Deep in the underground darkness, screams fill the air. A girl completely concealed in black clothing with her face covered by a mask and hood. In her hands she holds two swords her size. Both of them are covered in blood. Her face is also concealed by cloth, yet her eyes remain visible. She breathes heavily as the bodies of abducted Premderian's lay dead at her feet. Steron watches from above with his Nethrol acolytes. In the shadows of the lower level where she trains, Gormaur does the same.
More Premderian's who look just as weak and haven't eaten in days are brought in. All of them barely have any life in them. In their hands, they have dull blades. They are shoved into the training circle. There are six of them in total. To the girl, it did not matter. She stands there silent with both swords lowered to her side. The master gives out simple instructions.
"The game is quite simple. If you are victorious against her, we will let you go so you can try and escape the hells of Premderia. Perhaps you will be lucky and survive the maze of tunnels and the beasts that lurk within. Begin."
The Premderian prisoners all look at one another as the girl stands there breathing heavily. One of the Premderian's acts desperate and hurls his sword at her. It is clear he is weak from his time in captivity and the sword is easy to dodge for her as she just moves slightly to her left.
There is no hesitation from her. She charges at them. The one who hurled his sword she leaps at. The girl runs her blades across his throat beheading him. The other five Premderian's are surprised as she lands on one knee surrounded by them, keeping her swords extended out to her side.
One try thrusting downward upon her back and she rolls to the side, and spin to face them. She cut both his kneecaps deep and make him fall, crying out. Another rush towards her thrusting his blade. She waits till the last second and moves off to the side, allowing him to deliver the finishing blow to the wounded Premderian by the thrust of his blade into the chest. She swings her blade back just as swiftly beheading that Premderian.
Three remain and all of them attack together recklessly. Her speed is incredible despite fighting three opponents. She is pressured to the edge of the ring. An opening presents itself when the one on her left raises his sword too high above his head. She thrust the blade in her left hand into him and let go while spinning around the edge, deflecting the attack of the one in the center who try thrusting his blade.
She walks back to the center of the ring twirling her sword. The two remaining Premderian's look at one another. Neither is eager to attack first. One of them grabs her sword out from the fourth fallen victim and grip it tight. He charges at her with a loud yell. She stands waiting for his attack. He throws the girl's sword at her. She spins around catching the handle with her free hand. With the speed and force of her throw, the blade is incredible fast, and drive into the throat of the Premderian to the handle.
The remaining Premderian tries to catch her off guard and she dodges each wild attack that has no form. She takes her time with him. A cut across the abdomen is where she strikes first. The cut flow of blood instantly and drip to the floor. While the Premderian hunches over she cut him across the back that is just as deep which makes him arch back.
He comes around with a wild swing that she ducks low. With her next swing, she cut across the front of his thighs. The Premderian stand but limp as her legs become weak. She walks away and pulls out the sword from her fifth victim. There is no rush as her final opponent barely moves.
He turns to look over his shoulder after hearing her walk towards him. The Premderian prisoner is desperate and swings his blade. She leans back dodging it. A thrust of her blade slit his wrists so deep that his handle dangle. With the other blade, she cut his kneecaps, and the Premderian falls forward in pain. She spins around and crosses her blades on his neck.
"Please," he begs to her but she does not flinch.
She rubs her blades across his neck and beheads him. His blood splashes on her clothes but she did not budge. The body fall and his head roll to the outside of the ring. The sound of slow applause from Brank makes her turn towards his direction.
"Impressive," one acolyte says calmly.
"Hardly. Fighting weak Premderian's is not what she needs to test herself," Steron comments as they continue watching.
"Would you care to try?" Gormaur asks before looking to one of his disciples.
"Have the arrangements been made?"
"Yes, but I fear but leaving this area..."
"I am well aware of your feelings on this, but we will take this weak planet for ourselves by breaking them down within. When they are broken from within, it is then we will strike when we have our force, and she is fully grown. It is then the pitiful political system Premderia has adopted will end as will all who oppose us in the galaxy. Am I understood?"
"Perfectly," Steron replies as he lowers his head.
"Good," he says before looking back at the girl.
The girl's eyes become fixated on her master but show that they have violent intent still inside. She charges him and leaps high into the air, letting out a scream. With both swords, she thrust forward. The master holds out his hand and a black energy barrier form in front of him. She is stopped in her tracks and with a grunt from Brank, the black energy slams her into the ground on the lower level.
The girl is not so quick to get up while Gormaur leaps over. She gets up shaking. Her eyes search the floor until seeing one of her swords. She grabs it and charges at him once more. He did not use the same attack. Gormaur provides a harsher and more humiliating attack. He sidesteps the thrust, and punches her forearm.
The strike is so hard she drops the knife. On the other hand, she catches the blade and goes for another thrust. He spins out of the way and sweep the legs out from behind her. The girl falls to the ground. With one foot he presses down on the wrist preventing her from using the knife. Using his knee of his other leg, Gormaur presses down on her throat. She begins squirming but is not strong enough to break free. Her eyes roll in the back of her head and she goes limp.
