See you guys Next Year

This post will only be brief.
Since we are at the end of 2011,
I just wanted to say...


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Good Bye 2011!!
Hello 2012!

May it be a prosperous year for everyone!

This blog will be on holiday until sometime in January, so until then!

Have a fun and great New Year!




Ganz-1

The Illusion Sword part 5

*warning: Everything you read here are works of fiction

                "I know you, Varin. I know your revenge, I know your pain. I am here to help you. Please, let me help you" said the voice.

                Varin stopped struggling. "How did you know?" he said, still unable to believe what he had just heard.

                "I know many things, Varin. I know all about you and your past. I know what happened to your father, Varin. You want revenge? So do I. Together, we will be invincible, Varin" said the voice.

                Varin gulped. Slowly, he began to calm down. "What can you do for me?" he said to the voice.

                The voice laughed. "Power, Varin. I can give you that. Don't you want it? You want power to take revenge on your father's killer, am I right? I can give you that power and more" said the voice.

                Varin stopped. Power. The thought of it floods his mind. Empowered by the thought of taking his revenge on the crippled man,  his father's killer, Varin began to wish for it. Power. Yes, he needs it.

                "Fine. Give this power to me" said Varin.

                The voice laughed. "As you wish" it said and instantaneously the black mist surrounding Varin contracts and entered every hole on his body.

                Varin trembled as the mist forced its way into his body. Unable to contain it, he screamed, to the top of his lungs. Alerting everyone inside and outside the house. Lights came alive and the once dark house erupted with lights both inside and outside. Clanking sound of the guards footsteps echoed into the hallways and the study room.

                Varin held his arms. His eyes burns. His sight changed from darkness to blood red. His emotion swelled. His mind blanked. He clenched his arm tight. His chest expands as does his muscles.

                He screamed.

                And the dark mist blanketed the whole house.

                The guards stuck to their spot, unmoved. The boy stopped midway from falling to the floor, floating in the air as if he was a paint on a canvas. The fires lighting the hallway and the other rooms in the house froze. Everything came to a halt.

                The only one moving was Varin.

                And his eyes burns bright red.

                Breathing as if he had been on a long run, he pulled the sword from its sheath, releasing another blast of the dark mist into the house. "I've been waiting for this moment to come!" said Varin. His maniacal laugh filled the house. Varin dragged the sword towards the boy and looked down to him. "You shouldn't have snuck into this room, boy. Too bad for you" he said and slashed down at the boy's throat. He watched the boy's head moved only slightly away from his neck, bloodless and emotionless. He clicked his tongue and turned his focus towards the guards bursting through the door. "And you all are in the way, get lost" he said and slashed across the chest of the first guard, slicing him in half before proceeding towards the other guards, slicing them off one by one.

                Varin held his hand out towards the sword's sheath and watched it flew towards his hand. Carefully, he slides the sword back into the sheath and gave the room a final look. His eyes burns bright red. He carved a smile and left the building through the front door, unaware by everyone.

               

                The hot ray from the sun startled Varin from his sleep. He woke up and quickly looked at himself. He placed his hands on his chest and felt his heart beating. Nothing. He looked around at the trees around him, worried about the dream he had before when his sight fell upon the sword in the shiny black sheath lying on the grass next to him.

                Varin's eyes widened.

                He shot up and backed away from the sword, almost stumbling on the root of a tree. His heart race. The images from his dream flashed in his mind. The boy and the guards. He stomach quenched. He cupped his mouth, but the thought was uncontainable.

                So he vomit.

                Varin wiped his mouth and tries to find his way out of the forest when he came upon a ledge. He made his way towards it and was shocked at what lies in front of his eyes.

                It was the city of Jarmir.

                Only it had been destroyed.

                Completely.

                Black smokes rose into the air from the debris of the once proud port city. Its high buildings flattened, its port sunken, its road painted red and black.

                Varin slumped to the grass, unable to believe what was in front of him.

                "I..."

                His sight blurred. Emotions swelled inside him. He tried to contain them, but the trail of warm tears broke his wall and he wept. He looked to the destroyed city again and the image of Kaleem's smile and his brothers laughter played in his mind. He looked to his hands.

                "What have I done!" he screamed.

