Snippet #2133683

((Here we goooo!!))

Shadow's mind was a torrent of thought and it showed as Sereinia reached down to make contact with him. His muscles in his face began to twitch as his head tilted slightly to the side. The expression went from peace to pain an less than an instant as he remembered more about his gruesome past.

It was the battle that would ultimately decide his fate in life. Shadow vs the Grandmaster Takai and Korvaiis, the second in command of the mountain fortress in Roda Valley who was also Kiiro's father. Shadow had his Twin daggers on display while both Korvaiis and Takai chose to fight with a sword resembling a Katana but slightly thicker and more meant for fast mauling using the extra weight than simple fast slicing. They all charged into the fray at once as Shadow parried the two blades off to the sides and used his elbows as he rushed passed them to knock their jaws and take their point of balance. At that moment he whirled around and kicked them both across the head and on top of each other on the ground. They quickly rolled and recovered, fighting well as a team as they continued to press their assault.

One slash, two, three, four, five... It was an unusual rhythm, and not one Shadow had encountered before. Typically the body moved unconsciously in even increments of time and movement but this time they were off beat which was strange for Shadow but he caught on right away. Thanks to their on training, Shadow had the advantage of adaptability and knowledge of how to adjust to the rhythm of the enemy. One slash, two, three, four, five... six, seven, eight. Their rhythm was changing, making it difficult for Shadow to counter attack since the instant one blade was parried safely away another was flying directly at him.

Eventually it took a toll on his and his concentration lapsed for a single second, but that was all it took. One of the blades pierced his chest just below the collarbone, but Shadow managed to drop his blade and grab the sword before it penetrated more than one inch. The blade was ripped backwards, slicing Shadow's right hand. He would no longer be holding a blade in his right hand for a time, making the fight even harder. As time wore on, Shadow's superior endurance and stamina outweighed the skill presented by his two opponents and Korvaiis was knocked out halfway through the fight.

It was now Shadow vs Grandmaster Takai.

The fight continued for several minutes, neither truly gaining and upper hand save for Shadow's lack of rapid breathing vs Takai's being that he was in his fifties and not in the same shape he was in as a younger Assassin. Being a Grandmaster he didn't partake in missions and spent most of his time training other high level Assassins, but that was mainly barking orders so his stamina and endurance had diminished over time. Shadow's youth and experience were beginning to pay off and it showed until Takai managed to outmaneuver Shadow at the last minute and stabbed him in the stomach. Shadow grabbed the blade with his left hand, dropping his own in the process as he was forced to guide the blade through his body since he wasn't in a position to stop it. His knowledge of anatomy and the location of the major organs helped him guide the blade safely through and out the other side as he punched Takai with his right hand and knocked him away.

Standing very still, Shadow slowly removed the sword from his stomach as blood trickled from the wound. Since it didn't strike any major organs or arteries Shadow didn't bleed much from it which was good, but the pain was still intense. Takai pulled a hidden blade from his robe sleeves and charged Shadow with it. Picking up his own blade with his left hand Shadow leaned to the side and jammed the blade forward with all his strength. Takai's blade slashed part of the skin on Shadow's left bicep as he came to a stop, but it was only a surface wound and did not strike the muscle layer beneath. Shadow's blade, however, had cleaved Takai's breast bone at the base and was turned blade up, ready to move at a moment's notice. Knowing he was about to die, Takai dropped his blade as Shadow informed him that he pledged to erase what Takai had done to him and find his path to becoming the human being which was denied him his whole life.

Takai spoke his last words at that moment... "Is that... an Assassin's Pledge, Kyero?" He asked.

There was no answer save for Shadow's blade ripping skyward and cleaving his body above the solar plexus into two halves and exiting through the top of his skull. Shadow's blade, being made of Orichalcum, cleaved bone like butter and made the trip through the Grandmaster's body that much easier.

This final question by Takai was part of Shadow's greatest hatred in life. His true name was Kyero, spelled differently but pronounced the same as Kiiro. The meaning of the name in the ancient language of the Assassins was even the same though was spelled differently depending on context of the word, but ultimately the names both mean this: ... Assassin.

