The History of Darius

[Tiber]

(I figured I might as well contribute to the Demon Guardian's library...Heres a story that I made about 2 years ago (ive gotten better since), telling the tale of Darius's begining with the Gerudo Elite clan. I posted it at Shadow Council and White Fire and those who were able to read through the whole thing said it was a good read, so if you got time go for it.)

NOTICE before reading: I do realize that this is a ginormous story by dc standards, and I have made chapters to give you a little breather rather than solid text lol. And also, before you start to think to yourself about how lame the names of characters and clans are, please do be patient. All were actual clans, or people in the clans. Read the notes at the end of the story when finished and they will explain my reasoning behind them. And if you find any spelling/grammatical errors while reading please do let me know so I can change it. I’m not much of an editor and spellcheck is only so good lol. So without further delay, here’s the story of Darius.



The Gerudo Elite


CHAPTER 1

The matchlocks exploded to life overpowering the screams from the camp that were caught in the middle of it all. King Darius watched with pleasure as his soldiers rained down death on the small circle of tents that Pentagram called a camp. The catch was not as big as he had hoped, but every Pentagram scum he an his fighters could rid the desert of was progress.
The matchlocks finished their bursts, letting a silence fall upon the small field of battle. All of his soldiers looked up towards Darius who stood high on a sand dune that overlooked the lowly camp. He pointed his matchlock upwards and waited for the shot to be fired into the sky. When it did his raiders collapsed their circle around the camp, charging in swords drawn for the cleanup. Not much of the action could be seen but he could hear the screams of a few men, if they could be called that. The Pentagram scum were, as far as Darius was concerned, not human at all. They were the darkest of clans, and somewhat powerful as well. The Gerudo Elite were by far the closest clan on the map, thus making it their job to keep the darkness from spreading. In head to head battle the Gerudo Elite would likely not have stood much of a chance against the numbers and dark ways of Pentagram. However Darius’s clan was not alone. A handful of the strongest clans in the realm had decided to back their efforts, giving them the supplies they needed to survive in the heart of the desert, and more importantly, wage war. They were merely the puppets of the powerhouse clans and nothing else. If Darius was ever to exterminate Pentagram he knew the supplies would stop coming, and his clan would wither in the heat of the desert. And so he found himself trying to buy every day of supplies he could, walking the fine line between exterminating Pentagram and letting them get too strong. Either would spell the doom of his clan.
The raiders down below had successfully ravaged the camp and killed every living thing inside. One of his soldiers came running up the steep dune to report. The soldier took a moment to gain his breath, then began to speak. “King Darius, the camp was civilian, with only a couple guards who were for the most part taken down in the matchlock volley.”
Darius inquired further, “Was anyone lost?”
The soldier wiped the sweat off his brow thinking, “We lost one sir, one of the fresh recruits. Dudley I think it was. Only nine years old.”
Darius shook his head discouraged. He didn’t mind loosing a soldier, but it was much easier not to know their age. In fact he preferred not to know anything about the soldier that died. Everyone in his army was so young. Darius himself was the clan elder at the age of sixteen.
“Alright, thank you. Have the soldiers wrap things up and grab anything of value. We are heading back to the Fortress.”
The soldier nodded and began a slow decent back down the dune.
Darius turned towards his right. Aidan stood there staring down at the camp, his stern expression seemingly always set in stone. Aidan and Darius were regarded as the two main authoritative figures in the clan. Aidan was only fifteen, but both of them far out aged most of the clan members. Both had earned their respect in the clan through different ways. Darius was of the clan’s royal bloodline, thus making him King when his father died, and Aidan had always been Darius’s best friend, and he was arguably the fiercest fighter in the clan, only rivaled by his little brother Linaius. Darius and Aidan were the only two people in the Gerudo Elite who remembered Pentagram’s first raid on the clan Fortress. Darius was eight and Aidan seven when both of their fathers, as well as every other person old enough to handle a weapon was slaughtered in the halls of the fortress. Darius was to be killed as well, to exterminate the royal bloodline, but Aidan fought fiercely to defend him, and the Pentagram leader, Tyler, a fiend of a man took a sadistic pity on both of them, letting them live along with all of the other children in the fortress. Darius was still unsure what Tyler’s motivation was, being that if he had killed everyone he wouldn’t have the challenges with the Gerudo Elite that he did now.
Once the raiders were all gathered Darius congratulated them on their success, and promised them all the drinks they wanted when they returned to the fortress. If nothing else, his allies were very good about supplying a variety of drinks.
“Darius, we brought a few bodies along, I figured my brother might be able to put them to use like usual.”
Darius smiled at Aidan as they rode back towards the Fortress.
“I don’t want to attract vultures this time alright? Tell Linaius to only put them up for a couple days. Long enough for the Pentagram scouts to see.”
Aidan nodded, his hard, dark face continued staring forwards.
“Aidan, you should speak with Linaius about the joy he takes in displaying the bodies outside. It is quite disturbing.” Darius let out a small chuckle hoping that Aidan would figure out he was joking. A rare smile crept over Aidan’s face. “I wouldn’t take that away from him. If we were to deny him that he may actually have to work hard on something else around the fortress.”
Darius let his laugh go out. A rare joke by Aidan was something that he treasured. The men on camels and horses around them began to chuckle as well. Aidan slipped back into his quiet stern self once the joke had passed, and they continued to ride on.
The Fortress doors opened wide upon their arrival. The two great wooden doors were nothing impressive to the eye, but they had made the difference many times in the Gerudo Elite’s early days. Those doors had repelled many of Pentagrams attacks over and over. Even at a young age Linaius was a brilliant builder and manager of the fort. All aspects of the fortress were under his direction. He designed the Fortress, and basically built it from the ruins that Pentagram had left them to die in.
As Darius walked into his room he threw his equipment on the floor. There were too few people in the Fortress to waste anyone as a squire or servant, and Darius liked it that way. He preferred to be responsible for his own equipment. Looking towards his desk he noticed a scroll laying on the wood’s edge, close to falling off. It was immaculately packaged, with a silk tie keeping it bundled up. Undoing the tie Darius rolled out the scroll. A grim smile spread over his face as he read each word. Grabbing the scroll in his hands he rushed out of the room to join his friends at the tavern.
The Fortress was rather small compared to what he had heard from other clan’s ambassadors. He longed to see these immaculate castles that the great clans of the realm called home. Aidan was the only person in the clan to have ever seen beyond the desert, to the green lands outside. When asked upon his return back to the desert what the green world was like, he said in a rather disinterested voice that it wasn’t that much different. The sky was the same, and the air was different. There were hills of green rather than dunes of sand, and every once in a while there was a tree protruding out of the ground. Most everyone was discouraged by Aidan’s cold assessment that day, but Darius’s curiosity was further fueled.
After the short walk through the Fortress, Darius came to the tavern doors. Ambassadors had always found it strange that children so young were drinking so freely. They were told Darius, Aidan, and a handful of others were the only ones who would even have a chance of getting a drink in a large city tavern. Despite their confusion though, the ambassadors always made it a point to bring more ale every visit. They never wanted to see Linaius without a drink nearby. The kid was addicted from the age of eight, and his already foul temper was worsened ten-fold without a drink.
The moment Darius walked in the door the tavern erupted in a frenzy. Everyone raised their glasses as they did after most victories. It was their congratulatory salute to their leader. It also helped the mood that Darius had elected to pay for all of the drinks. Though he wouldn’t actually pay, he would ask the next Ambassador to come their way to bring extra ale, thus making up the difference to the tavern. After waving off the applause at his entrance, Darius spotted his friends sitting at a table in the corner. Making his way through the jumble of tables and full chairs, he finally sat down at the desired table. He looked at the three people in front of him with a smile.
“I’m going to have to do a lot of convincing to make up for all the ale that is to be consumed tonight.”
Linaius smiled widely and lifted his mug to his mouth, taking a few gulps, then set it back down on the table. “There is plenty of reason to celebrate! We will have those pentagram assholes dead in no time!”
There was a mildly amused laugh from the fourth member of the table, sitting besides Aidan.
“Shadow Raven is going to be expecting us to finish them off. It seems that we will be forced to end this soon.”
Darius nodded towards Ray. “Indeed. That’s why I’m glad all three of you are here. I got this.”
Lifting up his right hand Darius produced a scroll, which unrolled across the table in front of Aidan. The sober and serious second in command picked up the scroll laid in front of him and read without a change of expression. Ray and Linaius on either side of him both leaned over to read. Darius watched each of their faces with interest. This was their version of a High Council meeting. Ale in hand the four of them always poured over the latest events and decided together what was best to do. Each of them had their own talents, making them a harmonious and efficient group to lead the clan. Darius was the politician and a decent general with enough charisma to lead the clan, Aidan was a quiet and strong warrior who shadowed Darius and helped him in military decisions, acting as the group’s rock. Linaius was the fiery keeper of the Fortress who kept things in order and made sure nothing ever happened, and Ray was the master of resources and weapons. He could make weapons that would give even the ambassadors from other clans who looked down at the Gerudo Elite as savages, shake their heads in wonderment at what he could make. Word even had it that Ray had a new toy in the works. He would never tell them as he always had a flare for suspense, but whatever he made was always sure to be useful. He also was a great manager of supplies. He made the fortress work by making sure there was always a reserve of water and food, just in case their allies ever missed a shipment. Ray was the youngest of the group, just twelve, one year younger than Linaius. He was somewhat the odd man out in the group, as Darius, Aidan, and Linaius had been friends for all of their lives. Ray had been recruited not too long after Pentagram killed the adults. He had been found wandering the desert near dead. He said he had been part of a nomad tribe before a clan attacked. They figured it to be Pentagram, and from that point on Ray lived to get revenge on the dark clan. He was not much of a fighter, but he settled for getting his revenge by supplying an army that would defeat Pentagram. Ray was always heavily sought after by the allied clans. All four of them could be assets, but Ray especially. He could truly be something if he was to leave the desert, but he chose to stay put and fight his war against Pentagram. Darius could barely understand it, but he appreciated Ray’s determination nonetheless.
Aidan was the first to finish the scroll, setting it back down on the table and looking up at Darius. “I’m not sure what to make of it. If we cripple Pentagram then we will have no choice but to go in for the finishing blow.”
Darius nodded. “Shadow Raven has given us this information and already has an army on the way. They have made the move for us.”
Linaius finished reading and chimed in, “How in the world could they know this? And more importantly how in the hell does Pentagram have that many men?”
Ray asked with hesitation, “Darius, Aidan, you guys said they had nothing to fight you with.”
Aidan broke in before Darius could answer, “I’m not too sure how they have as many people as this letter says, but if it is true it’s hard to believe that they have held them back all this time after we raided all those camps. We have them down to just their Keep and a few small camps nearby, I think they would have tried to stop us at some point.” There were a few moments of silence as all of them digested the facts, waiting for someone to have a theory that would explain it all. Darius was the only one to speak, “This is all too much to figure out with what we know at the moment. All we can do for now is prepare for Pentagram’s attack, and ask Shadow Raven for more information upon their arrival.”
There was a consensus nod as Darius stood up, waved goodbye to his friends and walked towards the bar.
Behind the counter the frantic barkeep struggled to keep pace with the orders. She was small, only thirteen years of age, and quite beautiful for her age. Darius as well as almost every other man knew she would turn out to be the most desired woman in the fortress. Her parents had run the tavern before Pentagram’s attack, and like all the other adults were killed. The girl felt it was her responsibility to carry on her parent’s simple legacy of great ale and greater kindness. Unfortunately she was not endowed with the kindness of her parents. Most of the time she was quick to judgment and very quick to fists. She could brawl with most of the men in the tavern, which only made her that more attractive.
Darius leaned over the bar with a smile, looking down at her as she crouched for some bottles under the counter.
“So it seems you are keeping pretty busy Senna.”
She recognized his voice quickly and looked over her shoulder with a fierce stare.
Darius knew the reaction he would receive, but always enjoyed getting under her skin.
The short barkeep leapt to her feet and reached across the counter at Darius. Unlike most people she was not intimidated by his title.
Senna’s hands came up just short as Darius stepped back laughing.
She looked up frustrated, almost looking as if she would jump across the counter. “What’s the big idea!? Are you trying to put me out of business?”
Darius continued laughing as he pulled up a seat at the bar knowing Senna would no longer attack. “It’s called a morale boost. And don’t worry, you will be compensated.”
Her face eased a bit as Darius continued. “Shadow Raven’s army is coming here in two days. There’s going to be a huge fight against Pentagram. I will tell them then to bring more ale for you. Should be a week at most until you will have more ale than you can handle.
Senna stood back on her heels wide eyed staring at Darius. “It’s almost over then?”
Darius smiled politely to let her know that she was not entitled to know that, but it was a yes none the less. They had had enough of those types of conversations in their past. He could trust Senna not to spread the word, and it kept him on her good side.
A mob of soldiers from further down the counter started hollering for Senna. She hollered right back in a booming scream “I’ll be right there! I’m talking with Darius if you couldn’t see!”
The young king smiled getting up once again from his chair. “You should attend to your patrons. I need to go talk with Brekke anyways.”
Senna’s eyes rolled at that name every time, and this was no exception. Darius knew that Senna was jealous. Though she was dedicated to the tavern and carrying on for her parents, she could easily trade it all for the chance to be Queen of the Gerudo Elite. However that role was filled by Darius’s recent marriage to his childhood friend Brekke. She was equal in beauty to Senna, but one of the few members that was Darius’s age. Many believed that was the reason Darius chose her over Senna, but it was really because she was a kinder, less fiery soul, a better fit to be a leader of a clan consisting of children.
As Darius left the tavern and headed back to his room, his thoughts turned towards the coming fight with Pentagram. Two days was awfully short notice for Shadow Raven to give. However Darius trusted them, and regarded them as the Gerudo Elite’s only true ally. Other than Pentagram they were the closest clan, resting right on the edge of the desert. They could be considered a powerhouse in the world, and were famous for their airborne divisions, consisting of Dragons, Griffons, and their signature unit, massive birds that shared the clan’s name, Shadow Raven. Of all their aerial units Darius had only seen a griffon once. One of the first visits from one of their ambassadors had been by griffon. However when the majestic creature had been tied up outside the fortress, Linaius had found it scary and deemed it threatening enough to kill it. Darius had to spend a lot of time convincing the ambassador that Linaius was just very serious about the Fortress and was simply scared by the beast. Luckily the incident was not bad enough for Shadow Raven to sever all ties, but that ambassador never came to visit again. Darius and Aidan made it a point to give Linaius a hard time about that at every opportunity.
Walking into his room Darius felt warmth that was not there previously. It was a feeling impossible to explain, but he could only conclude that it was the feeling any new husband gets when his wife is near. He would have to ask one of the ambassadors about that soon. The whole idea of love was new to the Gerudo Elite. The current generation was just now old enough to start experimenting, as it was the ambassadors’ unlucky job to tell them what to do. It was a very jolly and very round ambassador who first told the group about sex. It was no doubt one of the biggest mistakes he ever made, as all of the clan was abuzz with the new idea, which had never dawned on them before. Darius, seeing the ambassador’s fear at the prospect of young children trying to reproduce, understood and made a ban on any activity of the sort. Creating future generations of Gerudo Elite members was not as high on his list as keeping the respect of his allies. Darius and Brekke however were almost elected to be the first to reproduce. Darius was unsure of the idea and he felt that Brekke was not very comfortable with it either. They were torn between their own wishes and that of what the clan seemed to want. However their choice would have to be their own in such a personal matter. The ambassadors told Darius that a few more years of maturity and more knowledge on the subject would be a good idea.
“Darius, I heard that your raid went well.”
The young king smiled slightly looking to his side where Brekke sat in a chair fidgeting with a piece of paper in her hands. “We lost one boy, nine years old…” Brekke looked down solemnly waiting for Darius to continue.
“…But other than him everyone came out alright. The camp was a minor one, not like the scouts thought.”
Brekke nodded with a sort of disinterest. Conversations were always awkward after a raid, as Brekke cared nothing for battle yet wanted to know what happened. Looking to shift the conversation Darius pointed towards the paper in Brekke’s hand. “What do you have there? Looks official.”
Brekke nodded slowly staring down at the piece of paper, contemplating her thoughts to put them into words as clear as she could. “Darius, Tyler wants to meet you.”
There was a moment of silence as the Darius took it in slowly. “Tyler….the leader of Pentagram….the one who almost killed all of us….he wants to talk to me? Where? When?”
Brekke knew Darius would work himself into a frenzy at the information. “Calm down Darius. He wants to meet tomorrow, just south of the camp you attacked last week. It says he will send two riders to the fortress to escort you to the location. You can bring two of your own for security.”
Darius’s mind raced. “What does he want to talk about?”
“….It dosent say Darius.”
It became clear in Darius’s mind as to what Tyler’s intentions were.
“He means to assassinate me. Shadow Raven has given me information that Pentagram is going to throw everything they have at us in two days. We along with Shadow Raven could handle the attack, but Tyler means to take me out of the picture and maybe demoralize the clan before the battle….It seems far too simple though for a man as twisted as Tyler.”
Brekke rolled her eyes and stood up, “Stop worrying, he likely means to try and surrender before he uses everything he has in the attack.”
Darius shook his head, “No, Tyler wouldn’t surrender to us. He has the darkest of hearts, he will spend everything he has to kill us after we proved his expectations wrong.”
The two went on through the night mulling over the possibilities, but by the time they went to sleep one thing was certain, Darius had to meet him.

