A Stab In The Heart

[StaffSgtSkunk]

For days on end there was always a question the lingered in Zeo's mind that he couldn't answer, Why did Larick attack him that night near the Burning Troll Inn. As the hours went by he decided to take a stroll out of Cear and towards the Two Bridges. The weather was kinda chilly but it wasn't windy as he walked the path towards the Two Bridges.

As Zeo approached one of the bridges he lent over the barriers and started to look down into the water. He reflected what has happened in the past and what he was going to do about the ones that needed to be repaired. The sound of birds from a near by tree could be heard as he stared into the water, something about the ripples and the movement of the water relaxed him. However it wasn't long before everything fell silent.

He closed his eyes and he started to think of things that he was going to do. He smiled ever so slightly upon thinking of the cure for his sister Angelica, he knew that there must be some sort of cure out there. He changed his mind to think of Cel and chuckled slightly while now smiling, thinking on how much he liked her made him feel slightly warm.

Zeo shook his head as that can wait, one of these day he will ask her but not now. First thing first he had to sort out a cure for Angelica. After a few moments of thinking about moments of his past his mind cleared upon hearing a voice he recognized.

“Well, if it isn't the pretty boy”

The voice was very brute like, quite deep and somewhat boss like came from behind him. Zeo grinned slightly upon hearing the voice but kept his head down and his eyes closed.

“I see you haven't had enough yet”

Slowly but steadily Zeo stops leaning over the barriers of the bridge and stands up straight. His new armor gleamed in the sun light as a bright white, the golden trims glowed slightly as well but not as bright as the white.

“When will you bandits learn”

He turned to the brute but something wasn't right as even with his eyes still closed he could feel it. Upon opening he could see what looked like 15 different bandits on both sides of him, all wearing different styles of leather, scale and chain armor as well as different weapons. This was bad as Zeo took the sheath off from his belt and held it in his left hand. The brute's metal gloves pointed a finger at Zeo as he grinned.

“This time, your gonna be the one who dies”

His voice sounded strong and determined as it hit Zeo's ears like a sound wave hitting objects along its travel. The brute had a different weapon this time as he took it over from his shoulders and into his hands. It was a huge war-hammer the was nearly the size of Zeo, it wasn't really much of a special one as it was mostly black and it looked more like a over sized smithing hammer.

Zeo readied himself to dodge or move out of the way of this brutes hammer, a direct hit will defiantly injurer him badly or worse. The brute went for a horizontal strike as he prepared his swing moving his body greatly to the left. Zeo stood there like as if he wasn't bothered about the brute. The handle of the blade pointing towards the floor as he was prepared to dodge.
The brute started to swing this giant hammer towards Zeo with immense speed, this slightly caught Zeo off guard as he didn't expect it to be coming at him that fast. He narrowly dodge the hammer as he jumped over the hammer, inches between him and the weapon as it went by. Within seconds after that swing the brute tried again but this time it was coming straight down on Zeo. You could hear speed of the hammer as it whizzes through the air.

Zeo saw this was coming as when he was training he was learning to link his attacks up together and he just simple sidestepped the weapon. The hammer crashed into the wooden planks of the bridge, breaking each one it came in contact with, however it was stuck wedged in. Zeo stood on top of the hammer and bowed down slightly to the brute with both hands behind his back.

“Your going to have to do better than that”

He chuckled as he started to intimidate the brute before stepping off and walking slightly towards the group of other bandits. With both hands behind his back still the handle of his blade still facing the floor. The brute now angered let out a loud battle cry before yanking his hammer out of the bridge as he went for another horizontal swing at Zeo.

“I WILL MAKE YOU EAT YOUR WORDS”

His voice was loud and could easily be recognized as angered. The swing was almost at Zeo's side within seconds but Zeo let out a slight chuckle and responded with and attack. The blade fell into his hands as he directed his swing towards the hammer, a vertical slice to destroy the hammer. It splitting into two pieces that flew past Zeo's sides as his blade touched the floor. He sniggered as he slowly walked towards the brute with one hand behind his back holding his sheath upwards, the other holding the blade outwards to his left.

The brute stood there frozen in fear like ice as Zeo made his way closer. He was now next to him and Zeo closed his eyes and muttered the words “Big mistake” to the brute. For once the brute was speechless as he was still shocked from what happened. Zeo opened his eyes with a slight grin on his face as he raised his blade towards his face, a few moments passed before Zeo swung at the brute. Everything just seemed to have frozen to Zeo for a few seconds as he took a few steps forward with his blade covered slightly in blood.

He wiped it clean before placing it slowly inside its sheath as by this point he moved the sheath back next to him but still holding it. When it clicked in the sound triggered the damage that happened to the brute, his head slowly slid of from the body it was once attached to. As the head hit the floor the nerves made the remains of the brute fall over the barriers of the bridge and into the water.

However Zeo could still feel that feeling as something still wasn't right, a voice that was all to familiar to him. The voice was very close to Zeo's heart and as he turned around he saw the person with a shocked face to who it was.

“Well, you pretty good at cleaning up my mess brother . . . . . . ”

[StaffSgtSkunk]

Zeo stood there in shock as he couldn't believe who it was as his eyes gazed upon the person. It was Larick as he was sat on the barriers of the bridge with one leg knelt up and the other swinging back and forth, he had one of his hands on the barrier as the other one was relaxed across his knelt leg. He looked into the water where the body of the brute was before he looked at Zeo with a evil grin on his face.

“I have to say, your handy with that blade brother”

Larick hoped off the barrier and walked slowly towards the center of the bridge with both hands on his hips. His short swords where in there holsters as his armor was a mixture of leather and chain. Zeo shook his head and walked slightly forwards towards him as his prepared himself for an attack. Larick turned his body to face Zeo and he pulled his short swords out from there holsters.

