~Vitta

The only thing that mattered at the moment was to escape from the compound, I thought to Myself. I ran down the soaked street with my brother in tow. The rain, coming down in sheets, was greatly obscuring my vision. I had to look back a few times to check if my brother was still in my grasp running behind me, and if They had caught up yet; If by some means they noticed what was missing.

‘Why couldn't he have left that stupid sword behind?’ I thought. shhhhhhhhhhh, I could hear the sound of it being dragged across the wet dirt. Among other things left back at the Inner Compound Amaru’s sheath and strap was one of them. I looked back again and what I saw horrified me. ‘Devil Dogs!!?!’ ,I screamed in my head. ‘Of all things’, I could see them in the distance over Amaru’s shoulder maybe forty, fifty feet away and closing in fast. It was known that they were used by mostly bounty hunters and low class assassins. Known for their speed and smarts but lack of resistance to most attacks made them a normal choice for a beginner. In Fact, they weren’t that hard to kill if you could avoid getting surrounded.

I knew that Amaru and me couldn’t outrun them all the way to The Wall, but our route would take us to the center of the village meaning if we could make it to the market place we could lose the dogs in the crowd. No one in the crowd would stop the dogs, but it would slow them down. In this country Devil dogs chasing someone was about as common the Police chasing someone, although the Police Never used Devil Dogs.

Crashing down an alley way, I was about to make a left when something landed on my back and the force sent me sprawling forward, tumbling onto the ground. Confused and disoriented, at first I thought it was Amaru who had ran into me. I was about to yell at him for doing so, but I was surprised, when I finally sat up, to see another Devil Dog walking toward me coming from the direction we were headed.

No, how is that possible?, I thought. Then I looked up and saw Two more sets of yellow eyes. the roof tops!?!, How could I have been so stupid to let us get trapped like this?. I looked up at Amaru who had his back to me, got into a stance was lifting his blade and resting it on his shoulder, ready for a fight. There was going to be no avoiding this. I had to get us out now, or we would die here. I reached into my bag on my back and pulled out a set of black gloves. “Amaru”, I said trying to sound calm. He turned around and looked at me. “Im going to build the energy needed for the relocation spell, take care of my body when I finish”

~Amaru
“No, forget it”, I said realizing what she was talking about. “there is still time to get out without having to use so much energy”. I knew it would put major strain on her to use that spell. There were more Dogs now, eight counting the two on the roof if we waited too long more would sure come and surround us. I heaved my sword over up off my shoulder and holding it with two hands took a step toward the first Dog. “Ill take them out myself”

“Dont argue with me”, Vitta said trying to concentrate. Ignoring her I looked around. What were they waiting for, I thought. They were pacing back and forth, looking lenient about attacking but not in any form ready to let us leave. Their summoner must be a ways behind for them to be acting like this; which is good, it means we could still get away without the spell. The rain was coming down even. harder now. I moved my hand to wipe dripping water from my eyes. That was the opening they needed, one Devil seized the chance and dove forward another following suit. I heard it, the splash they made when they jumped up. I was immediately alert. I swung my sword cutting through the first dogs neck just barely severing the head leaving it barely hanging on, but I ended up missing the second. With the first Dogs body dropping to the ground I let the sword continue on its path making it dig deep into the wet ground. Using it as a balance I jumped up and kicked out at the second dog. My foot connecting with its muzzle sent it flying to the side. Smiling, I braced myself for another attack. Taking a glance back at Vitta, whose face was contorted into one of pain and concentration, I took another check at my options: Clearly they want to keep us trapped until someone gets here, I thought. And they’re only attacking to subdue not to kill. “Vitta!”, I called out.

“Its done”, she groaned while trying to stand. The dogs must have picked up on what was going on because one barked then two rushed past me making a beeline straight for Vitta, who with all her concentration on the spell couldn’t defend herself.