[Tiber]

CHAPTER 2

Sitting on the warm stone floor by the front gate, Darius could not help but let his mind settle on the worst possibilities. Naturally the worst option was that he would be killed during the meeting, or possibly afterwards, but certainly not before. Tyler would want to at least see Darius before destroying him. The young king found himself wondering why at all he would even agree to this meeting. What would they possibly talk about? Pentagram would not want to negotiate with the Gerudo Elite, and Darius’s clan felt the same way towards Pentagram. The only option was for one to destroy the other.
His thoughts were broken however as Aidan and Linaius stopped walking and stood in front of him looking down expectantly. Aidan put his hand out to help Darius up. “Their riders are waiting. Just as they said, two of them.”
Darius nodded and stood up, shaking the dirt off of his pants. “Are you two ready to go?”
Aidan and Linaius looked at each other quickly as the younger spoke up, “Yeah, we are all good to go, and the horses are ready as well.”
Darius nodded once again approvingly. “Good, lets get going then.”
When the trio made their way outside they were confronted by two riders dressed in complete black. Darius was repulsed at one of the rider’s face. It was completely gray and covered with veins. His small piercing eyes shifted back and forth between the young trio. Darius spoke towards that rider, “We are ready, lead the way.” The ugliest one of the two made a sickly smile and turned his horse around without a word and began to ride away. His partner who actually looked passable as a human being stared coldly at the youth and followed along. Darius, Aidan, and Linaius all exchanged glances as their own horses proceeded to follow. The two brothers were far from scared, and almost looked forward to the meeting. Their fighting skills were as far as they knew, unrivaled by Pentagram, and they each enjoyed killing as many of the vile creatures as they could. Even the stoic Aidan could be a savage killer when he was engaged in a fight. It was certainly a sight to behold when he was like that.
The ride was not nearly as long as Darius had expected it to be. It seemed that they had only just lost sight of the fortress when his eyes set upon a small spot in the distance. Situated on top of a sand dune sat a small shade formed by four wooden poles held together by a cloth. Under the shade produced, was a small table and two chairs. One of which was occupied. The group reached their target after an awkward journey through the sand below the meeting area. Darius knew that Tyler watched his every movement from above, and Darius for his own part could not help but stare back at the blackened figure above him.
Darius stood behind the empty chair as Aidan and Linaius stood behind him on either side. Tyler’s two guards did the same. The pentagram leader was wrapped completely in a black cloak, not revealing any skin. However after a moment of silence a withered gray hand reached out from the blackness and motioned for Darius to take a seat. The young king complied, slowly taking a seat and resting his elbows on the light wooden table between them.
“Alright Tyler. What business do you have to discuss?”
Almost immediately a deep cackling voice crept out from the robes to answer, “I wanted to see for myself young Darius before I killed him.”
The king felt tempted to tell Tyler he had no chance in the coming battle, but quickly thought better of it.
“How exactly do you plan on killing me? Those two guards of yours don’t look that tough, and you seem to have seen better days.”
Tyler let out a cackle that chilled Darius to the bone, “I don’t intend to kill you here young Darius. I know about Linaius and Aidan. These two behind me are nowhere near their caliber.”
Darius’s eyes widened. He did not look back at Aidan or Linaius but could sense their surprise. The brutes behind Tyler did not look insulted by their leader’s grading.
“No Darius, It would be rather pointless to kill you out here where nobody can witness.”
Darius smiled continuing to play dumb. “So the only other way is a military attack right?”
There was a moment of silence as Tyler brought both of his repulsive hands up to his covered head. Slowly he removed the hood and other materials that disguised him. Darius almost threw up at the face in front of him. Tyler had been truly mutilated by the dark arts. The Pentagram leader smiled widely, letting Darius see his face clearly before covering it up once again. Darius was unclear what this short gesture meant; wither or not Tyler was confirming his beliefs.
Darius did not need to ponder any long though, as Tyler spoke once again from his covered face.
“Yes Darius, I will kill you. One way or another.”
The young king began to regain his composure, “You still have not told me how you plan on eradicating me.”
“Well Darius, what fun would that be. I want you to live in fear.”
“You have nothing to back up your claims Tyler. You can’t touch my army or me. We have almost wiped out your clan.”
Tyler was no doubt grinning widely under his covers but Dairus could not be sure.
“Darius…do you know why we let you live in the first place? We could have killed you all along with your parents and saved a lot of trouble.”
Darius contemplated what to say for a moment, but when he could not figure out the right answer Tyler spoke up for him. “It is because I live to cause terror. There is nothing more invigorating than having a life in the palm of your hand. I don’t destroy it immediately, but rather toy with it, make it fear and worship me at the same time. Then when I feel that I have had enough fun, I crush it. That Darius, is your life story. It has been exhilarating for me. I never imagined that you would all put up such a fight. But now the fun is over. It is time to draw my hand tight, and squeeze the life out of you and the Gerudo Elite.”
Darius was not entirely surprised at Tyler’s motive, but he was none the less repulsed. He was about to say something in response, though he was not entirely sure what, when Tyler suddenly stood up. Aidan and Linaius could be heard shuffling for their swords at the sudden motion, but Tyler held his hand up towards them gesturing that he had no intention of making a move.
“It has been a pleasure Darius. Linaius and Aidan as well. It was nice to see you all one last time.”
With that the dark leader lept onto his horse with surprising agility and motioned to his guards. As the three of them rode off Aidan growled, “We can kill them now Darius. Lets track them down!”
But as soon as that was said, Darius stood solemnly and faced them. “We can’t defeat him. He is stronger than he lets on. He could have killed us all right here if he wanted to.”
The two brothers were visibly taken back by their king’s revelation, but accepted it as it was. Linaius began to inquire towards their plans but Darius quieted him, “There is no use in discussing it now. I need time to think this over. We will talk it out with Ray when we get back to the fortress.
The sun was setting in the desert as the trio rode slowly back, without a word.

[Tiber]