Holding a name which marked him as an Assassin from birth, Shadow chose to simply go adopt the moniker Shadow as his true name from now on because he was tired of being what he was. His pledge to Takai was indeed an Assassin's Pledge, and it was the last such pledge Shadow would make as a member of Te'i Sai.

An Assassin's Pledge was a pledge made by one of Te'i Sai which would be fulfilled under two circumstances: death or success. Whether Shadow succeeded in erasing what Takai had done to him both mentally and physically or died trying didn't really matter because the statement was the promise he now lived by. Every day since then, whenever he found the time, he endeavored to understand normal human life and was curious about it as well which aided in his learning process. To date, he has learned very little, but he is trying and that is what counts to him.

As those thoughts slowly faded, Shadow's tears ceased and his eyes slowly opened to see Sereinia sitting by his side holding his hand gently in hers. He was somewhat surprised, but never the less offered her a weak smile. He had not eaten much in the last few days so his body was weak and he couldn't give her the full smile he wanted to. He slowly sat up as best he could, struggling to lift his own weight for the first few inches but managed to finally sit up and apologize for his long slumber.

Over the next several days, Shadow ate his normal healthy meals and his strength slowly returned to him. Before he knew it, Mayumi had returned to them and was well on her way to recovery thanks to Taira's careful watch and instruction. Days passed yet further and it was finally the night of the festival. Shadow and Mayumi were dressed in traditional Triveilan garb ceremonial robes. Maumi's outfit was black with faint grey lines resembling vines (not spider webs) across her arms and stomach. She also had a red sash around her waist which was perfect for some of her smaller armaments which she seemed to refuse leaving without. Shadow's outfit was black as well but had a somewhat more formal appearance as it had some specially designed material which sparkled in dim lighting. Shadow thought he looked ridiculous in such an outfit, but Sereinia was dressed for the occasion as well so he didn't complain outwardly.

The festival itself was held within the city's central expanses where a large open circular area was reserved solely for the occasion. Innumerable stands and stalls for food, drink, fun and games, and other such things were everywhere you looked and at midnight, to celebrate the Gods, the Royal Family would come down and partake in the lighting of fireworks which would explode in the sky with dazzling shapes and colors for all to see.

... Needless to say, Shadow was nervous...

As they all gathered and approached the festival, Shadow became tense. It was the exact kind of environment he disliked down to his core. A lot of people surrounding him, even if they were happy and enjoying their time at the festival, and way too many places to conceal oneself for an attack. Though his informants said that they had not seen anyone suspicious enter the city, Shadow was on his guard. As they walked by a food stand on the edge of the festival the owner walked out and forced his arm in front of Shadow to stop him and ask if he'd like to try a sample of his cuisine. Shadow instinctively grabbed the man's arm and flipped him, his eyes wide with fright as he pinned the man to the ground. The poor man yelled out in pain as Shadow suddenly realized what he had done and released him, bowing his head in apology for his actions as the man rose and rubbed his shoulder in confusion. He said it was alright but went back to his stand in silence, still rubbing his shoulder.

As they continued on, Shadow's instincts continually failed him as he repeated the action to a young man selling wine, pinned an elderly gentleman trying to get him to partake in a small game of chance to the nearby wall face first, shoved a woman selling small portions of fruit away, and spilling her plate on the ground (earning him a quick slap across the face which hurt the woman's hand), and even accidentally nearly attacked a child who ran into him from behind on accident. Shadow was so on edge and so frightened about his surroundings that he actually had to stop and sit down on the edge of the festival grounds to try and calm down. As he sat there, he tried to meditate a little bit to calm himself and remind him that it was a celebratory gathering and that these people weren't there to bring him harm.

Shadow sat on his bench with his eyes closed and took deep breaths in and out.

... Relax Shadow... It's just a festival and it's supposed to be a celebration... You've never been one for the Gods, but you're here with Sereinia and Mayumi... You need to calm down... He told himself mentally.