The Illusion Sword part 4

*warning: Everything you read here are works of fiction

                A column of light from  another hole told Varin where he was. He stopped underneath it and peeked out through the hole. A light shone directly above the hole, while the sound of armors clanking told him that it's the outside compound of the house. So he is on the right track. He smiled and make his way deeper into the sewer.

               

                The sewage cover jerked and slides to one side on the grass. Varin pulled himself up and quickly replaced the lid back to its place. The lack of lighting on the eastern end of the compound gave him the perfect cover for his intrusion. That and the fact that it is the closest to the river canals means that the patrol had to walk the entire length of the small dock behind the house before they return, which gives Varin ample time to cover his tracks.

                He jumped into the bushes by the side of the house and lay flat on his back looking directly up to the roof of the house and the dark night sky.

                "That's going to be one hell of a climb" Varin thought. He peeked through the bushes in case the patrol came back but saw no one. With only a few hours left before dawn breaks, Varin quickly raced towards the house wall and began his climb towards its roof.

                Varin rolled himself onto the roof and let out a long sigh of relief. His fingers stiffened from the sheer climb and his lungs were burning from the fatigue. He coughed as light as he could, trying not to make as much sound as he possible could. Slowly, he pushed himself up and moved his fingers to lighten the stiffness.

                He made his way towards the window on the roof that leads to the attic of the house and peeked inside. No one, he thought and smiled. He pulled out a small metal and pried the lock from the window. It gave way and the window swings open. Varin slips inside, landing on the wooden floor with a light thump. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, giving it time to adjust to the darkness and reopened them again to have a better view of the room.

                After wading through the boxes and chests, Varin crept towards the door and pushed it open. With the occupants out, most of the lights in the house had been turned off. Varin used this to his advantage and quickly make his way towards the room at the end of the hallway, the study room.

                He eyed the stairs as his hands grabbed the door knob and began picking the lock at lightning speed. A clicking sound from the knob gave Varin the signal that he had succeed. He turned the door knob and swings the door open, only to came face to face with a young boy, twice younger than he is sitting at the table at the center of the room holding a book in his hands.

                "Who-"

                But before the boy could finish, Varin had already leaped towards him and covered his mouth. The boy struggled, trying to free himself, but Varin being older and stronger, overpowered the boy. He pulled the parchment of his robe he used to cover his mouth before and tied it around the boy's mouth, shutting him up. Varin then turned the boy lying face down and tied his hands behind his back with another parchment of his robe. Deep in his heart, Varin is already regretting his action.

                "Damn it! No one told me about this!" he said to himself. He turned the boy around and slapped him across the face. "Shut up kid! Or I can't guarantee your life" he said.

                The boy glared at him with eyes filled with anger. Varin looked away. He is not here to argue or harm the kid. He is here for one thing.  He looked up and the sight of the sword in the shiny black sheath fell to his sight.

                Varin wanted to gasped but all he could do was stare at the sword in awe.

                Something inside him stirred. Varin stood, as if called upon, and made his way towards the sword. He gulped. Hesitated at first, he laid his fingers on the shiny sheath, feeling the coldness seeping into the tip of his fingers as it travels up his arm.

                "You must be Varin" A voice spoke in his mind.

                Varin spun around, but there was no one in the room except for him and the boy he tied up earlier.

                "I have been waiting for you, Varin" said the voice again. This time, Varin pulled his hand away from the sword and looked everywhere in the room. Still nothing.

              "Is this some kind of a trick?" said Varin. His voice slightly louder. He turned to the boy and grabbed him by his collar. "What is the meaning of this?" he said to the boy.

                But the boy said nothing. Only shaking his head.

                Irritated, Varin slammed the boy to the table. He snatched one of the letter opener from the edge of the table and slammed its sharp edge next to the boy's head, barely missing his ear. The boy looked to the letter opener and then back to Varin, without flinching.

                Varin clenched his teeth. He took a deep breath and pushed away the anger swelling in him. Kaleem's words came back to his mind and calmed his thoughts. After having his thoughts calmed down, Varin turned back towards the sword. "I just need to grab this and go" he said and laid his fingers on the sword's sheath.

                But soon enough, dark mist rose from the sword and grab hold of Varin's arm. It traveled up towards his body before engulfing it full. Varin tried to scream, only to realized that he could not. So he tried to pull his hand away from the sword, but it was stuck, as if held down by the dark mist.

                "Shit!"