CHAPTER 3

Pentagram’s attack on the fortress arrived just as Shadow Raven had reported it would. In the late afternoon the dark army had set up for a siege outside of the Gerudo Fortress walls.
Darius stood atop the main gate staring out upon the mass of black that blanketed sand in front of him. The Shadow Raven report said there would be near 10,000 Pentagram soldiers of different varieties involved, but there were clearly more. At first Darius had no idea how Pentagram could muster such a force, but it became clear as he stared out at the stiff mass. These soldiers were not living. He had heard once that Pentagram and other dark clans were know to have things called necromancers, but he never knew that the dark mages could conjure up this kind of undead force. Linaius stood Darius’s side, furious at the prospect that lay before them. “Where the hell is Shadow Raven! They plan on helping us right?”
Darius kept staring out calmly. “They should, and I would expect them to. But all we can do is hope. The battle has not started yet and we will be able to hold Pentagram off for a while.
Linaius surveyed the crowd, “Luckily they don’t seem to have anything to take down the gates. I guess they will just try to knock it down with their fists. Maybe we will be able to hold them off.”
Darius turned towards his companion and quickly asked, “How many able soldiers do we have again?”
Linaius replied instinctively “One-thousand, maybe a shade under. And that’s everyone who can carry a sword.”
Darius grimaced at the number. It was likely those undead mulling around outside were no more coordinated than the youngest of his soldiers, but he still did not like the numbers.
“Linaius go tend to the troops, you have seen all that you can up here.”
The young warrior looked at the king, curiously accepting his order and making his decent off the wall.
Darius continued to stare out at the mass, contemplating what could be done. Shadow Raven would come eventually. For all he knew they had already arrived and were waiting for the battle to start. That would be the best move. Despite their ally clan’s eagerness to help them, he was none the less disturbed by their gestures. Darius, Aidan, Linaius, nor Ray could figure out what was going on, but they knew that something was not as it seemed. Shadow Raven’s spies were good and Darius did not know much about their operations, but he doubted that Shadow Raven could have found out about the attack as quickly as they did. This undead army had literally risen from the sand. Darius wondered if it was actually possible that Shadow Raven had been deceived. Tyler had not made an effort to steer Darius’s suspicion away from an attack. Perhaps Pentagram meant for Shadow Raven and the Gerudo Elite to know about the attack ahead of time. But why? What could Pentagram have in their possession that could possibly destroy the Gerudo Elite as well as the Shadow Raven army, which far eclipsed both of the desert dwelling clans?
As the dark army in front of him began to shape up and move forward, Darius decided it would be impossible to comprehend the twisted mind of Tyler, and he would just have to roll with the punches rather than anticipate them. The knowledge alone that he was being played with would protect him from Pentagram’s plans.
Darius hurried down the stairs of the wall, and landed with a large thud that sent sand flying in every direction as he jumped the last few steps. He quickly sprung to his feet and began jogging over to where Linaius and Aidan stood. Darius had elected to put Aidan in charge of the soldiers for this battle. He could no longer trust his decision making for fear that Tyler would predict him. The safest thing would be for a new mind to assume the lead in this fight.
“They are moving Aidan, are you ready?
The tall dark haired warrior turned to him along with Linaius. “Yes Darius, everything is ready. We must hope that our ally makes good on their promise. The turn of this battle rests on them.”
Darius nodded in approval of Aidan’s assessment, “Will you try to hold the gates as long as you can? Or assault them directly.”
Aidan smiled at Darius’s concern over his decision making but before he could reply Linaius broke in, “Of course, we will confront them out front. Tyler would never expect that.”
Aidan patted his younger brother on the shoulder, “Calm down Linaius, we will wait until Shadow Raven appears before we mount our own attack. We are vastly outnumbered, and a good portion of our soldiers are very young. If our army is decimated then the Gerudo Elite’s future is in great danger.” Linaius scoffed at his brother’s decision and walked off mumbling
Darius and Aidan watched him leave as there was shouting from the wall above.
“They must be at the gate already. Not bad for dead soldiers.” Darius smirked.
Aidan looked up at the wall, which was holding just over sixty soldiers upon it. They all looked down at Aidan and Darius, eagerly awaiting the order to commence their attack. Aidan made an exaggerated nod to them as they all turned around and readied their matchlock rifles. One by one the matchlock’s boom burst into the air, soon forming into more rhythmic clusters of shots. Moans could be heard outside of the solid wood gates as undead soldiers one after another were knocked down by the force of the rifles. For the most part though the undead soldiers raised right back up and resumed their march to the gate. Aidan had expected that the rifles would do little to affect the crowd of undead, but it was better than nothing. As the matchlock men atop the wall continued their assault, going through matchlock after matchlock, Darius turned towards Aidan. “Hey, those are only one use matchlocks. Ray can only make so many. How about conserving some for later.”
Aidan turned an annoyed look towards Darius, and with a smirk he replied, “Have no fear. These matchlock rifles will be obsolete soon. Ray is very close to finishing his new weapon you know. The majority thinks that it is a new rifle design.”
Darius was about to scold Aidan for including mere rumors in his plan, but decided better. He had vowed to be as hands off as he could in this fight.
A voice bellowed from atop the gate, “Shadow Raven’s army has appeared!”
Darius and Aidan smiled at each other as they hurried up to the top of the wall. Upon reaching their destination they were greeted with the sight of a full Shadow Raven infantry division marching over the nearby sand dunes that sculpted the horizon.
Darius laughed with joy at the sight, “They have come to impress! I hadn’t expected them to bring this much.”
Aidan nodded in agreement also smiling from ear to ear. The unskilled mob of Pentagram undead could not see the oncoming army, as all of their efforts were focused on the unbending gate. Although it would not matter even if Pentagram saw the attack coming, as the trained swords of near equal numbers would have no problem destroying the dark mob.
“The tactics that Tyler is employing are horrid at best Darius. A plain infantry rush on our gate? No archers, no magi, no explosives?”
Darius could not help but agree with Aidan’s analysis, “Yes, it seems that Tyler has pulled his punches for this attack, and it is with an expendable army none the less. He wants us to win, but I don’t have the any idea why.”
An enormous piercing noise swept through the desert air at that moment. Darius and Aidan looked up to see what kind of animal could make that sound, and were instantly mesmerized by the sight of three gigantic black birds soaring towards the fortress.
Darius’s mouth hung open as his eyes followed the birds on their way. Each flap of their wings kicked sand up from the desert floor far below them. “Those must be the Shadow Ravens.”
There was no response from Aidan but Darius could see his head nod from the corner of his eyes. Both were rendered near speechless at the sight.
The gigantic birds were upon the enemy army in no time at all, swooping down and grabbing at handfuls of undead soldiers, lifting them into the air, flinging them across the sand or just shredding them into pieces on impact with the swinging talons. The matchlock men on the walls made their way down quickly as the Gerudo Elite infantry backed away from the gate area. The birds were swooping so low and close to the fortress that anyone on the walls would have a good chance to be blown off. There was also the chance that one of the birds could knock down the gate by accident. The undead army had not managed to even scratch the gate, but one flap of these bird’s wings seemed strong enough to blow all of Linaius’s work away effortlessly.
Darius had only heard stories about these birds. He knew that they were formidable, but he had never imagined that these kinds of beasts could exist. He was both enthralled by their power and terrified of their potential.
Aidan and Darius remained the only people on the wall, huddled down so that only the tops of their heads were visible, just enough to see what was going on.
The birds continued the hack and tear away at the defenseless mass until Shadow Raven’s own infantry division had gotten close enough. At that time the three ravens ascended and separated, giving the infantry room to clean up the decimated mob. Two of the ravens flew back the way they came without further action, while the third glided gently in circles around the fortress before finding a spot and descending inside of the cramped walls. This made Darius extremely nervous, as no doubt one misstep on the part of the bird could cause immense damage to the fortress’s structures.
Aidan turned towards him as they both stood up, now relieved of the wind.
“I think they want to talk to you Darius. Go meet with that bird’s rider. I can clean this up.”
Darius patted Aidan on the arm without even looking at him, still staring in the area where the bird settled. “Right, I will meet you at Senna’s afterward.”

[Tiber]

CHAPTER 4

Darius had arrived at the location where the Raven had landed, but could not find the rider or any trace of the beast.
“King Darius! The bird rider wants to talk to you! He’s over here!”
Darius turned towards a child running to him yelling at the top of his lungs pointing.
“Alright, lead me to them”
The skinny child looking to be about seven years of age brought the King only a few feet before two men confronted them. Both men smiled at the sight of Darius as one proceeded forward with his hand outstretched. Darius took his hand and shook it while introductions were made, “King Darius, I am Ambassador Noel, and this is Shadow Raven’s finest bird rider, Harper.”
Darius received a cold nod from the stunningly pale, well-dressed Raven rider, which he returned with slight smile.
“It is good to meet you both. That is an impressive animal you have, I never thought it possible for a bird to be so big and strong. It is graceful yet terrifying at the same time. It was truly mesmerizing to watch it fight.”
Noel turned to Harper with a smile, but the grim Raven Rider denied his request to entertain Darius, instead choosing to be silent. Noel cleared his throat of the awkward moment and turned towards Darius once again. “Haha! Harper is still focused on the battle. Normally he would be happy to talk about his Raven, you must understand how these things are, seeing as how you have Aidan!”
Noel began to laugh and Darius could not help but smile at the comparison of the two quiet warriors.
“Yes King Darius It is impressive indeed, and even more impressive when ridden perhaps you will get the chance someday. However we have arrived here for a different purpose King Darius…. could we talk somewhere?”
The young king smiled and motioned for them to follow. Noel obeyed but Harper stood in place, arms folded. “I will stay with my bird, if that is acceptable.”
Darius smiled, “By all means, do as you wish. And thank you again for your help.”
Harper nodded to them once again turning on his heel to walk away.
The walk to Darius’s room was not a long one, and upon he and Noel’s entrance the young king was delighted to see Brekke was not there. He feared having to kick her out of the meeting.
“Have a seat Ambassador.”
Noel politely smiled and took a seat in front of Darius’s desk. The young king took his own seat behind the desk, trying to stay as professional as he knew how.
“Ambassador Noel, I would like to thank you for your help in the fight. It would have taken us quite a while to break those undead without you, and I must say I am very impressed with your army, especially your Ravens.”
“Very kind of you King Darius! The Ravens Riders are our signature unit, and I am delighted that they impressed. Did you know they are actually slaves? Haha! We don’t have to pay them anything to fight. We just provide them with food and water and they happily fight for us.”
Darius did not quite understand the meaning of what Noel said. “Slaves? What are those? Is that why he is so pale?
Ambassador Noel seemed stunned, “You have never heard of a slave? They are common practice throughout the realm! At Shadow Raven we have some of the finest slaves anywhere, and we treat them pretty well if I do say so myself. The dragon riders are only the most talented of the slaves. They do not have to work like the others. We only ask them to fight. Harper out there is hands down the best we have.”
Darius was still puzzled by the concept, but decided to continue in a different direction
“So, what was it you wished to meet with me about?”
The Ambassador’s eyes widened for a split second, as he was apparently grateful for Darius to provide him with a shortcut through the pleasantries.
After clearing his throat, Noel took pause to think of what he was to say, knowing that his first few words would determine his success.
“Well, as you saw today Darius, Pentagram is getting stronger and stronger. Those were just undead summoned by their necromancers, but they have increased their actual living army’s count, and we believe it may be far larger than yours, and very close to ours.”
Darius waited during the pause to hear what the ambassador was going to get at, but he already knew what was coming. He just did not want to hear it.
“It is becoming apparent that you wont be able to hold Pentagram any longer, and they will overrun you without my clan’s help. And unfortunately the only way we can really help you, is to make your clan a part of Shadow Raven.”
Darius grimaced at the proposal, but did not say anything, allowing Noel to elaborate.
“Its not as bad as it sounds though Darius. We would transport all of the children that you currently have in the fortress over to Shadow Raven where they would live safely. It is best for the survival of your clan.”
Darius nodded, contemplating his own response, “And what would become of this fortress? A military outpost?”
“Yes, with an outpost out here we could certainly defeat Pentagram.”
“No”
Noel was taken back by Darius’s sudden reply, as he scrambled to find other ways of convincing the king. “But Darius, if you choose to fight out here by yourself your clan is surely doomed. Pentagram can wipe you out any day they choose. Why not save the lives of your clan members and help us defeat Pentagram for good?”
“Your strategy makes sense, but we have all worked far too hard to leave this place now. I’m sure you know the story Ambassador. Our mothers and fathers were massacred in the halls of this fortress. We fight to avenge them, and we fight from this ground and no other. The children here live good lives. Certainly Shadow Raven’s capitol city could give them a better life, but they are happy here.”
“But Darius, they are dead here!”
Darius stood up quickly, staring down at the furious ambassador. “Why did you not send that infantry division and those ravens straight to the Pentagram stronghold? I am sure you even have far more soldiers than that. Why not just rid the world of that evil in one fell swoop? Don’t tell me you could not either. If your clan wanted to, they could exterminate Pentagram. But instead you want to take our base and our talent. You have been trying to recruit Ray since you heard about what he could do with weapons. Aidan and Linaius are sought after for their sword skills as well. Your clan has only helped us in the hopes of one day merging us and having those young talents for yourself. And if that is not enough you want to make our sacred walls into a military outpost. That is why I must decline Ambassador Noel.”
The immaculately dressed diplomat shot up from his chair and stared Darius in the eye. “You do not know what kind of trouble you are getting into Darius. Without Shadow Raven you are nothing. Let us see how you do without our help. The offer will still be on the table whenever you realize you cannot survive Pentagram on your own. Goodbye King Darius.”
With those last venomous words the once kind diplomat exited the room with haste, returning to Harper and the Raven to journey home. Darius sat back down in his chair and placed his hand to his face. “What the hell did I just do…I hope that you would approve of my decision if you were here father. It seems that our clan is doomed either way.”
By the time Darius entered the tavern, the battle outside had been long finished and most of the children were well into their drinking frenzy. Again he was saluted upon entrance, and his friends were sitting in the same corner table. Unfortunately he seemed to be the only one in the tavern who could not acknowledge their victory as a good thing. As Darius sat down at his table, Aidan could see that something was not right. “What did that ambassador have to say Darius?”
The young king looked every one of the three wearily in the eyes, “They want the merger.”
There was no immediate comment from any of Darius’s three companions, but every one of them was visibly disturbed. Linaius was the first to speak, “Hey, this means we can beat Pentagram finally. You saw that show they put on.”
Ray could not help but agree with Linaius’s assessment, “Yes! The nightmare will be over.”
Aidan stared at Darius, who returned the cold glance, “No you two. Darius turned the ambassador down…. didn’t you.”
Darius nodded, staring down at the table while speaking, “I could not bring myself to give away all that we built. They would take everyone to Shadow Raven, and make this a military outpost. I cannot let that happen.”
There was an exasperated sigh from both Linaius and Ray, but Aidan shushed them quickly, “Darius did the right thing. We have fought too hard to give this base up. And like Darius I suspect something is not right with the current events. We do not know what is happening. We cannot trust anyone outside of the clan…. or even in it.”
The four fell silent at Aidan’s new revelation, but before Linaius or Ray began to speak Darius butted in, “That’s true, we don’t know what is going on, and I for one will not extend my trust beyond this table. Nobody’s motives are known, so it is best to assume everyone else is an enemy. I encourage you all to take similar outlooks.”
Linaius and Ray pondered this for a few moments before both seemed to concur. Darius knew it was not a healthy way of thinking, but it was the only way to ensure the clan’s safety, until he could be sure who his friends or foes were.

