Algar

"It is?" She replied to him, while following close behind him. She didn't exactly like the base, or maybe it was just cause of the stares she was getting from everyone. It unnerved her. A lot. She wasn't used to so many people openly staring at her, but she figured she'd have to get used to it. Shrugging some she sighed a bit before looking around the small room they entered, though hearing the door slam and lock she quickly turned her gaze to Kenji. "But I thought you'd be able to trust anyone you feel you can fight with..?" She questioned with a tilt of her head. ...Its a little scary...everything reminds me of Uncle Alatar.. Brissa frowned a bit before shaking her head some. She'd just noticed Kenji set up a second cot, before explaining they would be sharing a room. "Sorry if it's not like the castle bedrooms, but this is the best it gets." "Oh...No, it's not a problem..The castle can sometimes be...to extravagent. But really, thank you...I know you don't fully believe me about being Alatar's neice..But I am." She stated softly while setting her bag on the cot.

Kenji took a seat in his own cot and examined her silently for a few minutes. "But I thought you'd be able to trust anyone you feel you can fight with..?" He laughed a little and shook his head. "I trust them, when we're fighting side by side. But they're all just a bunch of thieves and mercenaries looking for one of two things." Kenji reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold coin, tossing it over to her. "They either want gold, or glory. Why do you think they kept staring at you? If your uncle places a reward for your capture, they wouldn't hesitate to take him up on that offer if it meant they got paid.." He had a look of disgust on his face as he spoke. "It sickens me really. A bunch of low lives, fighting for their freedom. And they'd give it away if the price is right...But enough about that." He still had quite a few questions, but he wouldn't pester her with them. Not now anyways. But..maybe one or two wouldn't hurt. "So who was the big bad black guard that jumped out the window after you? Did you piss off your uncle or something?" He was curious, yes. But Kenji wouldn't ask to much. She said she's sick of Alatar's rule..Perhaps she'll be willing to help us get rid of him. But, if she really is his neice, then she won't go for it..Damn it! This is getting confusing.

Brissa took a seat on her cot, before rummaging through her bag. Pulling out her old little doll, she placed it on her lap before letting out a sigh. "The Blackguard was my personal body guard...I'd actually just gotten my Uncle to allow me out of the room...But when I went to visit him, I just..Snapped I suppose." She lookd across to Kenji shrugging just a bit. "Don't get me wrong, I love my Uncle...He did raise me after all..I just don't love what he's doing." Brissa paused for a moment to fiddle with the clasp on her cloak, before she removed it from around her shoulder, setting it beside her, her gaze dropping to the ground. "He shows no..remorse. Two of his guard's were killed today and it didn't even phase him...It's like he's become a cold un-caring stone. And I hate it." By the time Brissa finished talking her voice was very low, while she fought back tears. Of for the love of..She groaned inwardly, not wanting to cry again. Keeping her gaze on the ground she let out yet another soft sigh, while rubbing at her eyes a bit. "I just want all of this to stop."

Kenji looked at her for a while. There was something about her that made him feel..different. I can't put my finger on it..I don't know..Maybe I'm just being sympathetic. He shook the thought away and leaned back in the cot. "I just want all of this to stop." Those words played over and over again in his head. "I want it to stop too.." He sat up and looked around the room. He thought he had heard something, but it was probably just his imagination. There were booby traps and guards positioned all around the base. He'd know if someone was stupid enough to try and get in. Then again..that's what I thought about our last camp..And well..Damn it! He vaulted out of his bed and climbed up the ladder. It led to a secret exit that was in the back of the city, underneath a sewage system. Kenji looked around the deserted alleyway and emerged from his hiding place one he felt the coast was clear. It didn't take him long to reach the center of the city, and what he found gave him a rush of fear and excitement. The people were revolting.

