[Mkguild] A House of Cards

[Zamir Twiggs]

Two above, three behind and one
before him. With eyes held shut Ma’alkeen was crouched low and slowly circled
his position, the right blade of his bracer traced the ground, cutting over
leaves and a recently broken branch. His left hand held a dagger, a smaller
version of Echo as half of the weapon was used to make up the bracer. The thing
distinguishing it from the shortsword was the blade curved like a scimitar.

 

The first move came from the two
above. Two shadows of humans descended from the trees with wicked twisting
swords poised to impale him through the back. His ears would hear the
disturbance in the air caused by their descent. Instead of rolling like most
would to get out of range of the attack he would immediately shift into feral
form and bound backwards, his weapons shifted with his body merging with his
claws, before following through with a swift pounce shifting again to morph form
with dagger and bracer armed once more. Both blades entered backs of his
unsuspecting assailants. They vanished in a cloud of black smoke which quickly
faded into the woods, his muzzle was locked into a stolid scowl. 

 

The three coming from his rear
were nearly upon him, the hiss a long sword cutting through air was met with
his dagger guiding the blade just off to the side using the knife’s slightly
curved hilt. Ma’alkeen’s right hand immediately shot forwards sending the wrist
blade through the skull of his enemy before he could attempt to step behind his
sword to cover him. The second tried a sweeping attack aimed at his knees which
forced him to jump through the fading dead enemy and roll. 

 

The words the fox shouted came as
sinister incomprehensible hiss as it echoed through the woods. The black circle
responded by forming a wall of shadow that held the density of the hardest
thing the blade touched while drawing the circle, wood. Given the nature of his
enemy it won’t hold them for long but it gave him enough to focus on the two
enemies who were rushing in to flank him.

 

He’ll quickly raise his left arm
with the dagger turning into the second bracer. His right arm focused on
parrying the sword thrust and with a flick he set himself up to step forward in
a riposte. The right jab aimed for the throat but his foe would step back just
out of range as he tried to reorient himself during the second enemy’s diagonal
slash. With a claymore it was intended to cut Ma’alkeen’s arm off and catch him
in the chest. Instead he would barely cause fur to sway as the fox dropped the
left arm and bent forward at the high point of the slash. With a posture
assisted by the new bending of digitgrade legs he was able to get under the
enemy’s arm level as the Nahfalt’s left arm would rise sending the blade under
the man’s arms and into the heart. The man staggered back gripping its chest
before vanishing. 

 

This left Ma’alkeen to quickly
turn his attention to the shadow swinging the longsword towards his hip which
the Nahfalt quickly stepped back and advanced through a quick transformation
into a quadruped form. The shadow tried to bring his blade back to slash the
fox but he quickly evaded by jumping over the sword in a lunge that kicked up
loose snow and leaves. He shifted again while in the air to morphic form, the
blades didn’t change into bracers, the energy that made his blades so deadly
were still flowing through his claws. The shadow would never have the chance to
bring his blade back to defend himself, as Ma’alkeen’s claws bit into both of
his collarbone and his teeth found the shadow’s throat. Where once was the sword
of the shadow lay a piece of bone with a small rune carved into it. He’d pick
it up as he stood back onto two legs.

 

His last enemy was half way done
escaping the shadow wall. The stone hard gaze of the Nahfalt never changes even
as he stared at his trapped enemy. The wall shifts in shape to a sphere in
almost an eye blink. His bracers fade from his arms and the energy flows into
the shadow ball. All an outside observer would know of the dark deed being done
was the sound of crack and slice of blade and bone running against each other
from sporadic angles. The shadow fades leaving nothing in it place aside from a
single shard of bone with a rune engraved on it.

 

You’re quickly adapting to that body.

 

Ma’alkeen would slowly open his
eyes and his tail displayed the emotion that he didn’t visibly display on his
muzzle, joy. He’ll pick up each shard left behind by the shadows before walking
over to the scabbard. Echo waited for him, now materialized in the sheath.
Ma’alkeen puts the leather strap over his shoulder securing the sword to his
back, his ears actively searching for any other movement in the woods. His nose
would convey a variety of scents he wouldn’t have comprehended before but none
belonging to anything out of the ordinary.

 

I never imagined ever being in possession of such agility. I’ve barely
scratched the surface of my full potential. These ears and this nose also allow
me to perform even better in ‘blind’ fighting. He looked to the contour now
in the shape of a fox morph like him. Ma’alkeen had his suspicions when Nod
used a canid form to draw the patrolling keepers to Exsal’s seal. The assassin
picked up his robes, they were easier to fit around him than the rest of his
outfit. They weren’t practical for how he would have to maneuver with his new
body but he wouldn’t leave them or the rest of his outfit behind. All are still
a part of who he is.

 

You did well against those shadows.

 

Getting sloppy though, might be wise to go on reprieve before testing a
new technique.

 

I take it something’s bothering you? Nod’s voice didn’t hold the
same humor it usually does. Likely because he sensed something wrong too.

 

Yes. He would close his eyes still contemplating the events back at
the seal. I feel like we may have missed
something. Illkira could’ve been leading us again.

 

You think Exsal’s seal was just another diversion?

 

Possibly. Perhaps we should investigate the ruins again. He’ll pick
through a traveling pack, something he found from the bandits he slain two days
before. First I want to resupply on rations
before planning any prolonged visit. The Nahfalt then stepped into the
shadows of a great oak and vanished.

 

---

It was slightly warmer today. A
cool day in an often bitter winter. This didn’t make the ice slick roads to
Euper easier. A very decorated merchant and a few of his guards had their
attention divided between the road and watching for any sign of attackers. The
goods were covered by a canvass tarp, however Ma’alkeen’s nose easily
identified the scent of food carried by the wind, even hidden under the tarp
and within crates. Though not necessarily how he intended to get food it would
provide a bit of amusement to see what kind of chaos he can unleash while
taking some of their goods.

 

The fox sat in the branches, his
green eyes engulfed by crimson and he begin to channel energy through the
shadows into several concentrated positions under a bush and fallen log on the
opposite side of the road. Inflicting physical harm amongst the caravan will be
detrimental to him and temporary blindness is all he felt he needed for
stealing from it.

 

The mule driven carriage
approached closer to the desired point. Then once they were between the rock
and log Ma’


      

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