[Tiber]

CHAPTER 5

Darius along with Aidan and Linaius entered Ray’s quarters anxious to see what he had summoned them for. They had been awaiting Ray’s latest and greatest invention yet, and the day had finally arrived where they would find out more. They were greeted by the young weapon smith from behind a table in the center of the dimly lit room. Resting in the middle of the table was an object hidden by a large sheet of cloth that spanned the length of the table.
Darius smiled to the beaming Ray, “So, is this the fabled invention of yours?”
Ray nodded keeping an enormous smile on his face. “Indeed! Before I start I want to say that this is my greatest work yet. This is the product of countless nights of work and plenty hours of lost sleep. However it has all been worth it…”
Ray was cut off by Aidan, “Get to the point Ray, and regale us with your story afterward.”
Ray was momentarily taken off balance and obviously disappointed in not being able to milk the moment with his signature dramatic flare.
“Oh!….yes of course, you do no doubt want to see this. You have probably been looking forward to it for a long time after all. This weapon will change the way we fight our battles, and give us the distinct edge. It is in fact an improvement that would make our army rival that of even Shadow Raven…”
Aidan cleared his throat and coldly stared at Ray to remind him that their patience wears thin.
“…Right! So, without further delay, I present to you what I like to call the Supreme Matchlock.”
With those words the oddly energetic weapon smith flung away the cloth to reveal a standard matchlock rifle that was equipped with a few extra add-ons that Darius could not understand.
There was an awkward silence as the three observers stared down at the matchlock without a word. Ray surveyed their faces with increasing worry, as they all seemed confused.
Linaius was the first to look up and speak, “so….what is so supreme about it Ray? It just looks like an ugly, clunky matchlock.”
Ray’s world appeared to crack and shatter into little pieces before his eyes.
“You fool! This is the greatest matchlock ever created!”
Linaius stood silent, stepping back behind Darius and Aidan for protection as all three of them observed Ray go on a nearly comical tirade.
“I would like to see you all come up with something better! You have no idea what you are staring at! Perhaps I will take my talents over to Shadow Raven!”
At that Darius decided to cut him off, trying to hold back a smile. “Listen…Ray…I am sure you put plenty of effort into this, and I have no doubt that it is a remarkable weapon…but perhaps you should spend more time explaining what it does rather than telling us how great it is.”
Ray’s face paled as he realized that he had yet to explain what the gun’s improvements were. Quickly he began speaking. “Oh, very sorry. This gun shoots five times and can be reloaded after that. It also does not need a fire lit to make it go, so it can be continually re-used and fires quicker.”
Darius, Aidan, and Linaius all focused in quickly at the last sentence, staring at the gun with new amazement. Linaius walked forward, “That thing can shoot five times!?”
Ray nodded and quickly slapped Linaius’s hand away as he reached to touch the gun.
“Your ungratefulness earlier means you will be the last to try it out.”
Linaius shrunk back muttering something about Ray being a girl.
Darius stepped forward and grabbed the gun with Ray’s blessing. The matchlock was only a bit heavier than usual, and the same size, save for a metal compartment in the gun’s right side. Ray began to delve into the description of the gun and how he managed to make it shoot five times as opposed to the standard matchlock’s one shot. However his efforts were in vein as neither Aidan, Linaius, or Darius understood anything of what he said. Before his speech could be concluded however, there was a hurried knock on the door behind them. The four exchanged glances as Ray spoke up, “Come in!”
The wooden door was nearly torn off its hinges as two guards stumbled in out of breath. “King Darius! There has been an attack on Queen Brekke!”
Darius dropped the gun on the ground, which was followed by the shriek of Ray watching his prized creation hit the hard floor. Darius was impervious to what he had done though, as his thoughts were concentrated on the news. “Is she alright!?”
There was a long pause from the guards before one spoke up, “No sir, she is in bad shape. We brought her to the clinic, but it does not look too good. We also captured the assassin sir, he is being held in your room.”
Aidan put his hand on Darius’s shoulder to steady his friend. “Hey Darius…go take care of Brekke. I’ll see to the prisoner.”
Darius continued to stare forward blankly as Linaius also approached. “I’ll go with Aidan. We will make that bastard wish he had never been born, and if we find out he is part of Pentagram we will rip him limb from limb when we are done.”
Aidan eyed his little brother, reminding him not to get too graphic.
Darius looked to them and nodded without a word and ran out the door with the guards trailing closely behind.
By the time Darius had reached the clinic on the other side of the fortress, his confusion and shock turned to pure and absolute rage. When he found out who was behind the attack he would move heaven and earth to see that person die in his own hands.
There were three guards outside of the door already, all standing wearily with blood on their armor. All three spotted Darius and the two guards trailing him and stood upright, trying to block the king from the clinic door.
“King Darius! Please sir stay out here!”
Darius turned his rage towards his soldiers, barreling into one of them while shouting, “Let me through damnit! I need to see her!”
The soldier who receive the brunt of Darius’s blow fell back, crashing into the wall and collapsing into a heap on the ground. The two remaining door guards grabbed the king and shoved him backwards forcefully, both feeling for their swords but hoping not to have to draw them.
As the final two guards who had been trailing Darius arrived they stood near their companions forming a human shield around the door.
“King Darius! It will not do any good to go in there. It will only cause you further pain!”
Darius drew his sword quickly, panting heavily. “It will be nothing compared to the pain you will feel if you don’t stand down!”
The guards were all taken back by their king’s threat. The usually mild mannered politician had gone positively berserk. After surveying the situation one guard pulled out his sword, quickly followed by the others. “I’m sorry Darius, but we cannot let you through for your own good. Please forgive us.”
With that Darius hurdled forward, plunging himself into the guards, swinging his sword wild and unskillfully. The young king was quickly absorbed into the group though as the guards dodged him and collapsed around, pinning him to the ground. One knocked away the un-bloodied sword, rendering Darius helpless under the weight of the guards. After a few seconds the king decided it was futile to try any further and calmed his breathing. The guards stayed on top until in a soft voice Darius proclaimed, “I’m sorry…You can get off now. I wish to go in no longer.”
At that command the guards gladly dismounted their king and helped him to his feet, apologizing profusely for what they did.
Darius dusted himself off while waving off their apologies, and when he saw their guard was no longer heightened he decided to strike. He quickly grabbed the nearest guard’s sword and wheeled around, striking another guard in the back of the head with the sword’s handle. The three remaining guards cursed in unison, two of which drawing their swords and the third unarmed one scurrying over to the limp body of Darius’s initial victim in search of a weapon.
The young king peered behind him, delighted at his positioning, as he was now between the guards and the door. Keeping his sword outstretched as a threat, Darius reached behind him and felt for the door’s handle. However just as he found it the door opened from the inside. Wheeling around he was greeted by the stern face of the clinic doctor. The doctor was one of the older members of the clan, and while by far the most qualified among the clan members, he was not very skilled at all. He had learned most of his craft from trial and error from the numerous soldiers injured from the battles with Pentagram.
The young doctor was covered in blood and his eyes shot straight down at the sight of Darius.
The King did not need to hear it to know, but the doctor told him anyway. “Brekke is dead Darius. Now hopefully you can stop all this commotion out here.”
Darius dropped his sword at his feet and began to stumble down the hall, feeling his way along the cold stone wall. He lost all interest in seeing Brekke, and after a few steps he crumbled to the ground and passed out.
Darius awoke to the furious voice of Linaius, who hovered at his side, accompanied by Aidan. “Hey, get up. Now is not the time to rest.”
Aidan patted his brother on the shoulder looking down at their groggy leader. “Give him a break Linaius. There is no hurry.”
Darius’s mind snapped back into focus as he remembered what had happened. He shot up quickly to find he was lying on Aidan’s bed. “What am I doing here?”
Aidan looked down trying to phrase his words carefully, attempting not to be too graphic. “Your room was no place to rest after the attack.”
Darius nodded, understanding what Aidan was getting at.
“Did you dispose of that assassin yet? Or will I get the pleasure?”
Aidan shook his head solemnly, his mind obviously focused on something else. “Yes Darius, Linaius killed him after he told us what he knew, and he was not granted an easy death I can assure you.”
“So…what did he have to say Aidan? Who was behind it?”
There was silence for a while as Aidan refused to make eye contact. Breaking the silence however was Linaius who nudged his brother aside. “Fine, if Aidan wont say it then I will. It was Ray.”
Darius was speechless as he waited for an explanation, which Linaius was quick to give in a furious tone. “The bastard told the assassin when to strike, and where. He gave him a way into the fortress, and more importantly lured us away with his damn matchlock so that the assassin would have free run at Brekke. The son of a bitch was in league with Pentagram all along.”
Aidan then interrupted trying to keep an even head, “But why would Ray do it? He hates Pentagram, what could possibly be his reason. I just don’t buy it. And why would the assassin give us the info so easily? It dosent add up.”
Linaius quickly retorted, “Its simple Aidan! The bastard was tired of us dragging our feet against Pentagram and wanted make Darius mad enough to go for the deathblow. Going after Brekke was the best way to get what he wanted. Think about it! It worked perfectly. Ray shows us the weapon that will put Pentagram away for good at the same time Brekke is attacked.”
Aidan nodded, “That would explain his motivation, though I still doubt Ray would resort to that. And why would the assassin give up the information like that? We barely tortured him before he spilled the beans.”
Linaius slapped his forehead in frustration, “Can you not connect the pieces!? He was supposed to say he was from Pentagram. He was meant to be captured and point the blame towards those dark bastards. How else was Darius supposed to know where to direct his rage? The only thing is, that Ray didn’t think the assassin would tell on him as well. I’m sure that was Pentagram’s little twist. This way they can take away one of our most valuable members, who was on the verge of finalizing his best weapon yet. Ray tried to put Pentagram away for good but they played him perfectly.”
Darius continued to observe the debate, all the while letting his rage grow inside of him.
Aidan put up one last argument, “I see what you are saying Linaius, and it makes sense, but why on earth would Pentagram want the evidence to point to them? This only means more trouble for them.”
Before Linaius could answer Darius stood up. “They have always been toying with us Aidan. This is just another one of their demented games. Tyler said he had the strength to kill us all, and Shadow Raven seems to think the same. I tend to believe him. It is impossible to read into Tyler’s actions, but I can only assume that he wants us to go at him with everything we have, so he can prove that our efforts, and our lives, have been futile as he crushes us.”
There was a silence as Darius walked past the two brothers, grabbing his sword, which lay on top of a dresser near the door.
“Where is Ray being held?”
Linaius eagerly replied, “In his room. As soon as we found out we had him bound in there. The execution is all up to you.”
Darius nodded in approval as he left the room in trembling ferocity. Linaius followed quickly, but Aidan remained standing in the middle of the room. “This dosent seem right, but our hand has been forced. Darius wont be able to think clearly until he seizes his revenge…even if it means taking Ray’s life.” With that though Aidan grabbed for the door and ran to catch up with his little brother and Darius.

[Tiber]

CHAPTER 6

Aidan sat attentively in the shadows of Ray’s room, watching the brutal scene unfold in front of him. A handful of guards as well as Linaius were all scattered about the edges of the room, watching the enraged Darius pace around Ray, who lay bound helplessly on the floor. The young weapon smith cried profusely sobbing words that had been long since become slurred. Blood flowed freely from multiple areas on his head as well as his arms and back. Ray’s abundance of tears flowed down his face and fell of his cheeks into the puddle of blood he lay in, mixing together quietly. Darius had long since tired of kicking the sobbing mess that was once a boy, and now resorted to slowly cutting him with his sword. Darius continued to yell and scream, asking Ray why he had done this, yet for all that his body yearned to hurt the boy further, his eyes pleaded that his adopted clansmen would confess so that the torture could be over. However for every act of aggression Darius took, Ray only continued to insist that he was innocent.
It took everything Aidan had to watch the scene, let alone to watch without crying. He knew everyone’s opinion of him as the stoic warrior, and likely the most mature member of the clan. He prided himself upon this title, but for all his efforts he could barely muster enough to stomach this sight. They were only kids. From what he had seen of the world outside the desert, children were supposed to be happy and content with life. Things like this were so far beyond their comprehension…and yet here a handful of what were still children, watched as one tortured another to what would have to end in death.
Aidan looked up to Linaius who stood across the room, also largely hidden by shadows. He was both surprised and satisfied to see his brother’s reaction to what unfolded in front of them. Aidan was surprised to see his little brother looking away, grimacing at every one of Ray’s screams. At the same time he was delighted though that Linaius’s well know bloodthirsty attitude had it’s limits. His brother was human after all, and as Linaius moved from his spot and left the room, Aidan wondered if his brother was perhaps even more humane than he.
Darius continued to hover above Ray, holding his bloody sword to the side.
“RAY! Tell me you did it! Tell me you let that assassin in to kill my wife!”
Ray tilted his head upward from his position on his side. His legs were bound together and his hands tied behind his back. He was completely helpless, and he began to feel numb in his fingers and toes from the loss of blood. Once again he shook his head in disagreement. This time Darius did not use his sword, instead tossing it to the side and letting it clank and skid across the floor. With sweat pouring down his face he eyed what seemed a fitting weapon. “Aidan. Give me that matchlock.”
Aidan closed his eyes in pain at the request, knowing just what matchlock Darius sought. It lay right underneath Aidan’s seat, and he had kept it there hoping that Darius would not see it.
Reaching under his seat the quiet warrior grasped the marvelous creation and hesitantly tossed it to Darius. “Please be fast about it Darius. Ray has suffered enough. You will not get anything from him. Just end it and lets move on.”
Darius caught the matchlock and eyed it while listening to Aidan’s words. He eyed his best friend for a few moments, considering his words. Darius’s eyes and composure seemed to relax a bit as he came back to his senses. “You are right. We have more important things to do than waste time with this blubbering traitor. At least you will get to see your gun used before you die Ray. Enjoy.”
With those words Darius prepared the gun and aimed it down at Ray. Aidan could not bear to watch as he bowed his head and prayed for Ray’s soul. And as the authoritative shot pierced the room Aidan began to pray for Darius’s soul as well.

