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The Path to Ascension



The Slayer Dragons

Year 902 of the Sixth Age…

“Speed and fire are always a deadly combination.”

Hunter opened his eyes and looked around. He had attempted to jump directly into the city of Arindell, but had encountered a shield somewhere in the ethereal journey between worlds.

It always hurt to hit things during inter-dimensional travel, and a magical shield that hit back was even worse. When he thought about it later, it made sense that there’d be a shield over Arindell; it was the seat of power for the Unity Earth Sphere Alliance as well as the home of the Slayer Dragons, but this one had just been painful. He stood in a fog, mentally comforting his aching body, as he considered what had happened.

Then he noticed the archers.

Hunter was standing in a wide stone circle with the foothills to one side and the Aurora Plains to the other, and a ring of archers three deep surrounding him. He very, very slowly raised his arms over his head in the universal symbol of surrender, not wanting to give them an excuse to start shooting. He didn’t dare materialize his aura either; even if he threw up a shield as fast as he could, the arrows might reach him faster.

If he could stop all the arrows, it would only give them a reason to use something worse.

The archers parted before him and a man clad in runed armor stepped out with his hand on the jewel encrusted hilt of a sword. He had a heavy shield strapped to one arm, but let it hang loosely such that his hands were both free.

“I’m captain Gregor,” he said commandingly. “What is your business here?”

“At the moment,” Hunter gulped. “Trying not to become a human pin cushion.”

Captain Gregor took one long step behind the archers and gestured with his sword hand.

Hunter reacted even before he consciously realized that the bolts had released. Somewhere deep inside, ancient instinct told him not to throw up a regular shield. Instead he called forth a torrent of rapidly moving wind that deflected the arrows and pulled him up into the air.

He had shut his eyes against the tearing wind as he floated up, arms clasped across his chest. There had been at least a hundred bolts, but he deflected them all.

He opened his eyes and saw Captain Gregor sailing through the air towards him, sword drawn.

Hunter twisted his body and avoided the man’s blade by a hair’s breath. The sword, the armor, and all the bolts had been enchanted.

The bolts would have passed through a normal shield as if it were tissue paper; his only chance at stopping them had been by manipulating the air to throw them off course.

The sword was another mater.

As Hunter landed, Captain Gregor whipped around in mid air and flew back towards him. The man knew more than a little magic, and Hunter was feeling rusty at the stuff.

The sword came down in a mighty two handed swing.

Hunter brought his hands up and caught the blade by the flats. His muscles shook with the impact, but he held the deadly weapon fast as Captain Gregor’s feet came to rest lightly on the stone before him.

“Can we not fight?” Hunter growled through gritted teeth as he worked to hold the blade. One slip and it would all be over.

Captain Gregor leapt back and sheathed his weapon.

“If you have no ill intentions than you will not move,” the man seethed as he pulled something from behind his shield.

Hunter watched as Gregor threw something like a spider’s web at him, which wrapped itself around Hunter and pulled him to the ground.

He couldn’t even brace his fall.

The threads wrapped around him tightly, and even pulled in his magical aura. It was a risk, but he had to believe they wouldn’t simply kill him. If that was the captain’s plan, why give Hunter the warning?

“You have to understand,” Captain Gregor said as he knelt down next to Hunter. “When someone enters this circle, it usually means they’re an assassin trying to get to Stormwind Keep. These bindings will contain your magic and turn it against you, the stronger you are the stronger they’ll hold you, and they’ll also keep you from lying to me.”

Hunter moaned inwardly, this was not going to be good.

“Then who are you?” Captain Gregor asked. “And where are you going?”

Hunter couldn’t lie. He wanted to, he needed to, but the simple magic of the chains that bound him prevented it.

“I’m an assassin,” he whispered. “On my to Stormwind Keep.”

“I thought as much,” the captain nodded and took a crossbow from one of his men. He knocked a black tipped arrow to the bow and pointed it at Hunter.

“Wait!” Hunter yelled. “Please hear me out!”

“Why should I?” the captain asked. “You’ve already admitted to me you’re intentions.”

“I told you the truth,” Hunter growled. “But not the whole truth, what could hearing me out possibly hurt?”

Captain Gregor considered his words and lowered the crossbow.

“Fine,” he glowered. “Tell me.”

Hunter gulped. “I am a licensed member of the Assassin’s Guild, but I am not on a mission to assassinate anyone. I am on my way to Stormwind Keep to speak to Draco. I was told by my master to come here and find the Great Dragon, that’s the truth.”

“Gudersnipe?” Captain Gregor blinked. “What fleet?”

“West,” Hunter replied automatically. “Wait how did—”

Gregor gestured and the threads immediately fell away, allowing Hunter to get up. He shifted himself into a kneeling position and looked uncertainly at the captain.

“I was in the East myself,” the captain grinned. “But that was a long time ago.”

“Well,” Hunter said with relief. “Glad to know I’m at least among friends.”

“So are you with the GA or the XGSO now?” Captain Gregor asked as Hunter stood up.

“XGSO,” Hunter replied simply. That about proved it, only Gudersnipe gradates knew what either acronym meant. GA was the Gudersnipe Association, the highly organized mercenary core which ran most of the schools off sight bases, as well as backing up the Crimson Blade. The XGSO, or Ex-Gudersnipe Student Organization was a far less regimented coalition of students who worked mostly independently or in small groups, and carried out the tasks to small for the GA to lay a finger on.

Every student who graduated had to join one of the two groups, primarily so the school could keep track of them; and they were free to move between either. Like most of his graduating class, Hunter had joined the XGSO in order to enjoy the freedom it offered for a few years, but he fully intended to become a member of the GA when he was ready to get back to commanding.

At least that had been his plan before Amuro had told him to come to Arindell. Now he didn’t know what he would do next.

* * *

©2005 Rick Austinson