Brissa blinked a bit as she looked up at Kenji. She stared at him for a few minutes, before looking down becoming lost in her thoughts. Maybe we can help end this all..She thought to herself, but was pulled from her thoughts by Kenji's sudden movements. "Hey!" She yelled out to him, though he was already up the ladder. Jumping up she tossed her doll onto the cot, before she quickly made her way up the ladder behind him. It probably wasn't her best idea, considering she'd left her cloak lying on the cot. She groaned inwardly as she surfaced in the allyway. Looking around for a few moments, she then dashed off to her left, her eyes widening as she watched what was going on. "Oh no.." Brissa mumbled softly as she ventured out into the street a bit, her gaze searching for Kenji.

Kenji ducked behind a stack of barrels, glancing out from his hiding place carefully. "Damn it! What the hell is their problem!" Off in the distance, he could hear chanting. Down with Alatar! Down with Alatar! Kenji slammed his fist into the side of a wall, leaving behind a decent sized hole. It was then that he caught sight of Brissa wondering into the street. What the..What's she doing! He ran out into the road and grabbed her, yanking her back to his hiding place. "Are you crazy?? If you go out there, you'll get killed!" Kenji peered over the top most barrel, but ducked back down when a group of soldiers ran past them, barking commands at one another, trying to calm the crowd. "I never knew they were all this stupid. If the blackguard show up, the city will lose half it's population! But.. I got it!" He pulled a small ball like thing out of one of his pockets and tossed it into the street. There was a muffled blast, followed by an immediate cloud of smoke that covered most of the area. He pulled out another one and tossed it farther down the road. The chanting had stopped, and most of the people were running, trying to get out of the smoke. The guards just saw this as their chance to stop the protesting, and ran into the smoke to grab any one still staggering behind.

"Are you crazy?! If you go out there, you'll get killed!" Brissa blinked as she heard Kenji before being yanked behind a stack of barrels. "I..No I just..This isn't good!" Brissa stumbled over her words her eyes wide as she peered over the barrels watching the people. "We..need to.." She paused though listening to Keniji talk to himself more then anything. She then watched as he threw two ball things into the street. As she smoke bellowed around her eyes widened. "No!" Quickly turning to him, she spoke fast, on the verge of panicking. "That wasn't good! The guards will kill anyone left behind! Uncle ordered anyone apart of riots to be killed!" Not giving him a chance to reply to her, Brissa dashed around from the barrels, searching for the several guards that rushed forward. Ooh I'm gonna regret this..

"Hey! Over here!" She called out catching a the guards attention. Once the guards turned to her, Brissa dashed down the alley, hearing their shouts. That's Lord Alatar's neice! Get her, he wants her back alive! Well I would hope so.. And please don't do anything stupid Kenji. Brissa thought to herself, as she continued running down the street.

"Damn it! Stupid girl!" Kenji slid out from his hiding place and ran his hidden blades into two of the guards, shoving them back into the others. He let out a loud, sharp whistle that echoed in the streets as the blades ran through another guard. A horse blew past the remaining soldiers and Kenji jumped up onto the saddle, riding past Brissa and pulling her up onto the horse with him. "You really are crazy, you know that!" He spurred the horse on, their speed picking up. They rounded a corner and dashed past the closing gate, out of the city. Once they were about a quarter mile from Algar, Kenji pulled on the reigns, slowing the horse down to a trot. He was quiet during the ride, and stayed silent for a few more minutes before finally speaking as they came to a stop. "You can't go back there now." He jumped off his horse and stretched his legs, staring off to the castle looming in the distance. "Those guards who lived know you're close by, and they'll know doubt let Alatar know. I can't imagine what would happen if you were taken back there. And they saw me. I'll have a price on my head soon enough." He turned to look at her, and spoke in a cold, stern tone. "We're outlaws now. So you've got two choices. Come with me, or stay here and deal with your uncle. I strongly suggest you don't stay. After that little mishap, he's sure to be angry."