[Tiber]

CHAPTER 7a (had to split it to get under the maximum characters per post limit)


It had been six weeks since that night when the children lost their innocence. Word had spread across the region of what had happened in Ray’s quarters, and allied clans were repulsed by it. Either from the horror that Darius would do such a thing or by the fact that one of the premier weapon smiths in the area had been killed. Either way the clans did not dare show their distaste for his actions, but Darius could tell. He could not blame them for what they thought. The rumors had been surprisingly accurate, and it hurt Darius further to hear a third person account of his savageness. Though at the time he had no regrets of what he did, Darius could not help but become frightened by what he was capable of doing. Furthering his uneasiness was the eerie silence that he was forced to wade through whenever he walked through the halls. He was now rarely smiled to, and was no longer saluted upon entering Senna’s tavern. Even Linaius and Aidan seemed to talk to him less. Aidan did not speak much to begin with, but his tone became deathly serious and cold, meanwhile Linaius could no longer make eye contact the way he did before with his leader. He seemed nervous and on edge around him all the time, and Darius could only conclude that it was Linaius’s fear of what Darius might do when angered again. The king tried his best to continue living normally, as if nothing had changed among his clan mates, but it seemed utterly futile.
It was only when Linaius came bursting into Darius’s room with a scroll from Shadow Raven that things began to return to normal. The message told of a Pentagram attack in four days. One intended to wipe the Gerudo Elite off the map for good. There would be living soldiers along with the uncoordinated masses of undead. Shadow Raven also believed that there would be some new units that Darius had yet to see, but the message assured that they would be no match for the combined might of the two clans. Upon hearing about the message Aidan requested to be allowed a journey to Shadow Raven’s capitol city. Darius found this most peculiar, but when Aidan produced Ray’s Supreme Matchlock prototype and said he wanted Shadow Raven to produce more it made sense. It would be an excellent good will gesture to Shadow Raven as well as giving them an opportunity to have many of the guns on their side. The only problem Darius had with the request was the amount of time it would take Aidan to travel. By horse it would take more than a day’s full travel, which would mean his best warrior would return for the critical battle exhausted, if he was able to get back at all. This problem was quickly solved however as the Shadow Raven messenger who had delivered the news of Pentagram’s attack allowed Aidan to ride back with him, and promised to arrange for a return flight.
Upon hearing of his brother’s flight, Linaius was surprisingly troubled. Darius could only assume that the trust between the brothers had worn thin. The king thought about approaching Linaius and asking why he disliked the idea of Aidan’s departure, but he decided it was best not to. If Darius could not trust Aidan then he would gladly surrender everything, as all of their efforts would have been meaningless.

The morning of the battle, as Darius had expected, was filled with nerves. Every child in his army was fearful of what would happen. They did not fear what would the battlefield, as they were confident in their skills, and thus their victory, but what would become of the Gerudo Elite after the fight. Once Pentagram was no more, what would happen? Though many of the children were too young to think in the big picture of things, they understood the scenario, because they were born into it. The threat of Shadow Raven had always loomed over their heads, and there was not a single member of the Gerudo Elite that did not fear them.
The most popular theory in circulation was that Shadow Raven would take the Gerudo Elite fortress by force once Pentagram was gone. But Darius did not buy that theory. He could not fathom why Shadow Raven could possibly want the fortress, which other than it’s proximity to Pentagram held no strategic value. One thing that could be certain though, was that the fortress’s supplies would be cut off. The Gerudo Elite’s big brother would no longer need them as a buffer against Pentagram.
Darius played with multiple ways to avert the inevitable supply shortage, but could not come up with a plan that would work. He even considered kidnapping a prominent Shadow Raven figure and holding them hostage in exchange for continued supplies, but that was quickly ruled out as Darius realized it was a deal that could not be brokered. Shadow Raven would not pay such a price to keep anyone short of their leader alive, and Darius had never even met the great clan’s leader.
The inevitability of their situation was set even more in stone by the fact that Darius had nothing to offer them. Had Ray still been alive, Darius no doubt could send him to work for Shadow Raven in exchange for supplies. But unfortunately Ray had been their only negotiating piece. Linaius and Aidan were both promising warriors who could have a future in the Shadow Raven military, but Darius knew they were not nearly worth enough to make a deal. As he thought through the possible ways to save his clan, Darius realized his own worth. He was a budding young general, and had a feel for politics as well as leadership. Perhaps he could sell his own talents. Then the awful truth hit him. Before he had killed Ray he likely could have made the trade, but there was no way in hell that Shadow Raven would take somebody that killed his most promising asset.

“Darius. We’ve spotted the Pentagram Army.”
The young king snapped out of his thought and found himself standing in the hot sand of his desert. Aidan stood at his side awaiting his instructions as they looked out on their army of a thousand. It was made of mostly infantry, all of which carried a sword along with the original matchlock models. There was a small unit of matchlock users though who carried the few Supreme Matchlocks that Aidan had gotten Shadow Raven to produce. In no small surprise though, the larger clan had kept the vast majority of the rifles for themselves, only giving Aidan less than thirty to bring back. Aidan himself had returned only hours before the battle, as he had waited as long as he could for the rifles to be produced. Darius’s 2nd in command bore no signs of being tired from his trip, largely thanks to the griffon ride back. Aidan had said riding the griffon was the most thrilling thing he had done in a long while.
“To the East?”
Aidan nodded and pointed in that direction. “Yes Darius. Just past some high dunes. They are about 1,500 yards away. As the Shadow Raven report indicated, they are an even mix of man and undead, about 7,000 together. They seem to have a small cavalry division behind them as well. It looks to be no real challenge if Shadow Raven comes out in force.”
Darius nodded, looking to the west in the direction of Shadow Raven.
“No sight of Raven yet I take it.”
“Nope, they are late as usual.”
Darius laughed at Aidan’s small joke, delighted to finally have someone talk normal to him after Ray’s death.
“Where’s Linaius?”
Aidan’s face went grim as he spoke. “He is back at the fortress. I pleaded with him to come and fight, but he insisted that he would be of better use guarding the fortress should things to awry out here.”
Darius shook his head. “That’s not like Linaius to skip on this kind of a fight.”
“Yes, you don’t have to tell me that. Its odd to be certain.”
Darius looked towards his friend, curious at his last statement.
“You think something is wrong Aidan?”
Aidan was visibly upset with himself for saying what he did.
“I…just agree. It’s not normal. You know Linaius, he is as bloodthirsty as it gets.”
Aidan appeared to hesitate, holding back what he wanted to say next. Darius was about to pursue what was on Aidan’s mind, but he was interrupted by a soldier who ran up to them in a frenzy.
“King Darius! Shadow Raven is here!”
Darius looked to his side to see a large flock of the gigantic ravens on the horizon, circling around what was no doubt an army below.
“Ha! They have brought along the birds. I had no idea they possessed so many. There must be ten of them!”
Aidan corrected him in a matter of fact tone, “Eight to be exact Darius….I met them all and watched them prepare earlier.”
Darius turned to Aidan while laughing, “Did you see Harper? Is he not one scary man!”
Aidan’s face did not change to meet Darius’s laughter. “Yes…he is a good man. One we should trust.”
Darius’s laughter fell silent at the strangeness of Aidan’s comment. “What do you mean…we should trust him? What’s that about?”
Before Aidan could muster an answer a terrible shriek ripped through the air.
Looking up, the two friends were overwhelmed by the sight of three black winged creatures header their way from Pentagram’s direction. They were enormous…perhaps even larger than Shadow Raven’s birds. Darius and Aidan tried to seek what little cover they could find in the middle of the desert, but it was not needed as by the time the foul creatures reached the Gerudo Elite Army, the Ravens had met them, showing their awesome speed. The giant birds flew straight into the group of dark abominations, forcing them to pull up from their dive towards the army. Only five of the Ravens had come over, but it seemed to be more than enough to handle Pentagram’s creations, which seemed to lack not only the speed but also the ferocity of the Ravens. Darius and Aidan watched in amazement as the beautiful birds flew in and out in tightly banked turns, almost seeming to go in patterns with their fellow riders. All the while the ugly Pentagram birds tried desperately to evade the attacks, flying in every direction they could.
Darius’s attention was pulled away from the fight overhead though as another soldier ran to him. “Both armies are advancing at full speed sir! We are going to be caught in the middle as a buffer!”
Before Darius could figure out what to do, Aidan rose from his cover in the sand, cursing right and left. He then turned to his King with a panicked look in his eyes that Darius had never seen before. “Darius! We have to retreat to the fortress!”
The young King and the younger soldier stood, staring in wonderment at what Aidan had proposed.
“Now Aidan….all we have to do is back up our forces a little to get out of their direct path. Let Shadow Raven take the brunt of the attack while we flank. That’s been the plan all along.”
Aidan shook his head furiously in disagreement. “No! We have to pull out! Shadow Raven is going to crush us right here!”
Darius and his soldier were completely shocked to hear this news. As they exchanged glances Darius could feel his neck tingle with fear.
“Wh……What do you mean Aidan….Why would you think that.”
Aidan winced in agony at his own mistake. “Look! I hoped that it would not happen…but we have been betrayed. I should have told you sooner but I didn’t believe my instincts.”
Darius continued to cautiously question Aidan. “How do you know this Aidan? What makes you think that Shadow Raven would pick this time to take us out?”
Aidan became furious, “I don’t know why! I just know that they want us dead right where we stand! And if you don’t give the order to retreat then everyone will be massacred out here!”
Aidan was panting from all of his shouting, eyeing Darius expectantly.
The young King looked up to the sky and observed the battle above. No beasts had been harmed yet. It was as Aidan said. The battle was just a show. Darius turned to his soldier and nodded slowly.
“Do it. Full retreat. Tell the commanders that we may have been betrayed yet again.”
With that the soldier took a deep sigh and ran off to the army.
Alone, Darius eyed Aidan who was out of breath.
“We don’t have any chance in hell of retreating…you know that right Aidan. If Shadow Raven is against us then they will just send their birds to track us down. And even if some do make it to the fortress, they will not last a day.”
“I understand that Darius. But you have to trust me. Not all is what it seems. I am not completely sure how deep the betrayal goes, but it will all become clear when we reach the fortress. And don’t worry; I will see to it that we get there. But we must get moving quickly. There are a few who will look to catch us.”
In dealing with any other person, Darius would have questioned them further and demanded to know what was going on, but he knew if nobody else he could trust Aidan.
The two made haste to their horses, two of only a handful that the Gerudo Elite possessed. Darius dreaded the thought of leaving his soldiers in the dust during a retreat, but he was left little option.

