a team that didn't believe in themselves would be a suicide against such a demon.

Victoria walked past the elven woman close up to Vincent. "Vincent, don't you think the civilians will begin to panic if they see seven members of the Black Order in the city of Nekonia?" She spoke so that only Vincent should be able to hear the words. "I know there isn't many options, but we should at least go into the city after night fall and maybe divide into two or three groups which will stay together until we have rested and stocked up the things we need for the mission." The gate was now wide open, and she looked far into the distance where they soon were about to go. "Having people panic won't help us anywhere." Victoria had learned a lot from her father, she believed in Vincent more than any of the people around, but she knew that he hadn't led many groups before, and especially not on such a mission like this. 'He will need all the help I can give' She thought for herself.

Kane Dryven awoke with the rising of the sun, there were no curtains to blot out the dim light that flowed over the horizon as he slept in a tent. He had been on the move for a few days now to reach his destination and was a little behind schedule. With that in mind he quickly prepared a breakfast that would most other men for an entire day and abandoned his campsite, taking only the armour he wore and the small pack slung over his shoulder as he set off at a run through the dark and still morning.

It took some time but he eventually saw the sight of the castle in the distance and slowed himself to a walk, intending to be composed upon arrival. During the course of the final leg of his journey he gave much thought to the difference the Order had made to his life; ridding him of crime and desperation, giving him a purpose. He was thankful and honoured to have been chosen for what must be a very important task to be led by the Son of Megara Knite. He removed his helmet as he drew closer and rested it beneath a heavily muscled arm while his other hand adjusted the position of the axe strapped to his back. His eyes, almost as dark as coal, scoured the desolate landscape around that seemed to stretch to the very ends of the Earth and felt the chill wind dig deep through his protective metal plates and burrow into his very bones, yet he did not shiver, he only continued to walk with his head held high.

A small congregation had arrived before him he could see as he approached the courtyard. Punctuality was not the most important characteristic he held but he felt he owed it to the team to make his apologies. While swinging his axe over head and resting the hilt on the ground, he bowed his head.
"Many apologies for the lateness of my arrival, it has been a long journey" he stated in solid tones that betrayed no emotion. A genuine apology was meant but it was not heard through the simplicity of his voice. He was no speaker, he was not a poet nor a politician, he was a warrior and words had a way of seeming insincere from his mouth. He looked around at the others and the briefest of frowns crossed his face, betraying his confusion at such a variety of individuals.
Raising his head he spoke again. "Vincent Knite?" was all he asked in the same unreadable tone.

Vincent let out a sigh of relief at Kane's arrival. He really did not want to start the mission without the full roster that he had been planning for. While signalling Kane to fall in with the rest of the group, Vincent thought over Victoria's words of advice.

"That idea makes perfect sense." He said to her happily. "Alright team! When we reach the city of Nekonia, we will break into three teams. Adrian and Callie: Kane and Alexander: and Victoria, Macanta, and myself. Each team will find their own place in the city to rest for the night. Alexander, I'll leave you to give Kane the layout of the mission and make sure he is prepared. We all should make sure each other is prepared!" And with a deep breathe and an exhale, Vincent pointed forward. "Let's head out! A week's travel to Nekonia!" With that outburst, he took off to head through the open wasteland that used to be the field in front of the castle.

The team's first obstruction of travel would be the Weeping Forest, which was a gloomy woodland with many trees with sagging branches, much like a weeping willow. It is said that strange creatures live in these woods, although unlike the demons they knew already, they were just as vile and hostile. The real trouble with this forest is that it could not be run through quickly. The team must stay organized and attentive so that nothing will catch them by surprise. Vincent was hoping for the best, because he knew the horrors of this forest. One day when he was a child he went to explore with a childhood friend of his. The two reached the forest and Vincent wanted to go in. His friend told him no, it was forbidden, but Vincent would not listen to reason. The boys went in, and after a blinding ambush of God-knows-what...only Vincent made it out alive. Sweat dripped down the side of his face the more he thought about the forest...

"Yes sir," Alexander spoke and looked over at Kane with a blank stare, then with a happy smile. "Looks like you and I are going ta be like brother!" He looped his large arm around him and squeezed lightly in a friendly tone. "Shall we get going?" He remarked, still an arm around him and walking out the front gates. "Ya see, this is what we are going to do. We are going to this little place called Nekonia where this demon general is going to attack, you'd probably heard of him. So, we needs ta travel there before they get there which will take about a weeks worth of travel. To Vincents calculations, we'll get there a bit early, maybe a day, if we're lucky. So, for that day, we get our gear together, buy what we need, get our rest and do whatever we gots ta do before the fight. Got it?" Before he had a chance to reply, Alexander spoke up again, finally taking his arm off, "Oh boyo, this is going to be a grand time!" He yelled and raised his hands in the air.

