4 PAYBACK (1/2)

Kayzar ran through the forest like the gushing wind born from an explosive blast in a tunnel. He found himself in chaos as fear envelops his whole body. 'I've got to put myself together' he thought as he strode to the pitch-black night. In his failing struggle to contain his trembling spirit, he forgot to watch out for his surroundings. He heard some branches snapped before him as if someone's following. The idea of him not being wary of anyone in pursuit hit him in a flash. He beat himself up as he hurriedly ran though the obstacles in the forest for forgetting one of the very basic principles of retreating: being mindful of your surroundings. He jumped into the nearest bush to surprise whoever is following.

'Come on, show yourself,' he quietly murmured in the thick hedge plant that he's in as he heavily breathes the cold crisp air of the forest while grasping his dagger with his sweaty shaking hands. He saw a shadow nearing, so he prepared to attack. He emerged ferociously from the bush like a wild animal finding its prey bellowing a mighty war cry.

”WHOA WHOA WHOA!!!!!” screamed the shadow as he drew his blade to block and escape the dangerously near daggers that was going straight to his heart. ”WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING K-Z?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!”

Kayzar snapped from his delusion and noticed that he might have killed Karus who is totally shocked holding his sword to avoid his daggers. ”Uh… um… sorry, I… Uh—thought you were…” muttered Kayzar trying to apologize while taking a breather. He put away his daggers and backed away and continued to mumble his apologies.

”You're really freaky sometimes,” Karus replied while slowly sheathing his sword at the same time gazing at him putting his daggers away. ”You know that, right? —”

Kayzar ran and Karus followed him from behind. Karus took a glimpse of Kayzar's eyes filled with seriousness and distress so he tried to strike a conversation amidst their gloomy night dashes through the dense forest in hopes to rid away the unpleasant experience that they have.

”I don't know what happened really but thanks for the quick save there. I almost got skewered by that woman! I mean that's a really big sword! I'll tell you that! Even I can't lift that thing if given a chance!”

”This isn't supposed to happen,” he said finally changing the topic, ”We got separated and, in the end, we went playing by with their tricks. They know that if they fight us one-on-one, they can easily defeat us…”

”Look there they are!” exclaimed Karus almost happy but was again engulfed with sadness as they quickly come near them.

They saw Reus standing under the big tree while Yosh sits beneath it. Together with them are Luna and Stella. They sensed a negative atmosphere in their direction, clearly a sense they can think outright even without looking at them.

”There you are…” said Reus to the two. ”The plan went south the moment we exposed ourselves,” seeing them upset, he uplifted their spirit and continued. ”Now, now, this is not our fault. We still have time to spare and clearly, they will not dare to chase us out here. They're guarding the sack after all, and besides, we haven't used our plan yet so don't lose hope…”

”Tell that to Yosh. He's looking all pouty there, hehehe…”

”Shut up Kuya-Karus. You haven't done a thing there to start with, so you don't have the right to say anything!”

”Hah! I don't see why you're all worried and all. Clearly they got some leverage on us at the beginning so that means when we come back for round two we'll finish them even if we have to drag them away from that pesky big sack over there,” said Karus with extreme confidence as he sat down near Yosh who is taking his space moving away from him in annoyance.

”Easy for you to say!” said Yosh scoffing. ”You're always the one who use your body as a shield and luckily gets away without a scratch. Just wait till your sword fails you. That'll take away your smug attitude!”

”That's ex-pe-ri-ence! Something you lack?!” Karus smiled trying to get back on what Yosh said while opening his canteen and drinking it hurriedly.

”Enough fighting!” roared Reus frustrated. ”They haven't won yet. We still have time to grab the messenger's articles. All we need to do is to stick to the plan.”

”I don't know… The captain there is pretty dangerous, and I don't say that too often,” entered Kayzar while sitting beside Karus and grabbing his water container.

”We'll slip through you'll see.” Reus stopped as he turned away from his brothers to think for about two seconds and then continued. ”I don't want to do this, but we don't have any options available. Come on Yosh, dig your chest and restock some of those mighty arrows you're playing with.”

”W-what chest?” replied Yosh with a little bit of his shaking lying voice, ”I don't have a chest…”

”Come on! The chest you smuggled out of the Palace, the one where you've been storing the toys you're playing with every time we have our breaks…”

”What!? I don't have anything…”

”Just dig it now… please…” Reus pleaded while squinting behind his spectacles that are reflecting the rising moon. This made his point rather persuasive considering his serious attitude. ”Why do you think I chose this area and this tree specifically? I know this is where you store your loot…”

Yosh sighed and whistled then Luna began to dig a hole near the tree. He helped her and grabbed a handle. He then pulled eagerly uncovering a metal chest almost two feet tall and three feet wide. They all gasped as they saw a royal insignia on the chest.

”Yosh how could you!” scolded Karus. ”That's Dad's battle chest!”

”Well… I was kind of upset when I found out that they will leave us here to train so before they left, I took something from them,” he said smiling while trying to pass it as a joke. ”I know, I know it's stupid. But I was a child back then so who are we to judge, eh?”

”You're still a child, Yosh,” Karus replied grinning.