[Tiber]

CHAPTER 7b

With a quick order Darius and Aidan’s horses took off, accompanied by the four other horses and their soldiers that had been brought along. The fortress was quite a ways away, just over the horizon to the south. The ride would not take too long, though the foot soldiers would likely take five times that. Darius looked back at his army apologetically in the distance as they slowly attempted to follow. No doubt the commanders had their hands full keeping the panicked children in order. The two enemy bodies were now in plain sight as they charged forward on the hapless and inferior Gerudo Elite army.
The betrayal became apparent as Shadow Raven and Pentagram appeared to veer off of their paths toward each other. Each began to angle slightly southward towards Darius’s army. The young king turned forward and yelled to Aidan, who’s horse was slightly out in front. “You were right! They are going after us together!”
Aidan quickly looked back then snapped his gaze back forward and shook his head without word. After only a couple hundred more yards one of the soldiers accompanying them yelled out in terror, “The Ravens! They saw us!”
Aidan and Darius turned in unison to see two of the massive birds flying their way, intent of wiping them off the desert landscape in one swoop. Darius’s mind raced, trying to figure out how to evade the birds, and just as he began to give the order to split up, a terrible voice overrode his own, filling the air far and wide. Darius and Aidan knew immediately who the terrible voice belonged to. “Ravens! Back off of them! They are mine to kill!”
Darius looked from side to side unable to see where the haunting voice’s source was, but could not locate the nightmare until another one of his soldiers shouted forward, “Cavalry to the northeast! Gaining fast!”
Immediately catching Darius’s eye was a patch of black that grew closer and closer with every second. The initial blotch of darkness on the horizon gradually focused into separate bodies of men in black robes atop even blacker steeds.
“Aidan! Its Tyler!”
The young warrior out front turned over his left shoulder to see what Darius had warned of. Out in front of the small group of Calvary rode one especially intimidating figure, who held a dramatically curved scimitar above his head. The figure itself did not look much different from the others it rode with, but Darius knew who it was, and was terrified to the bone.
Aidan shouted back to Darius. “We can’t outrun him! His horse must be under some sort of spell! He is practically gliding over the sand!”
Before Aidan could propose what to do one of Darius’s soldiers interrupted. “I will stall them sir! Go on ahead!”
Darius’s plea for the soldier to not act fell silent in the wind as the rider turned his horse and headed straight for the gaining Pentagram horde.
“Fool! He wont do anything to them!”
The three remaining soldiers looked back in agony as their companion met with the enemy force head on. With a quick flick of his wrist Tyler had sent his curved blade spinning forward, imbedding itself in the defenseless soldier who slumped back and fell off the horse. But before the soldier hit the ground Tyler caught up to him and hoisted his bleeding body in the air by the sword, yelling forward once again with some magic power so that everyone could hear. “Darius, I am surprised you could resist me this long with soldiers as pitiful as that…. Why are you still running? Don’t you see that we will catch you no matter how far or fast you run? Your whole life has been a game; now take your stand against your puppet master! Make your death an honorable one.”
With that the dark leader freed his sword from the soldier and sent his body sprawling downwards to be trampled by the other horses which were now well behind without the benefit of a spell that Tyler’s horse enjoyed.
Darius’s horse was now even with Aidan’s allowing them to save their voices not trying to yell over the wind. “What are we going to do Aidan? ….He will catch us soon.”
“Darius we are going to get as far as we can. When he catches up these soldiers and I will hold him off. You will get to the fortress with or without me.”
Darius was about to object, but he was cut off once again my Tyler’s voice. Only this time it was not as powerful. In fact it was barely audible. Darius turned over his shoulder once again to be greeted by Tyler’s grinning deformed face only ten yards behind, yelling out to him in a taunting voice.
“Darius, I think you have run far enough. You die here!”
One of the three soldiers trailing behind Darius turned his horse quickly to ram the Pentagram leader. The maneuver was perfectly executed, but he came up empty handed as Tyler leapt with incredible agility from his horses back into the air, catapulting forward towards Darius. The young king as well as everyone present was almost mesmerized by the grace with which Tyler moved through the air, landing right on his target, the back of Darius’s horse. Darius shrieked in horror as he unsheathed his long sword and took a wild swing back at Tyler who was standing up in a balancing act right on top of the horse’s hind legs. The Pentagram leader brandished his bloody scimitar in the air, quickly swinging it down to deflect Darius’s sword out of his hands. Smiling perversely Tyler lifted his sword once again for the deathblow. But before he could make his swing he was tackled off the horse by Aidan who had pulled even and lunged at him. The two tumbled in the sand together, trying to get a good hold on the other’s neck. Eventually Aidan pushed off and separated from Tyler, flying in a different direction before landing in a large puff of sand. Darius, thinking only for his friend’s well-being slowed his horse down and jumped off, quickly followed by the three remaining cavalry soldiers who formed up around him. Darius ran forward as fast as he could, closely followed by his soldiers, and was angered to see Aidan stand up and yell at him, “What are you thinking! Get away!”
Darius retorted furiously as he tried to catch his breath wading through the sand. “Tyler is just as much my fight as yours!”
Aidan’s face dropped with disbelief at Darius’s blind stubbornness. He was just about to yell at the top of his lungs for Darius to run again, but Tyler did not give him the chance as the black robbed demon charged at him. Aidan saw the attack just in time to swing his large two-handed sword in front of him and clumsily block the attack. The price for his late reaction though was his lack of balance, and Tyler took advantage of it, drawing back his scimitar once again and letting it loose only to be blocked once more. But while he repeatedly pounded Aidan with brutal swipes, his left hand wandered into his robes and grasped one of his many daggers. Another hit, followed by another until Tyler’s left hand was ready. However the moment he became ready Darius and his company arrived as one of the soldiers stood in Aidan’s way, parrying the next scimitar slash from Tyler and giving Aidan a chance to gain his feet. Tyler was disappointed in the intervention but was already committed to his attack, and with one quick shrug of his shoulders to knock off his robe and jolt of his freed hand he lodged the dagger right under the Gerudo Elite soldier’s chin, where the neck meets the jaw. Blood spurted from the soldier’s wound wildly as he slumped to the ground with the dagger still lodged. Tyler’s black robes hit the ground a few feet away, revealing the horror of the Pentagram leader’s mutated body. He wore only very loose black pants and shoes, exposing his gray scarred upper half, which seemed to almost suck up the blood that had been freshly sprayed.

Darius became enraged at Tyler’s move and was about to charge when he realized his sword had been knocked away. He felt his body franticly in hopes he had something to use as a weapon, but came up empty until he found one of the few supreme matchlocks which was strapped to his back. While Darius was no swordsman, he was one of the clan’s best marksmen. Quickly wheeling his arms around he undid the rife and began to prepare it. Seeing what their king had planned the two remaining soldiers charged forward to buy him some time. Tyler stood in place without motion waiting for them to draw nearer. When they were just out of striking distance he lept high and backwards into the air, topping off the acrobatic feat with a flip. He gave enough time in his movement to allow the two charging soldiers to catch up as soon as he landed, and when they both lunged forward at him expecting the same move, he did a front flip over them. By the time his first foot hit the ground his sword was already cocked back and ready to strike. With one quick slash he cut across both of the off-balance soldiers backs. The wound would not immediately kill either of them, and Tyler though to throw a dagger in each to finish with a flair, but he was disappointed in himself to remember that all of his daggers were in his robes. He looked down at the soldiers who writhed in pain bleeding out onto the sand, and satisfied they would not move he turned around to address Aidan and Darius. But just as he did he heard an enormous explosion and felt his stomach explode in pain. He fell back with the force of the blast and landed hard in the sand. Quickly he regained his senses and looked up to see a large hole in the left side of his stomach. He did not wince with pain as blood flowed out of it and rolled across his stomach, but rather regarded it with interest.
A shadow crept over the evil clan leader as he looked up to see Darius standing above him, matchlock pointed down.
“Well Tyler, you bleed the same color as a human, but that is where the similarities end.”
The deformed face of Darius’s mortal enemy smiled back at him almost proudly. The sun hit his gray skin with all of its might, but there was no glare or reflection. Tyler’s skin was dead and he did not sweat. This realization was almost enough to make Darius vomit right there, but he did everything he could to bear the sight of Tyler up close.
The Pentagram leader chuckled through a choking voice as he continued to look up. “I must admit kid, that was a good shot. I am going to die in any case, put me out with the four shots you have left.”
A smile once again formed over Tyler’s face, but this time it was different, more twisted.
Darius was stunned for a moment at how Tyler knew about the new matchlocks. They were in league with Shadow Raven, but the Gerudo Elite’s former allies only learned of the matchlock a couple days before. Was it possible that Ray had told Pentagram of the weapon when he was working with them? Just as Darius settled upon that as the conclusion, Tyler quickly grabbed his scimitar which lay at his side and sprung to his feet with amazing agility. Darius cursed under his breath at Tyler’s trick and fired a shot at his enemy. The shot however found only sand as Tyler had vacated the spot he once lay in before and quickly slashed upwards with his sword. Darius had the time only to hold up his matchlock in defense as the scimitar cut clean through splitting the rifle in half, and only coming inches from Darius’s chin. The young king stumbled backwards and fell in the sand. He held up his hands in defense as Tyler hefted his own sword, but as he had been there plenty of times before, Aidan stepped in at the just the right moment, and with a swift blow took off Tyler’s sword hand. The Pentagram leader did not show any sign of pain though as he stared at Aidan with annoyance in his eyes. “You meddling runt!”
The young warrior wasted no time in conversation though as he hacked once again, this time at Tyler’s waist in an effort to finish him off. However with his remarkable agility he managed to jump backwards, completely avoiding the sword. The two fighters stared each other down for a moment as Darius gained his feet once again. Despite the upper hand that it seemed Aidan possessed, the young king was distressed by what he saw on the horizon. “The Cavalry has caught up!” Aidan turned to look quickly before snapping his glance back at Tyler. “Darius get on a horse and ride!”
This time the young king obeyed his friend’s wish and began to run towards the horses they had previously abandoned.
Aidan expected Tyler to make a move for the fleeing Darius, but he stood in place, looking smugly at Aidan. “You are a good fighter. I’ll give you that. But what are you standing around for? Go run with Darius back to the fortress. Don’t worry I wont make any attempt to stop you.”
Aidan gritted his teeth, slowly stepping around Tyler in the direction of Darius, trying to feel out if this was another of Tyler’s tricks. “Why would you let me go? And furthermore why would I not kill you here?”
Tyler chuckled, amused at Aidan’s threat. “Do I really need to explain what you already know? You will not kill me because you know what awaits Darius at your fortress. You know you are his only chance to survive, and if you waste time on me, then he will be lost. As for my reasons to let you go….let’s just say I like a good ending. I do wish I could be there when Darius realizes what happened, but I will just have make due with my own ideas. Are you satisfied now? I’ve held my cavalry off as long as I could, but they see me in trouble and want to help. Go now and face the horror of your destiny with Darius.”
Tyler then began to laugh painfully at the situation. His wounds continued to bleed, and Aidan could only hope that he would die out here before he could be repaired.
With a grunt of frustration Aidan turned and ran towards one of the horses. Darius was already a good distance ahead of him and the fortress was within view. He would have to make haste if Darius was to stand a chance.

[Tiber]