Damn it! Why couldn't he just get away! Brissa thought to herself once Kenji pulled her onto the horse. She glanced over her shoulder, her gaze catching sight of the guards. She could hear their shouting to seal off the city, and was thankful they managed to make it throught the gate before it completely closed. Brissa fell silent through the short ride, her mind wandering to her Uncle momentarily. What have I done...Have I just made everything worse.. She sighed, shaking her head as she heard Kenji's voice You can't go back there now. Brissa quickly turned her gaze to him, biting on her lower lip. "If I don't go back, Uncle Alatar will let the Blackguards start looking for me. Have you ever fought a blackguard? I mean really fought?" Pausing for a moment she turned her head to gaze back at the castle. Her home. "They are ruthless. Their only goal is pleasing my Uncle...They'll kill anyone and everyone that gets in their way." Sighing a bit she shook her head. Though at the sound of Kenji's cold voice, she quickly turned her gaze to him, her eyes narrowed. He sounded just like her damn Uncle!

She quickly slid off the horse, standing infront of him. Her hands moved to settle on her hips, while she tilted her head back a bit to look up at him. He was much taller then Brissa was, but she didn't care. "Do not talk to me like I'm a child, Kenji. I'm not. I'm 20 freaking years old. And I know what's going to happen. AND I know what I have to do." Her tone matched his, cold and very much angry. If there was one thing Brissa hated, it was being treated like she was nothing but a child. SHe turned away from him then, turning her angry glare to the ground before her as she took a few deep breaths trying to calm herself down.

Kenji sighed a bit at her little protest. "I'm no treating you like a child. I'm stating the obvious." While he spoke, he removed the cape that rested over his shoulder and draped it on the back of the horse. Next, he took off the outer jacket he wore, followed by a shirt, then some chainmail. Once he was completely shirtless, he turned to his side, revealing a deep scar that stretched from his hip up to his chest. "I've dealt with the blackguard. He gave me something, and I gave him something back." It was the one time Kenji had decided to be reckless and stupid. "I regret it. But what's done is done." He slid his clothing back on and shook his head.

"Alatar's rule isn't going to last forever, and whether you like it or not, he is going to be killed. You saw how all those people in the city acted. It's like that everywhere, not just here. If you want to stop this war, then the best thing for you to do is to come with me to Port Dern. The people there have recently broken from your uncle, for now, and I've got friends there who can help. We can come up with a plan to stop the war, and recruit some new help. Thanks to that little outburst, it won't be long before the blackguard find our headquarters." Kenji slipped a piece of paper out of his pocket and scribbled a note onto it. Disband the rebellion.

He climbed back onto the horse and waited for Brissa to make a choice. "In Dern, we can start over. Make a new rebellion, try and outsmart Alatar, and actually bring some peace to this world. Or.." He nodded over to castle. "You can go back there and live out the rest of your life trapped within those hell bent walls. Because once you go back, I guaranteee you you'll never get out. You'll become trapped in your room, with a pack of guards watching your every move. An animal in a cage, nothing more."

After her outburst, Brissa let the impassive mask that she'd worked so hard on to perfect, slip back over her features. She stared at Kenji as he removed his clothing, her eyes only widening just a bit at the sight of the scar. She then turned away from him a bit. She tilted her head downwards, so her long red hair fell infront of her face, blocking it from his veiw. Listening to his to his small speech, Brissa chewed onher lower lip while she wrapped her arms around herself. Sadly, she already knew now there was no turning back. She just didn't want to beleive it. The castle was her home. Had been her home for the last 15 years. She'd never known anything else, and even though her Uncle was a cruel and merciless leader, she loved him. She couldn't exactly explain why, if someone were to ask, but she did. He raised you...That's why. A small voice whsipered in the back of her mind, causing her to sigh once more.

Brissa then slowly turned to face Kenji, though she never lifted her gaze to meet his. "Say it does work...Then what Kenji? What happens when he's been..ki-killed.." She stumbled over the word a bit, closing her eyes tightly. Once getting ahold of her emotions once again, Brissa lifted her head turning her gaze to the large castle that stood in the distance. A single tear slipped down her cheek, though she quickly brushed it away. Her descion had been made. She knew it the moment Kenji spoke of leaving. There was no going back for her. Alatar would have her locked under heavy guard, just as Kenji said.With a defeated sigh, Brissa climbed onto the horse with Kenji making sure her hair blocked her from his veiw. "Let's go."