”No, I'm NOT! I'm a grown-up now!” growled Yosh.

”Whatever… just open that,” teased Karus smiling big.

He opened the chest and they were all shocked to see a number of enchanted weapons and armors rumored to be created by the mythical Elves and the great and legendary Dal'Gur himself, the immortal blacksmith of the northern Lakas mountain range.

The first item in the pile is the Royal Gauntlet of Deito, a mystical golden gauntlet that brings great strength to the hand where it is worn. Under it is the Twin Snake Daggers, a pair of double-edged golden daggers which is said to cut anything if used properly. Beside this dagger, they saw the Hands of Kyrin, a pair of gloves that is said to be created by the mythical Elves. It is said to imbue the hand with the power to decrease weight of whatever the person carries if worn. Further down is the Golden Short Sword of Excellence which is the sword granted to Lakas who saved the Nagozul two thousand years ago, light as a wooden rod but as sharp and durable as a newly crafted katana and claymore combined. Inside also, in a secret trap compartment, is a quiver of Elven grade arrows and a few story books. All of those are told to be mythological items, if not very rare and legendary. To have laid eyes on these objects as much as to hold them, brought joy and excitement to the brothers especially to Karus and Kayzar who are very fond in research and history.

”What the Yit is that!?” Karus and Kayzar shouted as they grabbed the articles.

”I saw this at the altar when I was a kid, and that I only see in books!” Karus exclaimed smiling.

”I thought Elves were fairy tales!” whispered Kayzar with a spark of glow in his eyes while taking out an arrow inside the quiver with a shaking hand. ”I never knew I can set my eyes on a real Elven arrow, much more an Elven glove… well this proves the whole theory to be true!”

The Elven Arrow looked like a straight branch with a single vine encircling it. The point has a thick sharp wooden arrowhead that looked-like a round pointy seed, but it is as strong and durable as metal.

”Yeah yeah, I'm not much of a believer anyway,” Yosh said grabbing the arrow from Kayzar and putting it back to the quiver. ”I believe they named them Elven arrows because it looked elvy enough. It helps to have a catchy tune to it especially when selling them on artifact collectors. Don't hope too much about them for they don't exist,” a thought gave him pause for a moment as Reus passed by him. ”Hey Kuya-Reus,” Yosh asked with a curious look. ”…how did you know that I have the chest here? I know you don't wander around these parts and certainly you didn't have time to follow me or anything…. or did you?”

”Well that's for me to know and for you to find out…” with this creepy comment he grabbed the golden gauntlets that looked really big and disturbingly clawed and wore it in his right arm. He then sat about six feet away from them to gaze at the moon. ”And oh, I almost forgot,” he added with a grin, ”You have to return those after we defeat them. Dad's furious with you taking those away in the holy altar. There's still a manhunt for the criminal who's responsible for that impossible heist and we're keeping mum on the culprit.”

”Hey! No fair! You told dad?!” Yosh angrily said while following Reus hoping to have some answers but all he got was his loud laughter.

They bask with the marvel that is inside the chest for a while then picked items that are appropriate to them. Karus: The Sword of Excellence; Kayzar: The Twin Snake Daggers; Yosh: The quiver and the Hands of Kyrin; and Reus: The Royal Gauntlets.

”So, Kuya-Reus, is this your plan?” said Karus.

”Well, technically no. I wanted us to defeat them with only what's available. I planned on taking this chest to the Palace afterwards without having to use them…”

”Hey!” Yosh shouted interrupting Reus.

Reus smiled and continued. ”…this is my plan B for our earlier plan A. This is to say that we will continue our plan, but we will use these,” He stood up and sat closer to them. ”Come on,” said Reus to get their attention as he lifted both his hands to gather them all in a circle. ”…we don't have much time. All we need to do is…”

-------ooO0Ooo-------

”When will they be here?” complained the young Tarni sitting near the large lying sack, yawning tearily for about a full ten seconds in boredom. ”It's been an hour. Do you think they might have considered giving up?”

”You should have seen the poor looks on their faces…” added Major Camyl. ”…although I must admit, even though they have a crude way of fighting I can sense a future in them. They lack the appropriate form to compete with our Bathala-given strength and yet they can manage to deflect our attacks with much agility and eagerness. I mean, I can slash a young tree in half without ever wavering but that Karus kid sure knows how to handle a barrage.”

”Yes ma'am, but I find the dagger bearing Kayzar kid more troubling,” entered a gloomy voice of what seems to be the Captain Gab who is the farthest. He paused and walked to them then asked. ”I suppose you know a Daomagar named Yiv also known as the Shadow Walker?”

”Yes!” replied Tarni with great haste fueled with a little tint of anger. ”…the monster who abandoned the great teachings of the Sibara Master and went rogue!”

”Yes, Lieutenant Tarni,” said the Major. ”I believe they also called him 'The Night Fiend' and 'The Poison Master'. I also know that they put a bounty on his head for assassinating some of our Generals in Daomagar! There is a tale that this Yiv is a thousand-year-old master assassin of the Sibara who successfully killed tens of generals without even alarming the guards. Some say he is a liberator of some sort because he didn't harm any soldiers or guards in all her attempts. He only haunts the wicked ones they say or anyone who stands with them, no offense intended Lieutenant.”

