Hero Scout 39 Chapter 39 - Ash, Ash. Ash.

The first rogue didn't realise Ash was there until his throat was slit, the look of surprise on his squinting eyes was nearly comical as Ash kicked him down a ledge and into the mass of writhing vines he had been looking at. The Forest swallowed him whole.

The second was filled with terror already, the trees having grown faces and had started to uproot themselves. As he screamed in horror, he found Ash's blade in his belly and was left to be pulled beneath the earth.

The third was being chased when Ash finally tracked him down - tigers made of branch, bush and thorn charging after him. Knives did no good, his [critical hit] ability achieving little more than puncturing a branch before he made the mistake of climbing a tree to supposed safety. Suffice to say, the tree looked pleased to crush him slowly in its branches.

The fourth had her limbs pulled off and the fifth entered a cave to never be seen again without any of Ash's help. That left only the dark-haired assassin.

The forest claimed he was heading in the rough direction of the second elf - Goddess Catelyn - which pressed Ash on with even greater speed. Yet keeping up her silent stance was tiring, and she had already long passed her normal safe limits.

Without the spirits, she was born with to empower her, being of the [Spirit Assassin] class wasn't going to help her past what she had already achieved. Therefore when she finally lopped down a hill, to confront the bastard, she knew fighting wasn't an option.

Around him lay twin tigers - real ones this time - and very much dead at that. He had already skinned the pair with rapid speed and sat on a nearby rock as he cleaned his blades. All around him the Forest continued to awaken, and yet he seemed completely focused on the shine of his knives, each ending in a handle carved to look like a nude man and woman.

"I thought something more dangerous stalked this forest. But to think it was one of you Sun elves..." he grinned and waved his knife as if to an old friend.

"You should never have come here, Assassin. The very forest begs for your blood."

"Luckily for me, I am very comfortable around others begging. I've had plenty of experience with those I deal with doing just that when they realise what they face off against. Surely as a Sun elf, you would know better than any. Your king, for example, is he still stuck in that cell where we left him?"

Ash grit her teeth.

"How could a human like you possibly know-"

The Assasin unbuttoned his leather jerkin to reveal pale muscle scrawled with dark tattoos. Although Ash recognised them as far more than that. For each of the three black hearts represented a twisted spirit, once having leant their powers to aiding a spirit warrior, they had now been forged into something dark and cruel. This thing that played at being human...it had made the spirits into warped slaves.

"Shade..."Ash hissed, the man's strength now making sense to her. How could he not be anything less than monstrously powerful when he had the three remnants of once proud spirits chained to his every desire?

[Elf recommends - attack only the shade -others are allies]

[Forest questions - what allies?]

[Elf says - you'll think they are enemies]

With that settled, Ash charged.

"Let the games begin," the Assasin grinned as roots burst from the ground and vines lunged from the forest roof.

"Spirit of anger, [Awaken]" with but that one word everything changed. His eyes grew wide, his muscle taut and his blades leaked wisps of dark energy.
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In three slashes he chopped the Forests attacks to pieces, all in time to block Ash's daggers that both aimed at the Shades heart.

Yet again Ash wished she had a bow, these knives feeling too unfamiliar in her hands.

"Your good," the Assasin said casually, "but you're not good enough."

Whipping his knives around her guard he cut her through the shoulder and cheek. In return, she caught him on the arm, yet her blade created only a shallow wound as if his limbs were made of stone.

"Tsk tsk, I had thought better of an elf. Now please, show me how you beg," whirling his knives around the Assasin destroyed a barrage of attacks, and yet a great gale of wind shoved leaves and dirt in his face.

Seizing the chance Ash forgot her guard and risked it all to use [critical strike] to pierce the Shades chest in a rapid thrust.

"So close little elf," the Assasin sneered, dust fading to reveal the flat of his blade over his heart to halt her dagger meat centimetres from his heart.

With a flourish, her world went spinning as her head rolled beside her decapitated corpse and Ash's sight went dark.

Chapter end