Kenji kicked the horse into a brisk trot and looked back at the castle. "I'll do everything in my power to try and save him.. But I can't make any promises." He was a little surprised at Brissa. She might not look it, but the girl was far more brave then he thought. They rode for a few miles, Kenji remaining silent most of the way, ocassionaly pointing out certain landmarks. "That big rock over there, it's rumored to be possessed by a witch who was crushed beneath it. On certain nights, people say they can see it floating around, haunting this area.... And that farmhouse is supposed to be the best place to make love." He laughed, shaking his head a bit.

For a while longer, he was quiet, thinking over what their first move was going to be once they reached Dern. "Brissa, can you fight?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder. "You're going to have to know how. You're a beautiful woman, and there's a couple idiots who would most likely try something." He pulled on the reigns and slid off the horse. "I won't let them though. The bastards won't get the chance." He mumbled, drawing his sword and tossing it to her. "Come on. I need to make sure you can protect yourself, since I won't be able to watch you 24/7."

"Thank you.." Brissa replied quietly to him, taking one last glance back at the dark castle before they rode away. Brissa was silent through the ride, though she had eventually moved her forehead to rest agianst the back of Kenji's shoulder. She listened quietly as he pointed out certain things, occasionally letting a small laugh leave her lips. She'd heard several legends, but never haivng left the castle, she couldn't be too sure about most of them. Soon though, she became lost in the thoughts running through her mind. Was she making a mistake? Would this all be in vain and end up with both her and Kenji dead? She wished she knew how everyhthing would turn out, but she didn't.

Brissa was startled out of hher thoughts by Kenji questioning her about fighting. She blinked, tilting her head a bit. You're going to have to know how. You're a beautiful woman, and there's a couple idiots who would most likely try something. "Alatar was my Uncle..Of course I know how fight. I may not be a trained warrior like the Blackguard, but I can hold my own." She remarked, while slipping off the horse after him. She caught his sword easily, testing the weight of the blade in her hand. "You won't have to worry about watching me. I'll be fine."

"Still, can't be too sure." Kenji lifted up half a tree trunk and placed it onto a large boulder. "Go ahead." He wanted to see just how well she could fight. He wasn't completely sure what to make of Alatar training her in how to fight. Maybe he was going to use her somehow.. Or just teach her how to defend herself. Either way, this'll be a pretty good show. Kenji flopped down to the earth below him and waited for Brissa to hack away at the tree. He wanted to study her movements, see if she needed to work on anything. He also wanted to teach her a couple things about handling a sword like an expert, though that would wait until after he evaluated her.

He's serious...Ugh great. Brissa sighed to herself, shaking her head a bit. She then watched while he lifted a tree stump onto the boulder, before she placed one hand on her hip. "I don't fight unmoving objects. It's unlogical." Brissa stated while eyeing the large chuck of wood. She then turned back to Kenji, tossing the sword back to him. "I'll fight you one day, just to show you what I can do. Or if some idiot trys to mess with me, then you'll get to see. But I refuse to slice away and an un-moving piece of wood. Sorry." She remarked while she crawled up onto the boulder, sitting there. She tugged her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them while she gazed at Kenji for a bit before looking up towards the sky, noticing the dark storm clouds that were starting to roll in. "Ya know, its gonna rain soon."

Kenji gave her a quick look of annoyance before shaking it off and sliding his blade into it's sheath. "Alright, then once we get to Dern I'll find you some drunk to fight." He joked, laughing a bit. Ya know, its gonna rain soon. He looked up at the sky, which was beginning to darken with clouds, and frowned. "We should find some place to stay then. I don't like traveling in the rain. It's too dangerous." Kenji looked around, trying to pinpoint their exact location. He knew they were still a ways off from the Port, but Kenji figured there would be a village or two on the way there. "I think there's a town close by. We could stay there until the sky clears." He jumped back onto the horse and waited for her to join him, soon losing himself in his thoughts.

Catching the look of annoyance on Kenji's face, Brissa couldn't help but laugh just a bit. I think there's a town close by. We could stay there until the sky clears. "Alright." Brissa slipped off the rock, straigtening her dress for a moment before looking back up to the sky. "How far away do you think the town is?" She questioned with a tilt of her head. She then climbed onto the horse with him, rubbing at her eyes a bit.

