A Tale of Revenge

Chapter 1 The Beginning

The girl stood, high on the Cliffside, the breeze played lightly over the field of green before her. Tears flooded over her smudged face for the first time that day, her first shock had dried the well that had threatened to fall. Her eyes roamed over her broken village, of her people spread about her, the coppery scent of blood flooded her nostrils and she wretched violently, "Damn you!" She cried into the wind, "Why my people!"

Sobs wracked her body, as the smell of smoke and burned flesh met her nostrils, making her nauseous again, she fought back the urge to empty her stomach of what little contents were left to it. A battle- no a massacre- she thought, had taken place here while she had been gone, it had been a journey, she had had to find herself a strange feeling had brought her back to the village, she didn’t understand until she had seen the ruins for herself. Men, women, and children were slaughtered; their homes had been burned to the ground. Even her own family had died, she had held her father in his dying moments, his last words still rang through her ears, for, they were the last words that ever escaped his lips, "Live well and long-" blood choked him and he had choked, drawing in gurgling breaths for several moments before whispering her name, "Isis." It was then that the blood flowed from his mouth, over his cracked lips.

So much blood had been spilled that day, what reason was there for it? His precious life blood covered her tattered clothing which consisted of men's breeches, black in color, a long, white, shirt, and a billowing black cloak. At one point, after she had returned to the bloody village, she had had to hide among the bodies and ashes as her peoples' attackers swept through the small village one last time, assuring themselves that there were no survivors to tell the tale of their bloody deed. Horrible men, it made Isis sick to know that there were men such as they in the world, so much meaningless slaughter…

Isis stumbled down to the village once more, she ran to the burned remains of her home. Slowly her eyes roamed along the ash covered flooring, searching for something that she knew was still there. In frustration, she threw herself among the ashes and dug furiously until she found it, a metal handle, she pulled, revealing what was inside.

Her father's armory stood before her, bathed in darkness and untouched by the destruction that had destroyed her village. Good, they didn’t know, she would find them, and extract her revenge, so many had died that day, so many people that she had known since she was born, it was all she could do to keep the thoughts out of her head for fear of being sick. One shelf was packed with fresh traveling clothes, her father had believed in being prepared for anything, including the thought that they might need to make an escape one day. Other shelves held swords, both long and short, bows divided for certain strengths, arrows sorted amongst the bows, daggers, and backpacks filled with dried meat and fruits, her father had planned things so well, he hadn’t known that such destruction would befall him. Isis grabbed a fresh forest green outfit for camouflage in the forest and a black cloak to wear. She hurriedly tore off her bloodstained clothes and threw on the new ones.

She then grabbed her father's best sword. It gleamed darkly, as though riddled with hidden secrets of the past. It was sharp and was even pointed down near the hilt where two dragons' claws were embedded in the hilt. The sword was black; she knew that it would serve its purpose to her. Also, she grabbed three daggers, two she buckled near her ankles and the third rested upon her hip near the sword, Isis wasn’t taking any chances, not when the stakes were so very high, she needed this chance to destroy her peoples killers. She then pulled the cloak over her face, and pulled herself out of the armory, a backpack full of supplies that she would need strapped over her shoulder. Well Isis, she thought, this is it. She hurriedly shut the entrance to the armory and threw handfuls of ash over it, concealing it once more from view, she didn’t want anybody to disturb the place her father had worked so hard to create, it would not be contaminated by greedy human hands ever again. Isis then tore out of the village like the devil himself was after her. "I will have my revenge upon the lot of you!" She growled, "You killed them all piteously and now I shall do the same to you!"

Isis stopped, looking back at her village for the last time, saying a small prayer to the people, now souls, doomed to wander the planet until their bodies were buried beneath the earth's surface, she vowed to bury them and end their pointless wanderings when she returned, it was her sole duty to the people, currently she had no time, there was a chance that she would be caught by them and killed like all the others, her only chance was to hit them where it would really hurt, dissolve their numbers little by little.

A lone spirit watched her leave, tears in his eyes, this, he thought, was the woman whom he had loved in life, and now, still, in death. His feelings would never be subsided. He followed closely behind, invisible to her, hoping beyond hope that somehow he could return to life and to her.

Isis shivered slightly as though an invisible hand had brushed her; she felt a strange presence and was afraid of this new feeling, she didn’t know what it was, the feeling was oddly warm and it frightened her rather badly. She shrugged and moved on. She walked throughout the rest of the day and deep into the night, she wouldn’t stop, not now, she was still too close to the mass of dead, she needed to put distance between herself and them. It grew chilly and her breath appeared before her in the frosty night, the sky was clear, she saw thousands of stars, and between them, was the moon, it was currently full, thus showing the path before her. Isis pulled her cloak tightly about her, in hopes of keeping warm; she began to seek out a place to sleep for the night, she needed to build a fire or risk freezing to death.