“shit”, I mouthed. I started after the two hoping to cut them off before they reached her. one of the dogs upon noticing i was in pursuit jumped in the air and putting its head under its legs to look at me shot a Fireball at me landed and continued running. My eyes widened crap I forgot they could do that!! Just barely dodging the flaming projectile, I stayed my corse. They had caught up to her now. Vitta in desperate use of the last of her energy brought her leg up and managed to kick one of them in the chest but the other jumping over his comrade slashed down at Vitta’s chest cutting through her shirt. She cried out in pain and fell to her knees. The Dog who had cut her was already going for another jump. Getting there just in time I used up all my energy and as soon as the Dog jumped I slammed into it with my shoulder. I felt something grab my leg hard, then a flash of light, and then our surroundings changed. Still in the momentum of my attack i fell to the ground my sword flying out of my hands into the ground. We weren't in the alleyway anymore.

I sat up rubbing my hair “what the hell...what the hell?” I muttered to myself looking around to see where we landed. We were on the docks, near the edge of the inner wall. We ended up next to the boat house that sat near the river that flowed through the walls out of the village. She must of used her spell when i was attacking and grabbed my leg to transport me along with her, I thought to myself…. Shit, Vitta! I twisted around and saw her. She was lying on the ground in a heap passed out from her injuries and energy exhaustion. I got up and walked over to her. Her gloves were still glowing a violent red from the residue of the energy that she had pushed through them. Carefully avoiding the gloves still steaming with energy I rolled her over i checked her injuries. The Devil had gotten a good swipe at her it had cut through her shirt and grazed her chest. It appeared that she wasn't bleeding much but i would have to check her over when i found some place to rest. I grabbed her arm and heaved her over my shoulder wincing as one of her hands brushed past my arm. remembering that she was still wearing them, I proceeded to try to take the gloves off her using one finger as to not burn my whole hand. After a few good minutes I finally managed to get them off and placed them in my pouch. walking over to my sword i lifted it out of the dirt where it had stuck itself when we teleported. attempting to sheath it i realized that i had forgotten my sheath at the compound and that Vitta was on my back. lowering my head in defeat i could just hear Vitta, if she were conscious saying; “See, this is what you get for going after that stupid sword without any type of plan” . sighing to myself I walked off in the direction of our house dragging my sword on the ground behind me.

~Vitta
I woke up very slowly. This is what I get for pushing too hard. Looking around i noticed that i was in my own room. I was in my bed finally after 2 days of being in a dungeon i get to sleep in a soft mattress. I was still in my… well what i considered “street” clothes. My Imperial Blue shirt was slashed to ribbons the emblem of my Magic Guild was not spared, my black cloak was left untouched likely from the Guard spells i had enchanted it with before heading out. when i sat up I felt a sharp pain in my left side. Taking off my top shirt i noticed that my chest was bandaged and rapped….Amaru….Sometimes that kid was a Godsend. I swung my legs over the side and got up. I was still woosy wobbling while I headed to the doorway of my room grabbing the frame for support.

We lived in a house with 2 floors. It had 2 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, and what is known as a family room. Its ironic, we really don't have family other than each other. The only time that we talk about our family -what we can remember of them- is our father when we are questing. Questing is like doing various tasks for our village and other villages who pay ours for our services. Our recent Quest wasn’t even officially given to us it was an old Questing sheet that Amaru found in our fathers Diary. Apparently, it was unfinished. It was given to our father 10 years ago and it was never completed. It involved collecting 13 stones of some sort supposedly containing a mystical power if brought together and combined with The Sword Of Origins the sword Amaru was carrying around. About that sword, we had stumbled across it when we were raiding a compound full of bandits and assassins that we were Quested to destroy.

In one of the chests down in the dungeon we were hiding in he found it. When he reached to grab it i told him not touch random swords he found in chests like i do every time we go Questing. He told me he recognized it from the pictures and descriptions in our fathers diary. Intrigued, but cautious, i allowed him to take it. When he grabbed the hilt The blade shone in a magnificently white light and an inscription wrote it self on the blade A.M.A.R.U. And thats when he dropped it. When it had clattered to the ground almost all the guards on our level of the the complex came rushing to us having heard the sound. Grabbing everything else in the chest; a sheath, a emerald, and some coins and we ran to the exit. If it wasn’t for me planting a Mana Bomb before we left we would have failed the Quest.

I knew, when i got down stairs that i’d find him reading that diary. He was reading and flipping the emerald that we found up in the air and catching it.

“Hey, you're awake”, he said, Not even looking up