"Not too sure. It shouldn't be too far though." Kenji spurred the horse onward, his gaze glancing around for the familiar buildings of Garth. It wasn't a large town, but it was big enough to cram in close to 2,000 people. It was the perfect place for the two of them to fit in until they could travel again. Kenji himself had only been there once, and his memories of the place were unpleasant. He was a little reluctant to take Brissa to such a place, but it was the closest, and he planned to keep a close eye on her. After riding farther on for another mile or so, Kenji's attention was drawn to the skies as he felt small pelts of water begin to drip onto him. "Damn it. It's coming down sooner than expected." Suddenly, something else caught his attention. Smoke. In the distance, Kenji could make out a large cloud of smoke rising up into the sky. "Shit! That can't be good." Giving the horse a hard kick, he tightened his grip on the reigns as they darted off towards the pillars of black and gray now forming over a small farm.

Brissa looked up towards the sky, feeling the rain begin to hit her. "How mu--.." She stopped however, hearing Kenji's almost panicked sounding voice. Shit! That can't be good. "What? What is it?" Leaning around him, Brissa's eyes widned at the large smoke clouds. "That..Can't be good.." She bit into her lip, before Kenji spurred the horse forward at a quick pace. Brissa gripped at Kenji's sides a bit, biting into her lip. Brissa had a few guesses as to what it could be, she only hoped she was wrong. As they reached closer to the towns, Brissa's gripped tightened on his sides a bit out of nerves, a hundred diffrent thoughts running through her mind.

Once they had reached the farmhouse, Kenji slid off the horse and ran into the smoldering home. The barn several yards away was just a heaping pile of burnt lumber, but he could hear voices inside the still standing house. "Hey! Anybody in here!" Over here! We're trapped in the kitchen! Kenji found a door that had been blocked shut by some of the furniture. He started pushing the various items away, but they were burning hot because of the flames. "Damn it. This isn't working!" He kicked some of the furniture, which didn't do much. Smoke had filled most of the home, making it hard for Kenji to see. He coughed a couple times before spotting a hole in the wall. "Hey! The hole!" He looked around for anything he could use as a kind of battering ram. But most of the objects were either burning or completely destroyed. Ok then..Shit. Kenji ran back outside to Brissa. "I'm about to do something incredibly insane. So if my idea fails, then get to Dern and find a guy named Samuel." Without really thinking, Kenji leaned forward and kissed Brissa before running back into the house.

Of course he was making an extremely big deal out of the whole situation. In reality, he just wanted an excuse to kiss her. He had started feeling.. different about her. There was something he had grown fond of, but he couldn't place his finger on it. Even though the two hadn't known each other for very long, Kenji still couldn't shake that odd feeling. Running back to the hole, he jumped into it, knocking several boards out of place. His weight caused the house to cringe and sag slightly, but it stayed up as he crashed into the kitchen. "Shit.. That went a lot better in my head." Kenji tried to stand up, but a bolt of pain shot out from his leg. "Agh! Damn it!" Inside the kitchen, a man and his two daughters helped Kenji to his feet, and helped him out of the house. Well, it was more like dragging him, but they still managed to get out of the burning inferno.

Brissa's eyes widened at the sight they stumbled upon. Seeing the fire though, and hearing the shouts of people inside brought back memories. Memories Brissa thought she'd forgotten long ago. She wasn't even aware of where Kenji had gone, untill he was back infront of her once more. I'm about to do something incredibly insane. So if my idea fails, then get to Dern and find a guy named Samuel. She was about to protest but was stopped by his kiss. She blinked, her eyes widening for just a moment as she watched him run back into the burning house. He..Just kissed me...Then runs off... She thought to herself, almost as if she were in a daze. Quickly snapping out of it though, Brissa searched around for a bucket or something to hold water.

