The assassin slowly worked his way toward the cave opening. Though it was large enough to rest in, it was not large enough to fight in. In truth it was more of a pile of rocks than a real cave. The man knew he had to get out or his fate was sealed.
The nameless man moved silently out of the cave opening with the light of day just coming over the ridge. The sight that laid before him caused him to dart back into the cave quickly.
"Fuck!" he whispered to himself in exasperation. " I didn't think they would send so many."
He had peaked out expecting to see maybe two dozen men. What he actually saw was twice that and more. Now facing 50 men he made a silent plea to the gods that they would allow him to see his vengeance done.
He drew both of his blades and spoke the incantation to them quietly. The same golden runes and patterns climbed up both blades as his eyes glowed again with the identical color. A sudden calm descended on him and he burst out of the opening of the cave.
The assassin dove straight into the fray, his golden blades moving with impossible speed. The first three men were dead before they heard him approach.
After the initial shock the soldiers regained their composure and began forming ranks to fight back. The man in black descended upon them like a tidal wave of death.
The next man he faced moved toward him behind a shield. Two of his fellow soldiers moved in toward either side in an attempt to encircle him. He dove low, avoiding their spears, and spun quickly on the shielded man. He cut through the spear and the mans arm severing it just above the wrist. He continued the spin taking a flanking attacker across the abdomen effectively disemboweling him. The last man tried to dodge the follow up strike and failed, catching the assassins dagger in the throat.
Shouts rang out from the soldiers, some wanted to flee even though the still had the man drastically outnumbered. Others couldn't believe what they were seeing as he worked his way through their ranks like a bloody whirlwind.
The assassin dodged and parried incoming blows, removed limbs and spilled blood and guts at leisure. He had killed a dozen men and had yet to be touched.
What his opponents didn't know was that he was on his last leg. His previous wounds had opened back up and the bleeding was worse than before. He knew no healing magic and even if he did, his supply of magic was almost exhausted. He had made up his mind that this was his swan song.
The soldiers he was fighting were in complete disarray. None of them were magic users though they had been trained to combat magic. The use of magic was restricted to those blessed by the church. Without this blessing the punishment was worse than death in the imperium. This prevented even people with a penchant for magic use from being able to develope their skills.
As the soldiers tried to organize some sort of defence the assassin would attack from different angles and directions, rendering their formations almost useless. Until their captain noticed the visible slowing of the mans movements.
Captain Oswald was at his core a coward, the only reason he had reached his rank was by masking his cowardice behind duty and service. He always lead from the back. He did however, lead. Noticing the slowing of the assassins movements he knew it was his chance to end it. He ordered his remaining troops to encircle the man.
With his doom drawing closer the assassin felt his first new wound. He was still fighting but his body did not want to cooperate anymore. After dispatching several more soldiers he took a vicious strike to his ribs forcing all the air out of his lungs and opening a wide gash. He fell to one knee using his short sword to hold himself up, panting and in pain he knew it was time. As the the golden light faded from his eyes and blades he made himself ready for the end.
The encirlcling troops moved in closer and stopped. They held their weapons at the ready all aimed at the man in black. Two soldiers stepped aside to allow Captain Oswald through, then sealed the gap.
"You fight well for a filthy halfbreed." spat Oswald. "I lost a lot of good men today mutt, but claiming your head will have me seen as a hero. I may even finally recieve the blessing of the church and become a holy knight." Oswald chuckled while leaning his long sword on his shoulder.
The assassin looked up at him with defiant eyes, a smirk on his face even amidst all the blood. He spoke in the same gravelly voice. "Oswald, you cowardly seed stain, I knew I would only get close to you when the fighting was done."
Oswald grimaced and kicked the assassin knocking him off balance. "Bold words from someone who's life is at an end." he growled. " "Just know that once I take your head and become a holy knight, I will return to that shit hole village of yours and kill every man, woman and child. They will know in their dying moment that it is because of you Aegis Magnison."
The assassin, Aegis, looked up at him again, now back to leaning on his sword, he had the look of smiling madness on his face before he spoke again. " Then I suppose it's a good thing you will die here today."
Before Oswald could reply a golden light started pulsing on Aegis' chest. Golden patterns and runes started to cover his skin, spreading out from the light. This was his final stand, a technique he never thought he would use. He had saved just enough of his seidr to force the flow of it to reverse causing a detonation large enough to kill every man there, himself included.
As he readied the technique a feeling of calm and sadness fell upon him. Though he knew he could not keep his promise to those he swore to avenge, he took some solice in ending the life of Oswald and his men.
He laughed to himself feeling the seidr begin to expand and contract erratically. Then everything froze. The look of fear and desperation stuck on Oswalds face, his men stopped mid stride in their attempt to flee. Some of their dropped weapons even hung in mid air.
"What in frozen Helheim is going on? Aegis thought. Then he heard a voice, or more correctly, voices. They were layered over each other speaking unison.
"Aegis Magnison, protector, assassin, killer. Your work is not yet complete. The norn have yet to cut the thread of your fate."
Before he could register what was happening the air crackled with electricity, stones and other debris began to levitate being drawn upward. Thunder rumbled in the sky and a wicked bolt of blue lightening streaked in the sky heading straight for Aegis. Just before it struck it branched out in all directions striking every soldier around and centering on Oswald.
The men surrounding Aegis burst into flaming dust as their existences were erased from the world. The voices left him with a final remark.
"Seek the marked child, your true purpose begins."
Time started moving again as Aegis found himself in the center of a circle of ash. His hairs standing on end as the electricity began to dissipate. He stared straight ahead in disbelief before everything began to darken and fade to black.