”Some liberator he is!” Tarni shouted angrily. ”He's not a hero, he's a murderer! That's what he is! And my Father the Great General Kel'Ro is NOT wicked!”

A few seconds of silence stopped the three from their discussion until the Captain diverted their attention to resume to their original topic.

”I know it's a coincidence, but I think there's a connection between the kid with the daggers and Yiv,” He then took a serious look at the moon and sighed then continued. ”When I was still a lieutenant, I was assigned to the division to help locate and capture this Yiv who then caused a lot of stir in the elders of Daomagar. At that time, I was under the great Master Mahakdu of the Sibara who is great not only in combat but also at tracking. When we located Yiv we found out that he was but a child.”

”Really…” said the Major with great awe. ”…a child you say? And here I thought that he really is an old warrior of the past… they even made stories of him to frighten naughty kids…” she added smiling as if giving a joke.

”I couldn't believe it either, but it's true. In the confrontation, all I saw was his eyes. His red, sad, murderous eyes and then it became a blur. Somehow, he got past us and disabled us one by one in a quick flick of a second. When we came to, we were paralyzed, and we saw him and Master Mahakdu arguing about something. He killed him after a few minutes and left us there to witness it all,” He paused for a second and continued. ”He used some kind of ability that made him walk in the dark to appear and reappear. He also used pins and threads to attack his enemies with great precision. The poison gave us a state of being numb and unable to really process our senses.”

”With all due respect SIR, I think you might be having hallucinations in your poisoned state. One of the potent poisons invented by the Master Sibara can cause delusions of dangerous proportions so maybe it has impeded your eyes at the time. No one can master the Shadow Step and the same goes with the Phantom Bite!”

”Oh… so that's what it's called…” replied Major Camyl. ”I've heard of this Shadow Step and this Phantom Bite. It's a myth in the Sibara Clan, right? It is fabled to be the techniques of the Great Sibara himself. Together with his legendary Floating Daggers?”

”Yes Ma'am, but it isn't a myth, it is true. Those are the techniques created by Sibara himself. He taught those skills to his son, though he never taught it to anyone after him, that's why no one can master them much as to mimic it to be able to use it in battle. Sure, some can demonstrate it but it's just for jest, nothing more than a good party trick. The Great Sibara knew how dangerous it is. He kept it to himself so that no one else could ever use it again for evil like his son who mutilated so many innocent people in that nightmarish Elven Rebellion.”

”Yes, Lieutenant Tarni but apparently he did and Yiv knew,” replied the captain with a very deep frustrated tone. ”I don't know why. I don't know how but it seems that Prince Kayzar also knew of this Phantom Bite. He used it on me but not that effectively. I know there is a connection between them and I'm going to find out one way or the other.”

”Oh, you better stop that thought Captain,” the Major reprimanded as she sat beside her broadsword, caressing the blade, as she continued. ”You best keep your presumptions to yourself. This kind of talk would lead you to contempt and even a cause for treason if it creeps to an ill-eared shadow. It has been an enjoyable talk, but it feels as though I'm betraying my principles in joining this conversation even if it is in confidence. I respect your opinion, Captain, but I'm afraid that if you continue to pursue that idea, I might just report you to Master. I know you understand our duty and our oath to Grand Prince Artemus. Or have you forgotten?”

”I'm sorry Major,” he bowed low with a serious face, ”it won't happen again.”

”You're right it won't!” spring Tarni furious, ”If worst comes to worst, I will personally put out my halberd down your throat if you ever try to taint Prince Kayzar's name again. It is our duty to defend them from all things even from destructive rumors such as that.”

”I'm sorry it is not what I intended to…”

”Shhh… someone's coming,” interrupted the Major scootching closer to her broadsword with its blade half buried is in the ground.

The two guards stood up to watch the surrounding. Major Camyl knelt and pulled out her arm then gently touched the face of the blade as if feeling any vibrations. She then closed her eyes and concentrated for a few seconds.

”Ten? Twenty? No. thirty-five?” mumbled the Major.

”uhm… come again?” Lieutenant Tarni inquired with a puzzled face.

The Major stood up and pulled her broadsword. ”I think there are a lot of people marching in on us in every direction.”

”Do you think they called in the troops? Hahaha… Those rascals,” replied Lieutenant Tarni smiling as she prepares her Halberd.

A very fast arrow flew in their direction that almost hit Tarni's left cheek.

”Whoa-ho-ho! They're getting personal there!” she said grinning as if nothing happened.

”I don't like this ma'am. I sense an elemental presence at work,” said Gab.

”Yes, I feel it too. A high-level element is activating somewhere there…” Major Camyl said pointing due their north-east. ”…they clearly went for help, although they can't reach the Palace and be back here in such a short amount of time…”

”Maybe they saw a Nagozulian party patrolling and enlisted their help…” said Lieutenant Tarni trying to explain what is amassing in their north-east which they feel is a very dangerous elemental build-up from about ten or fifteen Nagozulians channeling their elemental energies.