They had passed a well on their way in, and Brissa knew the family would need water once Kenji helped them out. After finding a bucket and filling it with water, she rushed around to the front of the house once more, just as an older man and two younger girls rushed out of the house, seeming to have to drag Kenji. She rushed over to them, setting the bucket down as she immediatly began to look them over. "Are you three alright? What happened?" She questioned in a rush, before notcing one of the girls nursing her arm which appeared to be bleeding. "Here, let me see." The girl blinked a bit before slowly extending her arm to Brissa.

Brissa bit into her lower lip a bit before kneeling down. She tore the bottom piece of her dress, before dipping the cloth into the bucket of water. She then fixed up the girls arm, stopping the bleeding before she looked to Kenji. "Are you alright?" She questioned in a worried tone, her eyes just a bit glassy.

Kenji coughed a bit and smiled. "Of course I am. You think a fire is going to stop me?" He pulled himself to his feet, dusting off his clothes, and gazed over his injured leg. A piece of lumber had sliced into it, and there was still some left. Kenji sighed and looked around before stopping to look at the two girls. "You might want to cover your eyes." Without questioning him, both girls turned away just as Kenji gripped the piece of wood and yanked it out of his leg. He didn't scream or slump over, but stood there, biting his lip. GOD DAMNIT THAT HURTS LIKE HELL! He didn't want to scare anyone, especially Brissa, who was already worried enough. So Kenji dropped back onto the ground, clutching his leg, and waited until the pain had calmed down. "Gah.. Damn, that stings. Of all the stupid, brainless things I've done.." He paused to think over the things he actually had done, and laughed a little. "On second thought, it's not that stupid."

The man, who appeared to be relived that Kenji was alright, turned to Brissa and sighed. I owed money to one of Lord Alatar's debt collectors. A few months ago, I had borrowed some extra gold from him; a man named Seer. Well, I thought I could have the money for Seer by today, but it was stolen last night.. When he came to collect, I had nothing to give him. This was his idea of payment..

Brissa's eyes narrowed instantly at the mention of Seer's name. She knew the man, a lot more then she would have liked too. He was cruel, and she despised him. As the man finished talking, Brissa sighed a bit, she hadn't looked to Kenji yet cause, well she would only worry more. So instead she looked to both the man and his two daughters. "I wish I could do something to help. But sadly, I've done probably one of the most stupidest things ever and my Uncle would rather put me on house arrest then listen to me right now." Brissa frowned as she checked the younger girls arm once more, just to be sure it stopped bleeding. Satisfied that it had, she then slowly turned to face Kenji.

"You sure you're alright?..I mean having a piece of wood stuck through your leg isn't good.." By now Brissa had already knelt beside him examining the wound. She frowned, moving his hand away as she ripped off a piece of her dress. After wetting the material she then wrapped it around Kenji's leg tight enough to stop the blood flow. "There..That should do for now. But you have to get it looked at."

Kenji didn't want her to help. She was already stressed out, the last thing he wanted to do was add to it. Still, he reluctantly let her bandage the wound. There..That should do for now. But you have to get it looked at. "Samuel can help with that. He's a..doctor of kinds." He was more of a witch doctor, but if Kenji told Brissa that, well he wasn't too sure how it would go. Better to just let her find out on her own. He stood and looked around, soon whistling for his horse. "Where's Seer now?" He was asking both the man, who shook his head, and Brissa. But he was mostly asking Brissa. Since she knew him, it could solve quite a few problems. He jumped onto the horse and waited for Brissa. "We're not going to Alatar for help. We're going to stop this guy by ourselves. It'll put a dent in your uncle's financial flow, which is a good thing if we're going to stop him."

Kenji turned to look at the family, and in a cool tone gave them some instruction. "There's a small town to the South. It's a half day's journey, but there's shelter. Go there. Find some work, buy a new home. Seer won't bother you anymore." The man thanked Kenji and took the one horse that was still alive. It had escaped the barn before it crumbled, and was grazing not too far away. Once the family was gone, he turned back to Brissa. "There's a way we can bring down Alatar without killing him. We take down everything he needs to survive until he's forced to surrender. Finances, soldiers, shelter.." Kenji paused for a brief moment before continuing. "..And his protection.. The blackguard."