CHAPTER 8

The Gerudo Elite Fortress was quiet as Darius dismounted his horse in front of the gates. There were no guards atop the walls to greet him as virtually all of the soldiers had been sent out for the battle. Darius shouted out for anyone who could hear, “Hey! Open this damn gate! We have to get in!”
He heard nothing for a few moments, but soon a small creaking sound materialized in front of him as the large wooden gates to the fortress opened slowly inward. Darius walked briskly forward leaving his horse where it stood. Before he had made even five steps Linaius came rushing out from the gates with a handful of soldiers. “Darius! Are you all right? Where the hell is the army!?”
The young king was happy to see Linaius. “Those Shadow Raven assholes turned on us! Our army is retreating as we speak with both Pentagram and Raven right behind them.”
Linaius’s face turned grim as he stared at Darius. “They wont stand a chance!”
“Yes I know Linaius, but Aidan and I felt it was better than getting sandwiched in between the two armies.”
Linaius seemed baffled, “Where is Aidan….”
Darius shot Linaius a glance that needed no words to explain.
The very young warrior collapsed to the ground and covered his face.
In an effort to comfort Linaius the best he could, Darius spoke, “Look, I didn’t see him die, but we were fighting Tyler and your brother told me to run. I think Aidan can handle him as Tyler was in bad shape, but the Pentagram Cavalry has no doubt caught up to him by now.
Linaius continued to sob, but Darius had no time to waste. “Listen Linaius…no matter what happened to Aidan we have to get inside and prepare to fight. We are tremendously outnumbered, but we have to hold out as long as we can and hope for something to happen.”
With those words Darius pulled Linaius to his feet and guided him back into the fortress. The young warrior struggled to gain his composure and spare himself the embarrassment of weeping in front of his soldiers. “Darius…take me to my room alright.”
“Yeah…. sure thing.”
The walk to Linaius’s room seemed to drag on forever, but by the time they had reached their destination the young warrior had completely rebounded from his emotional low, and now spoke with trembling anger in his voice. After the two entered the room, Linaius closed the door behind and stood in the center of his room, fidgeting with his sword while Darius searched for one of Linaius’s extra blades for his own use, as his long sword was lost somewhere in the desert still.
“Can I use this one Linaius?”
Darius lifted a small sword from atop one of Linaius’s dressers and swung it around carefully.
“Sure Darius.”
Once the matter of a weapon was settled, Darius found his way to a chair where he began to focus his thoughts to all that had happened.
“Linaius…Has anything strange gone on here while Aidan and I were gone?”
Linaius regarded Darius with a very stern face. “No…everything has been fine. Why do you ask?”
“Well…Aidan said something about the betrayal going deeper than just Shadow Raven. He wasn’t too sure though. Do you know what he was talking about?”
Linaius immediately shook his head, smiling while making a joke. “I haven’t any idea. You know Aidan though, he was always looking for threats that weren’t there.”
Darius brought his head down to his hands as his elbows rested on his knees. With his mouth covered Darius posed another question with a piercing stare. “How can you joke about Aidan so soon after you openly wept out at the gates? And you speak as if he is dead. As his brother you should hope for the best.”
This put Linaius over the edge as he immediately drew one of his two swords and pointed at Darius, still a good distance away. “Don’t question my devotion to my brother! His death is more painful to me than you know! You were supposed to be the one who died!”
Darius stood up and regarded Linaius with a weary smile, not at all surprised at we he had heard. Linaius showed no signs of regret at what was said. He did not intend to carry on the charade any longer. He would end it here.
With his arms at his side Darius did not even reach from the only weapon that he carried, instead hoping to extract what knowledge he could so that he would not die an ignorant fool.
“Tell me Linaius. It was you who arranged for the assassin to kill Brekke wasn’t it. Ray had nothing to do with it.”
Linaius gave Darius a look of disgust as he began to reveal all. “Yes. It was unfortunate that Ray had to summon all of us to his quarters for that damn matchlock on such short notice. You were supposed to be in your room when the assassin made his move. So in a way Ray saved your life.”
Darius showed no outside emotion, but inside he could not help but feel sick at the revelation of what he had done.
“But why! Why did you betray us Linaius!”
“Hey! I was with you all the while until you turned down Shadow Raven’s request for a merger. I want Pentagram dead more than anything else and you were refusing to make the move that would improve all of our lives, and all the while spell the end for Pentagram. You chose a path with no exit for us! It was necessary to have you killed!”
“What good would it have done though Linaius! Aidan would have taken over and done the same thing! Would you have had him murdered as well?”
Linaius laughed madly at Darius’s question. “You thought Aidan wanted to live out here in this desert forever!? He only supported your decision because he knew you needed someone to have your back. He had no idea about my the attempt on your life, but I have little doubt that once you died and I told him why, he would understand and begin to correct your mistakes.”
Darius was silent as Linaius continued to rant. “To be honest I had my doubts about killing you, that is until you executed Ray. Since then I have been looking forward to giving you an even more painful death. Tyler was supposed to do the honors, but it looks like I was lucky enough to be given the chance.”
Darius was not completely surprised at Linaius’s motives, but he was taken back by his hate. “So our childhood meant nothing to you Linaius? Raising this clan from the ashes of our fathers together accounts for nothing? You would kill me and sacrifice Aidan over a matter of location? I always intended to see Pentagram destroyed. You know that! I was just buying time to keep Shadow Raven from taking us over.”
“You were only delaying the inevitable Darius. There is no escape from Shadow Raven. Our only hope is to join with them.”
“But they have allied with Pentagram!”
Linaius chuckled at Darius’s outburst. “For a leader and a politician you seem to know little about how these things work. Shadow Raven was just the supervisor of the playground. They have been working both sides of the fence in the hopes that one of our clans would join. They have just been using both us and Pentagram to find which was stronger, and then adopt them. Did you ever stop to consider why Pentagram sent all those undead troops to die at our gates? That was an expensive proposition for them. The whole thing was an orchestrated bet. Pentagram sacrificed numerous resources in order to create a sacrificial army so that Shadow Raven could put on a show. It is no coincidence that ambassador Noel dropped in before the battle was even over to ask you to merge. As Tyler expected, you declined, and Pentagram won the bet. From that point forward Shadow Raven has been working with Pentagram, preparing to merge them. That assassin who killed Brekke was not Pentagrams! Haha no! It was one of Shadow Raven’s! I saw that Raven was none too pleased about loosing all of the prospects here in this clan, and I told them that if they could get rid of you then Aidan and I would see to it that they got what they wanted out of us. Naturally we are worth more than Pentagram, so the Shadow Raven higher ups decided that if we joined they would break off their relationship with Pentagram and work towards exterminating them.
But then of course Ray threw everything into chaos with his matchlock, and when the assassination was botched I told the assassin to point the finger to Ray and Pentagram. Now…I do realize that was a mistake on my part as Ray was a valuable asset that took a lot of work to make up to Shadow Raven. But in the end things worked out all right as I pointed out to them that their assassin botched the mission. I really do feel bad for Ray though, it was genuinely hard to watch you murder him like that. He was a nice kid.”
Linaius smiled widely, seeing that he had gotten under Darius’s skin.
“You should be proud though. In a way you have united the three clans, if only for a moment. We are all united against you, and once you die there is nothing stopping Shadow Raven and I from exterminating Tyler. That is quite an accomplishment if I do say so myself Darius.”
The king’s voice trembled as he put forth his last question. “What about Aidan? Are you saddened by his death or is he just another sacrifice that must be made in order to execute your plan.”
Linaius appeared to genuinely consider this for a moment.
“If everything went according to plan, Aidan would have lived to find out the true story behind everything. I am quite confident that he would have accepted my actions as being for the benefit of the clan…And if he was upset enough at your death to not see my reasoning, then I would have no choice but to have him killed.”
“Well Linaius…not that it matters much anymore, but Aidan would have rejected you and your scheme. If not for him I would have died on the battlefield today. He knew what you were up to and he wanted to prevent it.”
Linaius smiled mockingly, “Is that so? I did suspect that he was onto me, but I must say I underestimated him. But if he was against me then why would he have gone to Shadow Raven only days before the battle to give them the new matchlock? Maybe he shared some of Tyler’s sick love for playing people. Perhaps it was his will that you come here and hear the explanation from me like this….But it does not matter now does it. Now if you don’t have anything else to say, let us get this over with. I will make your death long and painful in memory of both Ray and Aidan!”
With those words Linaius drew his second sword and began to inch closer to Darius who had brandished his own borrowed short sword. Darius knew that he would not stand a chance against Linaius, let alone in close quarters and outmatched in terms of weapons. His only hope was to break for the door, which was to Linaius’s left. There was no way that Darius could get there in the medium sized room the way they were positioned now. He could only try to survive a close encounter and come out in opposite sides of where they currently stood.
“Now now Darius, I see you eyeing that door. Don’t waste your time trying to get there. Even if you were to get by me, there are three soldiers waiting outside who are loyal to my cause just waiting to skewer you. You might as well stand and fight for a change!”
Linaius dashed forward, leading with his right shoulder, both of his swords drawn back to his left. Darius took a step back and held his sword out in front, blocking the first sword that Linaius attacked him with up high, but leaving his middle exposed as the second, left handed sword came through lower. Darius was able to see the move in time to side step, letting the blade pierce the wall that he stood with his back to. Linaius let out a grunt as he let go of the sword lodged in the wall and landed a punch in Dairus’s exposed rib cage. Darius pulled his sword away from its lock up high and hopped backwards, finding himself squarely in a corner, even further away from the door. Linaius regarded him with a smirk as he yanked his left hand sword out of the wall and spun it in his hand, observing Darius’s defensive stance. Before he could make a move though the locked door to the room splintered a burst open. Linaius and Darius both dropped their guard and stared in wonder as Aidan walked through the door with blood dripping down his sword.
Both Darius and Linaius shouted his name, both happy to see him. Linaius was the first to speak to his brother. “Darius said he left you for dead! I was just going to make him pay for killing you and Ray!”
Darius exclaimed in response, “Aidan! We have been tricked! Linaius has been trying to have me killed all along!”
Aidan regarded them both with his customary cold stare, before turning to Linaius and readying his sword. “No matter how justified your goal Linaius, you should not have wished harm upon Darius. It is because of you that Brekke, Ray, and hundreds more of our soldiers have died and will die. All because you could not stand behind Darius’s decision.”
Linaius seemed taken back by his brother’s rejection, “But Aidan! We will all die if we go Darius’s way! Some have died due to my actions, but it is far less than what Darius would have done to us!”
The young king himself was speechless watching the exchange, not wanting to say anything that might irritate Aidan or remind Linaius that he was still alive.
The older of the two brothers shook his head in distain. “You have no honor Linaius. You are just a bloodthirsty ambitious fighter. While I cant say I agreed with Darius’s policy, at least he meant to stay true to us. The same cannot be said for you though brother. I now have no choice but to end you Linaius.”
The younger brother yelled out in frustration and readied both of his blades. “You blind fool! If you too will deny our only chance at living then I have no choice.” And with a smirk Linaius added, “Oh by the way Aidan…I’ve gotten a lot stronger since the last time we sparred. You wont find me to be as easy this time.”
Aidan smiled right back accepting the challenge. “I expect a good fight from you. Show me what you have learned.”
The two brothers stared each other down without further words exchanged. Aidan had always been the stronger, but only by a little, and there was no telling what Linaius was capable of. It was a fight of Aidan’s force with a single overwhelming blade versus the agility and versatility of Linaius’s dual short swords. Normally Darius would have picked Aidan to win, but in such close quarters it would be hard for Aidan to wield his sword which was almost as tall as him.
Linaius was the first to move as he dashed towards his brother with the same form he exercised earlier on Darius. Aidan read his little brother’s attempt much quicker than Darius had though, and sidestepped swinging his blade horizontally. The superior reach of Aidan forced Linaius to abort his move and go into a roll, which took him under the swinging sword. Linaius popped up quickly as Aidan readied his blade for his usual defensive philosophy. Linaius charged once again but this time straight on with both of his swords pointed forwards at his hip. Aidan ‘s calm eyes observed his raging brother as he turned his hands upward and sliced down. Linaius used his right sword to block, but was quickly overwhelmed by the weight of Aidan’s sword, and forced into bringing his left sword to block as well. It was barely enough as Linaius managed to push Aidan’s sword away, throwing the older brother off balance. Seeing his opening, Linaius jumped forward into reach and stabbed at Aidan with his left sword. The older brother, not to be taken down so easily kicked his right leg up, hitting Linaius in the shoulder and sending him rolling into a desk to the right. Aidan was able to regain control of his sword and lunge forward before Linaius could get up. The younger brother elected to stay on the floor, and rolled away from Aidan’s savage blow, which cracked, into the wooden floor. While Aidan tried to retrieve his blade from the ground Linaius once again slashed at his brother, who in turn abandoned his sword and simply tried to stay out of Linaius’s reach.
Darius, seeing his friend’s plight turned his own sword over in his hand and tossed it up. “Aidan! Here!” The older warrior took a quick look up to see the blade in the air and made a dive for it, grabbing it in mid air and coming down hard.
Linaius, infuriated by the king’s assistance took the time Aidan used to get up, and flung one of his two swords at Darius. The targeted king had little time to see the attack and moved the best he could, but in the bat of an eye Linaius’s blade pierced his shoulder and stuck into the wall, pinning him in place. Linaius laughed casually at his handiwork as Aidan rose to his feet. Seeing Darius pinned he moved to help, but he heard a rusting behind him and turned to see his little brother diving at him. The two fell hard onto the floor as both of their swords rattled off to different areas. In the scuffle Aidan shouted out, “Darius! Go! Get out of here!”
The young king continued to squirm in pain as every single move sent shocks throughout his left arm. Reaching for the sword with his right hand, Darius wrapped his fingers tightly and braced himself as much as he could. He yelled out in pain as he tried to pull the sword out to no avail. Looking down only a few feet in front of him and behind a knocked over dresser, he could see Linaius had the upper hand. Darius screamed out again as he made a second attempt to free himself. This time though the sword loosened as he felt his shoulder separate from the wall. In a flash he was free. Pain once again soared through his arm, almost bringing him to his knees, but once again at Aidan’s urging he regained himself. The two brothers continued their struggle on the floor as Aidan found himself atop his brother. Through a choking voice Aidan shrieked out. “The Tavern! Go!”
Aidan’s voice was cut off as Linaius landed a punch on his older brother’s jaw, sending him sprawling across the floor. Darius hurried to the door, holding his sword and left arm in his right hand. He opened the door and felt a gust of warm air sweep into the sweat-dampened room. Looking back Darius met eye to eye with Linaius who stood up, breathing hard, blood pouring from numerous cuts on his face. One finger on his hand was snapped completely back, but it did not seem to bother the young fighter. Just as Linaius was about to say something Aidan rose to his feet across the room, equally battered. “Go….To the tavern….I’ll finish things here.”
Darius was about to turn back and help, but seeing Aidan’s tired gaze he decided not to. It was the brother’s fight. “At least take this!”
Darius was about to toss his sword to Aidan once again, but the older fighter held his hand out in protest. “No. Linaius and I will fight evenly. You may need that sword anyway. Now Go!”
With one last look of distress Darius bolted out of the door, slamming it behind him.