“This time you wont get lucky, you will die by my hands”

Upon the those words he charged towards Zeo with immense speed again just like the night they met, however Zeo couldn't attack him as they where brothers. Larick went for a quick stab towards Zeos chest but it was quickly dodged as Zeo rolled out of the way. Larick's back was towards Zeo as he chuckled.

“Zeo, Zeo, Zeo, your so week you wont even attack me” His body turned to face Zeo.

“I can tell”

Zeo grinned slightly as he was right, he couldn't attack back due to him being his own brother. He clenched his fists as his gaze never left Larick. Larick just chuckled at him as he ran and jumped in the air, Laricks swords were aiming at Zeo's shoulders. Lucky enough for Zeo he managed to dodge them but only just as one of the blades scraped his armor.

Swing after swing Zeo tried to dodge but yet again Larick was just way to fast, some could be dodged but others hit him taking pieces of armor off or wounding him. The fight was still going as it must have been a hour when they started, Zeo was looking in bad shape with most of his armor destroyed and with cuts and wounds almost everywhere on his body.

He had a deep cut across his right arm, his chest and legs both filled with cuts. His head has been struck as a small cut dripped out blood. It started to rain as they both looked at each other like a child waiting for something. Larick just stayed there and chuckled as the rain drops touched his armor and disappearing. By this point Zeo was struggling to carry on due to the wounds he has been inflicted, his blade was now back on his belt as he held his left arm.

The rain made the blood wash off like wet paint in water. Small puddles of blood was scattered across the bridge in different places, Larick pointed one of his swords at Zeo before speaking again as Zeo lowered his head.

“Pathetic, your week just like our father”

His voice was harsh to Zeos ears like someone getting hit by a flying bolder. Deep down it hurt him to know that Larick hated there father as well as him.

“Our father was just a pathetic little child like you” Larick prepared himself for the final attack.

“He wasn't strong like me to protect anyone, yet you still follow his foot steps”

He paused for a moment as he grinned at him, evil filled his eyes.

“You cant' save our sister Angelica, brother, shes a blood sucking monster”

His words echoed through Zeo as he ran towards him with the swing ready for the final blow. Larick was half way before Zeo took his blade with his left hand and ran towards him as well. Everything seemed to be slow for Zeo as his anger took over upon hearing the words of Larick. As they met each other they both swung and stopped only a few steps apart.

Moments past as Zeo and Larick stood back up with nothing happening as not even a signal showed who won. Larick chuckled out load before laughing.

“Well done . . . . brother”

Larick dropped his swords as he fell to his knees.

“You can't save her . . . . you need to kill her”

His voice sounded like it was fading away but Zeo didn't move. His blade was beginning to be put back into its sheath. As the blade clicked back into it sheath Larick fell to the floor with a thudding sound. Zeo cried a little as he knew that Larick was his brother but after a few seconds standing he also fell but only to one knee. Larick got a lucky hit on him slicing again across his chest leaving a gaping wound bleeding out.

Zeo looked up as he could see the bandits surrounding him getting closer with each little step. This wasn't good at all, he needed help and fast but being on the two bridges a guards help didn't seem likely. The rain didn't help his wounds ether as the blood was slowly running out of the wound and onto the floor around him.

(((OOC - Feel free to post now)))

[StaffSgtSkunk]

It was night by this point as the bandits that he was surrounded started to make there move on him. One by one they went to attack him. With what last strength Zeo had he deflected as many attack as he could but with an arm out of action and getting weak by the second he couldn't keep it up. He did mange to take down two of the bandits but that was it.

As Zeo's vision blurred and his breathing getting heavier with each breath he fell to his knee's, dropping his blade as well. He couldn't fight any more with all of the wounds that he has been inflicted and the amount of blood he has lost. One of the bandits went for the attack as he charged towards Zeo with his sword was in the air.

Zeo closed his eyes and waited for the blow that would end his life however, it seemed like it never came as Zeo just waited. Zeo felt someone's arms lift his heavy body from his knees and was being dragged somewhere. It couldn't have been the bandits as they wanted him dead, he could hear the bandits fade away in the distance but he couldn't open his eyes. Eventually passing out after hearing the words “hang in there”.

When he awoke he was no longer in his armor and was laid down on the floor next to a camp-fire. Upon checking himself he could feel what felt like bandages covering his chest, arms and legs. As he tried to rise up to sit up he could still feel the pain of the wounds, he mange to sit up right as he felt arms slightly behind him.

Upon looking over his shoulder he saw part of a face he recognised. The arms didn't move away from him but more like around him, gently holding him. A face was then resting on his right shoulder gently as it spoke.

“You know, you should be more careful Zeo”

A very childish giggle was let out as Zeo recognised who this person was. It was Angelica but what was she doing around there at night. Zeo smiled slightly but that soon vanished as the pain in moving was too mush for him to hide. Angelica let go of him as she made her way to sit next to the fire place, the glow lighting her vampire like features.

“You need to rest, your wounds are too deep for you to be doing anything”

Her voice was still very child like but also seemed a bit manipulating upon fresh ears. Zeo looked at her and tried to rise to his feet but the pain was over whelming as he let out a series of painful moans. Angelica quickly took hold of him and laid him back down at the same spot. Her eyes were on his but Zeo didn't look.

“Have you . . “

He paused as he waited for a response from her breathing slightly heavy. She shook her head slightly as she moved some of his hear out of his face.

“I haven't, no, I can cope for tonight”

She gave a warm smile at him before kissing him slightly on the head. Zeo started to does of into a sleep as his eyes were feeling heavy, the last thing he saw was the fire glowing off her skin.

“Sleep well Zeo”

Angelica gently but slowly placed his head down as she vanished within the trees.