She had barely moved two more feet before she realized that she had passed a still form, shadowed by the night. The figure was pale and unmoving. Isis gasped and knelt before the figure, it was a boy, about 17, blood spread about him like black wings, running from a gaping wound in his side, "Help me." He said in a voice barely above a whisper, "please."

Isis knelt before him, "What happened!" She gasped, eyes wide, she had thought that she had seen enough bloodshed during the day, but now, there was more blood, and the boy just happened to be alive, she had to help him, had to keep another from dying, that day had seen enough bloodshed.

The boy tried to speak as Isis set to work dressing his wound, "I-ah!" He let out a small screech as she tightened a cloth torn from the bottom of her shirt over his broken flesh she shivered as a cold breeze passed over the uncovered flesh of her stomach,

"I w-was attacked while I was hunting. A band of men jumped out at me."

Isis' eyes hardened, the violence that had destroyed her village was everywhere, why? Something nagged her from the back of her mind, although she ignored it at first, before she realized it was the same tugging that had been there before her village had been attacked. Before she realized it, she and the boy were surrounded, she stood darkly, "Who are you!?!" She cried, eyes wide in the dark, she wasn’t about to be caught off guard.

One of them stepped forward, instantly Isis' mind was awash with fury, she recognized their uniforms it was them, the ones who had attacked her village, "Son of a bitch!" She cried, drawing her sword.

The man chuckled and held out his hand, the hand seemed to grow dark, sudden white hot pain swept through her mind. Isis gasped audibly and fell to her knees, grasping her head in agony, it was the worst pain that she had ever experienced in her life, her screams pierced the darkness and the boy moved slightly from his position on the ground near the path. Blinded by her pain Isis staggered to her feet, sword raised, and leapt forward, her blade was a flash of silver. The man looked at her in stunned surprise before his blood began to spurt; his body broke in two, falling in two directions. She stood on the other side of his body; a thin line of blood lined the outer edges of her strange sword.

In anger his companions stepped forward, holding their hands in the same way that the dead man before Isis had, the hands also grew dark as the concentrated on her. Pain, far worse than before, shot through her body, she lay writhing on the ground, screaming in agony, her vision blurred and waves of darkness swept over her. She heard a sound in the distance. It was a sort of whirring noise strangely familiar but her mind couldn’t place them. Arrows rained down amongst her enemy, missing them all, yet they kept their concentration, none stepped back or paid even the least amount of attention to the arrows. Although pain still coursed madly through her body she managed to stand once more, unsteadily Isis began to back away, they followed slowly, eyes never leaving her face. Quite suddenly Isis felt her foot slide away from the ground, she looked back and cried out, she was standing at the edge of a cliff, she stood hundreds of feet above the sea.

Isis looked fearfully at the advancing men's sadistic grins; one stepped forward and hit her in the head with the hilt of his sword dull pain filled her already fuzzy mind. She screamed as she fell dizzily through the air, barely aware of the icy water closing over her head, she struggled to get to the surface, to get to the air that resided just above her. She choked on a mouthful of water as her head broke the raging sea's surface, she felt herself being pushed farther away from the shore, "HELP!" she managed to cry as the water once more closed over her.

Isis gave up her struggle, realizing that it was futile and began to sink slowly into the waters’ icy depths, her mission was over, she had failed all to soon. As an inky blackness took hold, she saw a shadow swimming towards her. Precious air bubbles escaped her lips, and she closed her eyes in defeat.

The ghostly figure stared, had she actually felt his touch? Did that mean there was still hope? The boy followed Isis all day, and deep into the night. A blissful feeling of hope washed over him, maybe, just maybe, he could return to her. He watched as she bent over a fallen figure hidden in the shadows, even he had missed the figure. He also saw several men follow and silently surround her. A feeling of dread filled his heart as he recognized the uniforms- black with silver lining and the name of some leader obscurely written on each breast in gold. His memory wandered back to when they had attacked the village, that time seemed so very long ago...

The boy was sitting on his front porch, staring lazily at the clouds. He had happened to glance across the field and what he saw made his blood freeze, “Ryu!” His mother called, “Ryu get inside, it’s time for supper!”

Ryu stood frozen on the porch, mouth wide and lips moving but not a sound escaped them, desperately he tried to get his voice out, trying to warn somebody of the impending doom that was descending upon their village, the doom that he could possible prevent if he could provide the warning, “Father!” He exclaimed, “Father, come quick!”