[Tiber]

CHAPTER 9


Faces regarded Darius with confused panic as he stumbled through the Fortress halls. It was an odd sight indeed to see their king staggering wearily while nursing his wound, which bled heavily. Some offered to help him, while others asked what had happened, and what was to become of them. What was left of the army had arrived inside the gates during Darius’s journey to the Senna’s tavern. He heard the sounds of battle inside, and could only assume that some of the enemy army had gotten though, or even had burst down the gates. He heard loud screeches above as the Ravens circled overhead. He was trapped. The walk was alarmingly slow at first, as Darius had to feel out every step with caution, but as he heard the sounds of battle behind him his pace quickened. He tried to take less populated routes in fear that he may happen across someone loyal to Linaius that would finish the job. Luckily though it seemed as if the dissenters were limited to some of the guards. All of which Linaius was in command of.
Darius’s muscles relaxed and he took a deep breath seeing the doors to Senna’s tavern right in front of him. There were no guards or any sign of trouble, and for that he was relieved. Stepping though he was not sure what to expect, but was almost scared to death to see a large figure standing in the middle of the room. His armor was slick and imposing, and the large halberd that he carried, covered in blood. The figure’s helmet turned towards Darius and grunted. The King would have turned and ran if not for a familiar voice. “Hey Darius! Wait up!”
The booming female voice could only originate from one person Darius knew. Looking to his left towards the bar he was delighted to see Senna staring at him in wonder.
“Where ya going Darius!”
The young king slowly stepped into the tavern and closed the door behind him, eyes shifting back and forth trying to figure out who the armored warrior was. A small collection of bodies lay in the far corner. There was no doubt they wore the armor of the Gerudo Elite guards.
“S….So Senna….Who might this be?”
Darius motioned to the armored figure who answered for the barkeep. “My name is Harper. I do believe we have met before.”
The figure removed his elegant winged helm to reveal the palest skin Darius had ever seen. The king was more scared the happy to see the Raven Rider until Senna spoke up. “Harper here has come to save you Darius. A couple of guards were in here at the time when he arrived. I didn’t see what happened but the next thing I knew they were all dead. My tavern is covered in blood now, but I guess it dosent matter does it. But anyway…he hasn’t said anything else to me besides that Aidan told him to be here. And judging what he did to those guards I’m not going to be the one to tell him no. Plus all the guards are out fighting right now….By the way what’s going on out there Darius! And what happened to you?”
Harper interjected before Senna could ramble on further. “Darius. Aidan told me to come here when he journeyed to Shadow Raven a few days ago. He said something like this might happen, and thus far from what I can tell he was correct. He asked me to come here and meet you, then fly you far away from this land.”
Darius became speechless at the thought. Had Aidan really seen this coming that far in advance?
Senna blurted out, “So what the hell is going on out there! Will someone please tell me!”
Harper turned to the attractive young barkeep and calmly stated, “Linaius has struck a deal with Shadow Raven in order to kill Darius and ultimately merge your clan into theirs. Aidan saw it coming and has asked me to save Darius…and I would assume since Darius is here, that Aidan was unable to make it…”
There was a few moments of silence that seemed to confirm Harper’s theory, before Darius spoke. “Aidan is fighting with Linaius as we speak. I don’t know who will win.”
Senna angrily spoke out “Aidan will clean his clock!”
Darius was deciding weather or not to go into depth about the fight when Harper interrupted politely. “King Darius…I must ask that we leave immediately. We don’t know how their fight will end, but we can be certain that soldiers will eventually come by here. My Raven is circling overhead with the others. I expect some resistance as I am the only rider involved in this scheme, but I am certain we can escape. But only if we go now before more Ravens converge. Darius nodded as he looked to Senna who’s eyes started to well up. Darius could only guess what she was crying at. There were so many tragedies in one day it would be hard for anyone not to be emotional. Darius walked over to her and embraced the girl with his good arm. She openly sobbed into his bloody chest. Darius tried his best to comfort her. “Listen Senna. Things have to end eventually. I wish I could have bought more time for this clan…but it was inevitable that such a thing would happen.” Then an idea popped into his head. “Hey Harper! Can Senna come too?”
The pale face regarded him with frustration until Darius nodded down towards Senna with an expression that forced Harper to feel pity. “I…I suppose so. But we must hurry!”
Darius smiled to him and lifted Senna from his chest. “How about it Senna? Would that be alright with you?”
It looked as if Dairus’s attempt would work for a moment, but then the barkeep shook her head emphatically. “No! I’m gonna stay right here! If Linaius and Shadow Raven want to kick me out then fine! But I will not run from them. I will cover your retreat Darius! Give me that sword!”
Senna quickly yanked the sword away from Darius’s weekend hands. “I cant live outside of this home! Go now! Do as Harper says!”
Darius was about to protest when Harper’s cold metal-plated hands grabbed the back of his shirt collar and dragged him back. “The girl is noble. Many people like her have been willing to give their lives for you. Do not let them all be in vein. We leave now.”
Darius did not argue, but instead regarded Senna with a tearful stare. Why were people always saving him?
When the two exited out of the back door of the tavern Harper was carrying Darius in his arms. The Raven Rider let out an amazingly loud whistle to the sky and stared up for a few moments while speaking to Darius, hoping to still talk while the king was conscious.
“Your friend Aidan was really something. He gave his matchlock prototype to Shadow Raven in exchange for my freedom. He told them you could use a Raven Rider of your own. They gladly accepted his deal, realizing that I would be theirs again in only a few days when they took over this fortress. Aidan told me what he was doing, and I found it admirable. There is rarely any honor in the world of slaves, and to be included in such a valiant effort was something I’ve wanted all of my life. He told me to insist on fighting for Shadow Raven in this battle so that I would not be fought against.”
Darius smiled up at Harper, almost amused at what had been done behind his back, for his own good and for his demise.
Harper continued to talk as his great black raven landed in the narrow street. “I told the other Riders that I was going to go down into the city to investigate, and they had no problems with it. Once I die then one of them will be the best. It is the natural cycle of things for us.”
Harper set Darius down atop the feathered beast and settled down himself in back of Darius, to make sure the boy’s tired body did not fall. He pulled out a herb from a bag that he carried with him, and placed it on Darius’s wound. “Don’t worry about your cut now. I have been trained in the basic healing arts as well. The hole is pretty bad, but its nothing that this wont take care of. As the bird flapped its wings and Harper chanted his short spell, Darius looked over the side of the bird to the tavern where they had left. There was a figure standing outside of the door looking up at them without a motion. At first Darius was unsure who it was, but as his eyes focused he saw Linaius’s face clear as day. There his eyes rested for as long as they could until Harper rotated his head towards the sky. “It is truly unfortunate….I know. I am sorry for your loss, but you will have plenty of time to mourn his sacrifice later.”
Darius’s vision became hazy and his muscles numb, as he realized Harper’s spell was more than a healing spell, but a sleeping one as well. He was about to protest, but then felt no need to; as perhaps it was best he slept for a while. Maybe when he woke up it would be just a bad dream. His eyes closed and he felt the wind swirl around him. There were yells and shrieks. Horrible noises and motions began to invade his dreams, but slowly he began to distance from them, until eventually they were all but silent. His mind relaxed as he began to enjoy the wind. In his dreams he flew across the lush, beautiful green grass that he had only heard stories about. He sat atop trees, which soared above the ground, and glided across the welcoming and infinite water that he had never seen before, and met with all types of people from across the realm all at once. None of which carried a bit of the evil he had spent his life running from.

[Tiber]

Epilogue


Blood tricked down and off of his hands, which had long since lost their feeling. His body was cold, and his wounds no longer burned. His joints no longer ached and his mind no longer raced. His sword stood imbedded in the ground, and his brother’s in his chest, just below his right collar bone. The sword’s point stuck into the ground, hoisting his body up slightly off the floor, just enough that he could hear the sound of his own blood drops. His face ceased to move, and his eyes focused on the window, which lay in front of him. Spoke from the fires throughout the Fortress had crowded out his view of the blue sky long ago. Now all that he could see was the ashes of his life’s work burning up into the heavens. His hearing had disappeared a good time ago, and he could no longer smell the sweat, which had saturated the room. He no longer tasted the sweet juice of success or the bitterness of betrayal. His eyes were the only thing left to him as he stared out the window into the everlasting smoke that parted ways and separated under the wind of a large bird flying away, followed in turn by another and another. Though he could no longer control his muscles Aidan smiled at the scene within, knowing that his life and his efforts would not be in vein.


The End

[Tiber]

Commentary

I do hope that you have enjoyed, or at the very least tolerated my story. This is not the end of Darius by any means as I have two more story ideas in my head for the other clans I was with, of course depending on the feedback I get on this.
But I feel it necessary to tell you that since I played around with a lot of the facts and names in this story, I only owe it to you to tell you about the real Gerudo Elite of Dragon Court. Naturally it was nothing as exciting as this story, but if you will I would like to tell you about some of the people in the story, and who they really were.

Darius: I will start off with myself as I founded the clan and people joined from there. I was almost 13 when I started it with some friends who lived next door. Hense why everyone in the story is so young. It was actually a clan of children in real life. I only bumped up the main characters’ age to make it seem more real that they could be fighters and generals. As a leader I have no problem admitting that I was a real @#%$, and I don’t think that anyone involved with me back then would have any problem with that assessment either. I expected a lot from my members and gained little in return, which only made me get angry and frustrated at times. The reason why the clan failed was in large part because nobody wanted to work with me anymore. I could not understand it then, but now I use it as an example of how not to lead.

Aidan: His DC name was Linkthemadbomber, but his irl name was Aidan. He was 11 or 12 at the time we started the clan. Like in the story he was the older of two brothers, but unlike in the story, he was very much a hot-head. He talked a lot and created many characters to boost our power, but was not terribly involved in the actual running of the clan. At one point I tried to give him the leadership when I was busy with school, but he crashed and burned in the first week, and decided leadership wasn’t for him. He stuck around for a while before eventually quitting dc altogether when he moved away.

Linaius: His DC name was Roboace, so like his brother Aidan I hope you can understand why I did not use that name. His irl name was Marshal, which is normal enough but I felt like it did not quite fit the character. Thus Linaius was born from my imagination. Marshal was a huge contributor to the clan power, and along with his brother a great member when we were first starting, though did not contribute much once we got to be a serious clan. He quit DC though at about the same time as Aidan when they moved.

Ray: Completely made up. Hehe sorry.

Senna: I did not give her a large enough role in this story for what she was to the clan. Senna was her dc name, and I don’t know about her irl. I recruited her fairly early In the clan’s life and she was the most active member of the clan. When Aidan failed to be a leader Senna stepped up and took over. She was certainly a kind spirit that I must say had an excellent tolerance for me and my crabbiness. She left in the twilight of the clan, just before I merged it away.

Brekke: She was my DC wife, and we hung out in town square a lot. (I know I know….a 13 year old with an ic wife??? I sometimes wonder myself). In terms of the clan Brekke was not a contributor, but she did give me a reason to stay involved in dc during the bad times. She left for reasons I don’t know when the clan started to go downhill. I think it was more for irl reasons than anything else.

Harper: MasterHarper1 was Brekke’s friend Irl, and she brought him into the clan. He was a definite contributor to the forums and clan functions, though I expected far too much out of him, resulting in a few arguments and his eventual departure.

Ambassador Noel: Noel is a friend of mine irl, and his name was Ifrit’s Fire. He was pretty much my rival throughout DC. Him and I competed in everything, including who could get more guts for their character. He was a member of Gerudo Elite for a short while before he started his own clan. But when it caught up to mine he saw that it was driving me crazy and decided to quit and join a clan called Dragon Bane. Dragon Bane passed us at our peak and eventually merged with another clan. I think they might have made Demon Guardians but I’m not sure. Noel eventually quit DC altogether just before GE merged.

Shadow Raven: I don’t think they are still around in DC, and if so they may be under a different name or in a merger. They were the first clan to ally with us, and they were great about giving tips and helping to bring us along when we were coming up. Though now I realize what they were probably trying to do, as ive tried to father small clans before in hopes of merging. That is of course where I got the idea for that whole dynamic of the story. The betrayal part I guess spawned from an incident on their forums where I went to talk to them one day about something which I cant remember, and they completely stonewalled me. Nobody remembered who I was, or anything about being allied with the Gerudo Elite. It was no big deal as GE would up merging to someone else soon after, but that’s where I got that idea from. By the way they were nice people lol.

Pentagram: Led by Tyler, they strived to be the darkest clan in DC. They had another leader named Marylyn Manson, but I figured that would not be a very good character to have in the story, and I did not have much interaction with him. As for Tyler, he and I got into a very heated argument on their forums that lasted a few weeks. And it was pretty much about nothing. I disliked rp at the time and had no respect for it, and they somewhat fueled that fire. I think GE wound up outlasting them as a clan, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Tyler is still around in DC somewhere. I don’t think they really had any connection with Shadow Raven though.

Gerudo Elite: Aidan, Marshal, and I were very much into Zelda at the time and after debating over what to name our clan for a few weeks we finally settled on something we all shared a passion for, and that a good number of DC players likely would too. We got mixed reactions from the name, some expressing their love for Zelda games, and others saying we were disgracing the name…while also pointing out the Gerudo were predominately women. But for the most part it was good feedback. The clan’s end came when I decided to merge it with a clan named Shogun Dynasty, who I had no prior contact with. I just got mail out of the blue one day asking me to merge. I decided there was no way I could pass up a leader with that kind of impeccable timing and decided to go for it. What happened after that is another story though.

SO, that’s about it. Again, I do hope that you enjoyed my story, or at least were able to read and tolerate it. As I said before, I am looking to create two other stories chronicling Darius’s past, (shogun dynasty and seek & destroy). But I don’t want to make another large effort on those if it turns out I’m no good at this whole big story thing. So Please! If you really don’t think this story was that good, let me know either with a post on here or however you want to talk to me. Tell me if you have any suggestions for what I could do to improve my writing style for a next story, or if I should even bother with a next story. I know you are probably thinking that would be horrible to tell me not to even bother, but please I can take some criticism rather than write another story for nothing.
And hey if you got something good to say…..speak please lol!
But, I’ll go ahead and stop telling you what you should do and let you post.

-Darius/Tiber

By the way, this turned out to be 23,626 words....my fingers hurt...but i loved every minute of it.