Macanta laughed at Alexander's cheeriness, how could you not? It was infectious. Also the vague description of their mission made him laugh as well, it was such a lighthearted view it erased his worries as well as Victoria's advice.
She was right, he should trust his team, and following such downhearted feelings would make him fail ultimately. And worse, maybe the rest of the team.
With a new fire burning inside him he walked forwards out of the gate, moving next to Alexander.
"Hey there!" he smiled at Alexander, "The names Macanta... can't believe I'm actually dong this!"

Alexander looked over to Macanta and gave him a big smile too, "You'd better believe it lad! We're about to take on the most ruthless, diabolical, disgusting, gruesome, cruel, heartless savages in the entire land! We all are! And I don't know about the rest of you, but I think they've had it coming for awhile." Alexander's look was disturbing due to his large physique, grisly beard and scars all over him, but inside he was like an child. The killing he did in life was for self defense for him and his family...or was for his family. Now the anger festering inside was the only engine he looked forward to. "By the by, ma name is Alexander." He extended a hand towards Macanta.

Victoria walked on the right side of Vincent. "Why did you have to put me in group with Alexander?" She sighed and looked back towards Alexander that had his arm around Kane and a big smile on his face. "Of all people, I have to be a babysitter for that giant." She said with a raised voice so Alexander could hear her clearly. She turned her head towards Macanta for a second before looking in front of herself again. "Though there isn't a lot of other men you can trust as Alexander." She said to herself.
Victoria saw the sweat on the side of Vincent's head. She punched his shoulder, with her left hand, as a sign that he shouldn't worry, but kept silent. The mood in the crowed was high and the forest had never seen that bright. But that was just because of the mood, actually the forest had gotten darker than the last time she had walked through it.

Macanta took the proffered hand, a large grin spread across his face.
"Good to meet you Alexander!"
Macanta could tell that Alexander was a fearsome warrior, just looking at the man and you could tell that, but thank the gods he wasn't as scary as he looked.
"So," Macanta started, "Where do ya come from?"
He noticed Victoria look over at them and smiled broadly, showing he had cheered up considerably.

Alexander heard what Victoria said, but all in stride. He turned around and looked at her with a smirk on his face, "It's always nice to have some conflict in this group. It's going ta be like one violent dysfunctional family." He smiled at Victoria and continued to walk, "I actually lived out in the farmers area. I think we'll walk past it on the way ta the forest. It's just a small shanty shack, but it worked well for me all these years. A damn shame the earth went ta hell." He looked into the distance, still distraught on the dark, brooding environment around them. "What about you?" He asked and looked at Macanta, "Local? Out of town? Out of country? What's ya story?"

Vincent growled a bit when Victoria touched him. Pulling his shoulder forward, away from the woman, he turned to her and said, "I assigned the teams. I'll say it again, You, me, and Macanta: then Alexander and Kane: then Adrian and Callie." Turning back to look towards the forest, he closed his eyes. "Before you gave good advice for the teams, now you're just speaking out of line. We're all equals here but I will not tolerate talking down a fellow Knight."

Stopping before they reached the forest at a nearby hill, the team would have a view of the top of the Weeping Forest. Sunlight covered the tops of the trees and a bit of the surrounding area. They were close to Nekonia now. However, the depressing trees of the forest let little to no sunlight through. Vincent suddenly began to slouch to the point where he had to fall forward onto his hands and knees. His body began to warp and morph as his black clothing and armor became pure blackness that surrounded every portion of his body. When the transformation was complete, Vincent was a beautiful but vicious black wolf.



The surprising thing to most people was the fact that he could talk while in his wolf form. The wolf shook it's body and stretched a bit.

"I have not been in this form for awhile." he announced. "Everybody! I am going in to look around and try to find a safe path through the forest. You all shall follow behind and travel as a pack. If you lose sight of me, which will probably happen, keep moving forward. I will howl in case anything happens, in which you will follow the sound and find me wherever I may be. All set?"

Vincent did not turn to face his team, he only stared into the darkness of the forest.