His father appeared in the doorway, “Gods Ryu, what’s wrong?” His eyes squinted in the sudden sunlight that blinded him momentarily.

Ryu pointed a shaking finger towards the black swarming masses of men, heading towards the village, “There father, there’s so many of them coming this way, they’ve come for us father!” It was all he could do to keep from breaking down, bursting into tears and shouting madly, ‘we’re all going to die!’ while running down the street.

“Calm down, Ryu!” His father barked, his face was pale and his voice shook as he spoke, “A man can’t fight in such a state as yours!”

Ryu looked at his father fearfully for a moment, as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard come from his father’s mouth “But father, I’ve hardly any experience with the sword!” He said forlornly, “I wouldn’t last a minute on the battlefield!”

“Hush boy!” His father said, “With an army of that size, we’ll need every able bodied lad to fight. We may even be forced to use some of the women, after all we are a small village, there’s no chance with that attitude!”

“Even if there is no hope?” Ryu asked, “What about the other women and children?”

“There is always hope, however slim the chances…” His father said, “As for the women and children who can’t fight, they will have to stay indoors, hopefully they will be left alone. If we are not victorious…”

“All will be lost.” Ryu finished his father’s grim statement.

His father looked at him in grim determination, “We have to try, I’ll call all the men to arms.” With those words Ryu’s father ran down the road, yelling loudly for all the men to arm themselves for the impending battle that loomed over them. Ryu ran into his father’s armory and grabbed a sword and a shield before running back outside, what would happen to his mother and sister if both he and his father died in battle that day? Ryu shook his head to remove the thought from his mind, he had to be sure that his mind was clear of distraction so that he could fight properly. Within minutes the first wave was upon him. Ryu saw his father momentarily, locked in battle, before he too was fighting for his very life. He suddenly felt a searing pain in his left arm, but he fought on viscously, fighting the pain that threatened to be his downfall. Ryu couldn’t stop because of a small flesh wound, his father would be disappointed in him if he did. He glanced up momentarily to see his father fall at the blade of his foe, “No!” Ryu cried, rushing to his father’s side, “Father, don’t die!”

His father’s eyes stared into Ryu’s own, numb with disbelief and spoke softly, “Ryu-” Blood sprayed from his mouth as he coughed violently, “Ryu, get your mother and sister out of here before-” another spasm of coughing shook his body and with the last ounce of his strength he finished his sentence, “Before those pigs get them.”

Tears rose in Ryu’s eyes as his father’s chest stopped moving and the hand that had been reaching towards his face fell, “Don’t be dead!” Ryu cried, rocking his father’s body in his arms, “I need you, FATHER!”

What his father had said finally sunk in and Ryu stood, he had to find them, it was his father’s final wish… he had to find them and get them out of the dying village. Ryu sheathed his sword and ran into his house not twenty feet away from where he stood. Once inside he slammed the door, “Mother!” He cried, “Mother we have to go now!”

The 32 year old woman tore around the corner, his thirteen year old sister in tow, they stopped several feet from him, eyes wide with fear, “What?” Ryu asked with a feeling of dread.

His little sister’s finger rose slowly, shaking as it did so and Ryu made and attempt to turn. To late did he do so, he felt a large blade cut through the tender flesh just above his knees, taking his legs out from under him. Ryu screamed in agony and collapsed, flashes of red and nausea coming at him in waves, he leaned forward and retched, emptying his stomach of what few contents it had before his head was snapped back. He saw the blood, oozing from him to the feet of his terrified mother and sister. They stared at him, and at whomever was behind him, in total disbelief.

Six men came into view and his younger sister’s eyes grew wider still, her fingers went unconsciously to her mouth as they threw her mother and herself to the floor. “Leave them alone!” Ryu cried frantically, “Please, let them go!” Once more tears flooded his eyes, he had failed his father’s final wishes, he wasn’t a man, he was just a scared little boy that was about to witness a heinous act.

He felt the blade of a dagger biting into the flesh of his throat and a voice at his ear, “Watch closely boy.” It breathed, “maybe you’ll learn something to take to hell with you!” There was harsh laughter at the comment.

He shut his eyes tightly as the gowns on the women were torn from their bodies, and he saw that his sister had only begun to bloom into a woman, she was so young, he couldn’t watch this, no way in hell could he watch as these men inflicted pain on them as he lay helplessly nearby… so close and yet so far away from them. He tried to turn away and felt the blade dig deeper into his flesh, a bead of sweat- blood- ran down his neck, Ryu cried out but obediently turned his head back to the gruesome scene.