"Calm yourself, child," he says to her while grabbing her throat with his hand and squeeze. "You are not ready for such a foe."
"Enough, Gormaur," Brank instructs calmly. "The girl has learned her lesson."
Gormaur shakes his head before standing up but presses his boot on her chest, making sure she didn't move. Steron snaps his fingers and four of those that wear Steron's medallion come over. They bow their heads in front of the master.
"Put the girl back in her cell," Steron orders and turns to Gormaur who starts to walk away. "Must I remind you that the master put me in charge here?"
"I need no reminder of that. However, you best remember the importance of her," Gormaur says before he continues his walk into the darkness with his black drazgovs.
The four guards didn't waste time. Two of them grab her by the arms and wrists. They drag her body down the halls and to her empty cell. The two throw her on the stone bed. She lay there motionless. One of them begins walking out while another stare at her. His smile is quite sinister.
"Let's go," one of the two outside the door tells him.
"Come on, let us have a little fun with the girl. Our spoils have been denied for too long."
"Are you insane?" The guard who assist in dragging her in questions. "The master would make us suffer in the worst way."
"The master will never know," he encourages with a sinister smile.
"We have not been rewarded for our years of loyal service," the one who stands with the leader outside of the door encourages. "Such a thing would satisfy my complaints, of being stuck in these dank caves with the same slop to eat day in and day out."
"Very well, get on with it," the leader of the four says to it. "I will keep watch."
The most enthusiastic of the bunch turn the girl over on her back. She rips off the boots and pulls down her pants tossing them in the corner. As he undoes his one of her eyes open. The other three didn't pay attention. While the guard continues looking down her fingernails extend out like claws. As soon as he looks up she swipes them across his face and his throat.
His blood splashes everywhere while he chokes on it. The attention of the others shows they are shocked. She gets on all fours like an animal as a crimson tail emerges from underneath her shirt. She retracts her blades momentarily so she can pull down the cloth that covered her mouth. Her teeth are sharp and watering.
The nervous one and the one who complains about not being rewarded bump into one another as they try to draw their swords. The girl leaps onto the nervous one driving her claws into his chest and gnaws on his neck. He screams out while falling. The one who complains finds her tail going through his chest. She retracts their attacks and leaps towards the leader. With a swift swipe of her claws, his throat is cut open but not deep.
The girl rushes down the halls sprinting as fast as she can. The leader of the group holds his throat and crawl to the alarm bell. He grips the end of the rope and pulls down once as hard as possible. The bell rings a few times but echoes through the halls. Several Vendarion and disciples of Steron hear it and begins sounding the alarms as well.
The girl round the corner where she cut through two who have their back turned. Several more come around the corner in front of her drawing their weapons. She down a different hall, followed by another. Any ways that lead further is what she looks for, evading any that patrol them.
Steron heads down the prison cells where the yelling of those in captivity is endless. They constantly rattle the doors as well. Steron either thrust their blades into the mouths to silence them or cut off any fingers they have gripping the bars outside the doors. He goes to the girl's prison cell and sees the mess and the three that wore his medallion.
As he looks, he notices those that follow him begin to part. Steron watch as the floating orb with a dark flame floats down the hall slowly. None can see his reaction but are fearful. The dark orb goes into the room and sees the three dead followers of Steron. Brank's anger is not visible but something everyone feels.
"Find her, Gormaur," Brank instructs.
"General, I would like to speak with our lord..." Steron replies and beneath the dark flame his master grumbles and the flame grows wilder.
"You best not speak anymore, Nethrol." Steron does just that per the recommendation of Brank. "Find her, Gormaur. We are are not ready for them to find us," Brank says before he continues walking away.
Guards swarm the upper levels, but are spread thin. Many are in pairs and are quite nervous. In the darkness from above, she strikes. The girl uses her claws to sink into the chest of one guard while driving her tail into the other. She stands up breathing heavily as there is a dim light in one of the hallways further up.
In the darkness, she hears a growl. The girl immediately gets in a fighting stance and Gormaur did not move from the shadows. She watches as he shifts into his regular form. The sound of multiple guards are heard shouting in the halls behind the direction from where she came. She looks back in the direction for a mere second before turning her attention towards Gormaur once more. She sees his back end going down a different path not saying a word to her.
"Good luck," she hears him say before he disappears into the darkness.
She rushes towards the light and it becomes brighter and brighter. The girl did not care as the exit become clear. She has to shield her eyes from the crimson sun. Blind to where she runs, she stumbles. Her body falls down the side of a mountain. For over two hundred feet her body rolls, hitting several rocks and branches. The arms and legs are bruised badly by the impact, along with several cuts. Her head hit a rock knocking the girl unconscious making a nasty gash. The girl's body rolls into the river and is taken by the rough current. Her body ends up going over several small waterfalls.
High up hiding in the trees, keeping the darkness they provide from the light, Gormaur watch as her body is taken by the rough waters. He does nothing but watches as the girl's body vanishes upon the horizon. When she is out of sight he turns his back and walks away, with no hurry in his steps.