                "Do not panic, Varin"

                Varin's eyes widened.

                "I am the sword you are holding and I mean you no harm" said the voice.

                Varin gulped. He wanted to run, but how could he when he could not even pull his hands away from the sword. 

The Illusion Sword part 3

*warning: Everything you read here are works of fiction

                "You did a good job there delaying the man long enough for us to take him down" said Kaleem. A whisper that made Varin smiled.

                "Drive your emotion, don't let it drive you... right?" said Varin tired.

                Kaleem smirked. "True, kid. True" he said.  

                Varin stood at the ledge of the tower looking at the tiny speck of people underneath him moving around like ants. Chilling winter breeze pushed his long dark hair back, dancing to the wind's tune. He closed his eyes and let the tranquility wrapped him like a bubble.

                "This will be your first mission" a voice came out from behind him, yet he chose to ignore it. The tranquility is far more important to him right now. He held a finger up, and the voice stopped. He could not remember much of what had happened in the past year, but he knows that now, he had the mean to track his father's killer. He opened his eyes again and took a deep breath before turning to face the voice behind him.

                "Like I said, this will be your first mission. The master has asked me to oversee your progress and help you should anything arises" said the man with the usual smile on his face. His green and blue eyes reflected brilliantly by the sun. "Can you do it?" he said. The cracks and crevices on his face stretched. In his hand sat a black envelope with the seal of the Master on it.

                Varin approached the man. He pulled his hood up, covering his face from the man's view, leaving only his glittering eyes. "Leave it to me" he said simple. "It's good to see you again, Kaleem" he said. His eyes glared at the flailing sleeve by Kaleem's side before grabbing the envelope from Kaleem's hand.

                Kaleem snorted. "Hah! Don't get cocky kid. If you feel you can't handle it, just give me the signal."

                Varin smiled underneath his hood. Just like the old Kaleem he knew.

                "Don't worry. Drive your emotion, don't let them drive you, remember?" he said.

                Kaleem laughed. "True, kid. Very true." he pats Varin's shoulder. "Go, kid. It's your time to fly"

                Varin made his way towards the door in front of him before turning back towards the ledge. He crouched and with an explosive lunge, ran towards the ledge and jumped down.

                "Live free, kid" said Kaleem as Varin disappears from his view.

                 Varin stayed close to the crowds, avoiding the police on the street as much as he can. It was easier to navigate by moving with the crowd than taking the shortest route. The rooftops were no more safer. After the guild's last mission, more police has been set up on the rooftops in case another attempt to break into the royal chambers were to occur. He stayed close to the merchant tents and stalls sets on both sides of the road until he reached the building where his target resides. He slipped to the nearest dark alley and pressed his back to the walls, hiding himself in the building shadows, away from the eyes of the public.

                He slides down to a sit and produced the envelope given to him by Kaleem.

                It was sealed in black wax with the emblem of a dagger stabbing a falcon. The emblem of the  Master, the leader of the Guild of Assassins.

                He ran his finger underneath the slip and pried it open. He pulled the letter inside and read its content.

                "A sword, huh. So it's not a person. That's a relief." said Varin after skimming through the content of the letter. "Third floor, left wing room with door guarded by two armored guards. No occupants for the night. Great, that'll make things easier." He folds the letter and replaced it back into its black envelope.

               

               

                Night fell quickly in the city. Merchants and their worker had mostly fled the streets leaving it empty and taken over by homeless and the chilling breeze from the sea. Varin leaned on the alley wall and wait for the first patrol to past him before slipping out. His black robe masked him well, especially with the streets lacking any source of light except for the several places like bars and inns.

                Varin stopped in another dark alley looking directly at a large house surrounded by tall fences and guards. "That must be the house" he said and pulls out the envelope again. After assuring himself it was the target house, he slips into the shadows on the night and crept his way towards the west end of the house where the light were scarce.

                He looked up at the tall fence in front of him and then at the guards just beyond it.

                Varin recalled the map of the building again. "There should be a sewage hole somewhere nearby." he said as his eyes, already adjusted to the darkness of the night, searched for the sewage cover around the area. He crept towards the farther end where the road meets the river and came to the sewage cover he was looking for. Taking one more look at the patrol in the compound of the house and the open area behind him, Varin held his breath and pulled the heavy cover open. He placed it next to the hole and wiped the sweat from his face.