This can’t be happening! Ryu thought in total denial, numb with shock. He saw the first two men enter his younger sister, taking away the precious virginity that was meant for a man that she loved and would have one day chosen, he watched as she tried to beat him off only to have her hands pinned to the ground with blades, she cried out as blood flowed freely from the wounds in her hands, trying to pull against the daggers that bit into them, trying to stop the pain that filled her body as the first man left and another entered. Her body jerked away from him and Ryu had to avert his eyes. This time he saw his mother, the men were done with her and Ryu felt ill when he saw them pull small knives from pouches at their sides. “This is the best part.” The man that held Ryu whispered, “Watch closely now, don’t want to miss nothin’ do you?”

Ryu drew in a deep breath as they mutilated his mother, first pulling back her head and shaving the hair, skin and all, from her head. They left it a bloody mess with the white of her skull peeping through as they continued with their twisted pleasure. Her agonized scream turned to low moans as her eyes rolled madly into her head. Next the men began to cut into her toes and fingers, breaking them first and then slicing them cleanly from the rest of the body. The woman’s body jerked after each was broken and removed, sweat mixed with blood covered her forehead as they moved to her nose, one sweeping the blade straight down the flesh. Her scream pierced the silence that ensued. Within moments Ryu saw the final blow, the others drew back as one thrust the blade deep into her stomach and dragged it excruciatingly slowly up over her chest, blood gushed from her open mouth as she tried to breath, her body went into severe convulsions before stilling for the final time. “Please!” Ryu called shrilly,

“let the child live, don’t kill her! Just don’t harm the girl!” Tears flowed over his pale face as he spoke.

Several smirks came his way and Ryu felt dread rising slowly through his body, “You don’t want us to kill her?” One asked in mock surprise, “children these days, always wanting to do things themselves… alright, if you insist we won’t kill her.”

“No!” Ryu screamed as he was dragged towards his frightened little sister, “don’t please!” He struggled viciously, but by then, through loss of blood he was too weak, his muscles failed him and Ryu was pulled to his sister’s side, “NO! Just let her go!” He cried, “Let the child go!”

His pleas did nothing to slow the process as a knife was pressed into his hand, the hand was then forcefully pushed down and Ryu looked into his sister’s eyes for the last time, “I’m so sorry!” He cried as the blade was shoved deep into the girl’s heart,

“Forgive me!” He said, tears freely flowing over his face as her eyes grew blank, nothing could disturb her permanent slumber.

“Damn you!” He cried, freeing the blade from the girl’s body and shoving it into the throat of the man behind him, “Damn you all!” The man’s own blood flowed down Ryu’s arm as he held the blade in place for a moment, blind fury in his eyes.

He then yanked the blade from the man’s throat, blood sprayed across the room. He held the blade threateningly before him. The man gasped and clutched at the wound before crumbling, “You little bastard!” The one beside him exclaimed angrily, “We were gonna let you go, but then you went and killed our leader!”

“You bastards will pay for what you have done in this village today, you will not escape punishment!” Ryu cried out in surprise as his head was forced back, a final excruciating pain filled him as his throat was lashed open.

This was the last thing he felt in the realm of the living. Quite suddenly the pain was gone and he was seamlessly floating in a void of blackness. When Ryu opened his eyes, he saw that he was floating almost lazily over his own mutilated body, confusion filled his mind, “What the fuck!?!” He exclaimed in disbelief, “am- am I dead?”

He was suddenly aware of a flickering orange light filling the room, and then it hit him, the house was on fire, first the men killed them and now they were going to burn their house down? Ryu watched sadly as the bodies of his mother and sister were engulfed in flames and stared longingly as his own was engulfed in hot flames…

Ryu returned to the present in time to see Isis pushed into the raging sea that crashed below him; somehow he had kept up with her… He cried out in pain, “No!” He cried, “Not you too Isis, you can’t die, not now!”

Fear filled him as she was pushed farther out to sea and a feeling of dread- followed by relief- filled him as he saw a solitary figure swim out to her, dragging her from the water’s icy clutch of death. Ryu sighed in relief as the boy that held Isis made his way to shore. He laid her in the sand and slowly began to work the water out of her lungs before gathering some wood and starting a small fire to warm them as the impending coldness gripped their wet bodies. He then propped himself up against a large bolder and waited for Isis to awaken, he too was asleep before long and Ryu was left to watch out for them, although there was nothing he could do should there be an attack.

A/N Here is chapter 1, read and review for me, let me know what you think, okay?