Revenge

As a warrior, life is hard. We fight, protect, almost die on a daily basis. We do so in hope that peoples lives will proceed normally. Our armor gets dinged, our swords chipped, but at the end of the day, everybody else sleeps safe and secure. Sometimes however, the enemy is better than us, sometimes we have to bury one of our own.

Four years ago, it all changed. With the arrival of the four horsemen we fought a long war. The war almost ended before it began. With the arrival of the fourth horseman, they cast a massive spell. A magical EMP for lack of better terms. Not only destroyed technology, throwing us back to the stone age, but changing our very world. Dimension tears were common, creatures only heard of in fairy tails had entered this dimension. Humanity was running scared. Only by the retrieval of an ancient artifact were we able to banish the horsemen to the chaos realm and release Earth from their tyrannical grasp. However, we couldn't undo the spell, and so we push forward trying to survive in a world that is straight out of a fantasy novel.

I have been a member of a secret order of Knights for just over 7 years. I fought in the last war, I survived. I spend my days on patrol, fighting demons, elves, orcs, and other unmentionable beings. There are a few strongholds left here, where groups of people have gathered together and are trying to live. They can be identified from miles away at night. All lit up like a blazing sun. Terrified of what's in the dark, mistrustful of strangers. As a Knight, we have a slightly better infrastructure, comprised of magical means of travel and communication. However the less the population knows, the better. The penalty for use of magic is death.

I start my day out in what used to be a city in Tennessee. There were troubling reports of a creature with incredible destructive potential roaming the country side, attacking the cities walls, and ambushing travelers. I teleport in under a giant golden ball, half melted, leaning to the left. Humans are so weird.

I look around, then briefly cast a small scrying spell. I immediately pick up a massive source of magic, just a short four blocks away. Our intel was right, something dangerous is here. I look around and take off at an enhanced sprint. Using a combination of magic and the chi that is innate to my species, I cover the ground appearing as a grey shadow, nothing else.

Scampering to a stop, I pause behind an older building, sniffing the air. My senses go wild as I peer around the corner. My blood freezes as my eyes catch up to my senses. I know he is dead, well, banished, as I did it myself. But there he stands. A giant. One of the horseman, returned. War.

Memories flood my mind, my body aches with the memory of our battles. The recovery, the rage, the fights. I take a deep breath, push it down. I touch the symbol on my collar, the symbol of the Knight of the Paw, and perform a spell, turning it into a two way mirror. Right now everybody at headquarters will be seeing what I see.

War stiffens, nose in the air. He turns and looks at me, one buck tooth protruding, the other chipped halfway down. At five feet tall, War was an impressive beaver. Pure muscle. Deadly with his broadsword.

"Ares. I thought I smelled your stench. Whats a wretch like you doing here. Alone." The sneer in his voice was apparent.

I took a deep breath and began to walk forward.

"Ares, don't!" Even though it was magically projected, the command in the voice stopped me cold. "We are gathering who we can to support you, don't engage, do not.." Connors voice cut out. I glanced at War whose hands were extended.

"No, no communication from home. This is between us you little fuzzball."

I gulped, backing up in that curious waddle all Pekingese have. Why was I so scared? Was I that afraid?

No. Not of him. Not of the beaver. For what he did to my friends, my family, how could I cower from him. Headquarters be damned. I put my paws together and summon my armor. It wraps around me, forged in Atlantis, forged specifically for me, it forms to my body. My paws had two blades attached, blades that extend when I move.

I rounded the corner and faced War. His sword was out and he was contemptuously leaning on it. I feel my legs quiver, not from fear, but the power I am drawing in. I snarl and launch myself forward, four paws hitting the ground in perfect rhythm. I cover the distance in milliseconds, both swords swinging down at the beavers head.

I connect with nothing as he moved, smooth as liquid away from my blow. I turn into a forward flip, tucking as his broadsword hisses through the air, barely missing my curled tail. I land but instead of bouncing away, I re-charge War. Except this time I slow down a hair from my top speed and follow his movements. My tail glows with magic as I shoot a few magically enhanced tail hairs at War. He blocks three with his sword, two get through his defenses and pierce his skin. I land and pivot, my paws together as I pull more energy and magic together. Snarling I release my ball of blue power, speeding towards Wars midsection. He catches it on his blade as well, absorbing my power.

Now he goes on the offensive, his speed impressive, his power astounding. His blade leaves gashes in the concrete as shards of rock fly through the air. His claws grip the side of the building, allowing him to jump at me from every direction. I need to get out of this street. Or change the playing field. I cast a brief spell of detection on both buildings, luckily both are empty. I pull all my power in, my hair standing on end. He charges and I charge right at him. I think I startle him, he is not used to being charged I would assume. I shoot between his legs, my swords flashing through the air, nicking his thighs. I hit the ground behind and leapt up. As I soar upwards, I hear the hiss of his sword but once again I am a hair faster. At the apex of my jump I pour all the energy I have stored out into the building.

My aim is true, and the building begins to crumble and collapse. As I spin around to land, I see War nimbly hopping down the street, avoiding the falling debris. I land, all four paws on the ground. My eyes peer around, looking for the slightest shift of the dust, my senses on edge. I hear a slight pebble move. Under my breath I woof a silent word of power and disappear behind a veil. Motionless I crouch and wait. The dust swirls and parts, revealing War slinking forward, his sword held above his head and angled downward.

At this point, if I start to draw in power, veil or no veil, he will sense me. If I try to attack without any power it will be as if a gnat flew at him. And what is that vibrating feeling? War senses it too. His eyes narrow as he waves a clawed hand, parting the dust. A portal is spiraling open in the street and dispensing armored Pekingese. It was the first strike team, Pekingese Attack Warrior Squad (PAWS). My mentor and trainer Connor waddled out last. Twelve strong stood in his way. I released my veil and moved behind him, to cut off his retreat.

War looked around a little uneasy. Which was not at all like the guy. He muttered something under his breath, and sank through a portal, vanishing from site and senses. I released a breath, felt tension drain from my shoulders. As Connor trotted towards me, I couldn't help but think this was the beginning of the war, all over again.