                Varin looked down the dark hole and cringed at the smell coming from it. "I hate doing this" he said and jumped down.

               

                The dank smell of feces and every thinkable waste felt like a spear to Varin's nose. He held his breath, breathing only through his mouth that he covered with a parchment of his robe. He made his way around the corners and bend, moving towards the underside of the house he was supposed to break into. 

The Illusion Sword part 2

*warning: Everything you read here are works of fiction

               "This will be your first test" said Kaleem as he ushered Varin into a empty building. "You will need to "defeat" someone before you  are can pass the first phase of your initiation. Remember what you have been taught. Use your opponent, never the other way around". He pats Varin's shoulder and kicked his back.

                Varin stumbled forward and fell sprawled on the dusty floor. The door behind him closed shut and a small window opened. "Drive your feelings, Varin, never let it drive you" said Kaleem from behind the door. A piece of metal slides and shuts the window, leaving the room grayed with only patches of light penetrating it.

                Varin picked himself up and dusts his body. He coughed, but it was halted by a strange thumping sound. He looked around and above, nothing. The sound boomed and the walls felt like it was shaking in fear. Varin gulped, his fists clenched and ready.

                The wall to his left exploded and an enormous figure barged in roaring like wild animal. It raised its hands and began to pounce every single thing it could reach. Thundering sound of chains banging at each other and at the walls explodes inside the room.

                Varin rolled, avoiding a falling wooden pillar. He spins himself to a crouch and jumped up the destroyed pillar launching himself towards the figure with his fist poised to strike.

               

                The metal plate slides open and Kaleem peeked inside the dust filled room. He slides the metal plate to a shut again and pulled the door open. The dusts quickly filled his nostril and lungs, forcing him to cough hard. He wave his hand around as he step inside.

                "Kid?" he said.

                Kaleem could feel a slight movement in the air in front of him. He frowned. "Kid?" he called out again.

                A dark figure appeared from the dusts and approached Kaleem before it fell on its knees..

                Kaleem approached the figure and crouched next to it. He smiled.

                "You did great, kid" he said.

                Varin looked to his hands. His world around him tumbled and his sight darkened.

                The stinging water slapped Varin to a wake. He gasped for air and opened his eyes to see a man standing at arm's length away from him with what he could make out as a bucket,  or something. His head spins like wheels, the world around him tumbles as he tries to regain some sort of direction to where he is.

                "Wake up!" a voice spank his ears. He winced but could only move his eyes so much. A slap struck his cheek but felt nothing to his numbed mind.

                "Who is your target?!" said the man in front of him. The man threw the bucket away and proceed to slap Varin again on the face. "Who is your target?!" he said again.

                Varin tried to look up but something behind his head prevented him from moving his head any further. He could only make out the strange drawing on the man's neck and the white pendant hanging just below it.

                "Who?" said Varin weak. He coughed and spat to the ground. Even that was a work for him. He winced and let his head hang down. Tired.

                "Insolent fool! You can't win against us!" the man punched Varin in the face, sending him flying halfway across the room.

              The fall pulled the air from Varin's lung but the smooth cold floor gave him relief to his pain. He coughed and smiled, hidden from the man's view.

                The man came closer and  grabbed Varin by his hair. He tugged him up and sat him back up.    "Tell me who is your target and I will spare your life. It's not worth it, you are not one of them yet. You can still back away." said the man, his voice milder with a touch of kindness.

                But Varin could only smirk. If a crooked smile can be counted as a smirk.

                "I'm sorry" he said and gave out a weak laugh.

                Immediately after saying the words, another slap came to Varin's face, sending his head snapped to one side. Yet he laughed. Even louder than before.

                The man grunts and punched Varin in the stomach, pushing air out of his lungs. Varin gasped and coughed. It was like someone rammed the trunk of a tree to him. "Shit, that hurts" said Varin in his head.

                "Again, I ask you. Who is your target!" said the man. No longer the kind voice he was earlier.

                Yet Varin persisted. He only carved what could be thought of as a smile on his bruised face. "You..." he said slow.

                "What?" said the man and bend forward. His face now visible to Varin.

                Varin smiled again.

                "You"

                Kaleem undid the chains around Varin's hands and pulled the metal bar that was strapped to his back. He shouldered Varin and escorted him out of the prison while the other members of the Guild acted as watchmen.