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The Captain of the Rockridge Garrison stood at the very spot where the wall had failed under the merciless assault. His pale red eyes shimmered as they agonized over the red snow that marked the graves of the men serving under him. The few tears that streamed down his scaled maw were not from sadness but from pride.

When the wall fell he gave the order to hold the line and through it was two hundred against two thousand, not a single Human or Vraxian broke rank. Whether it was the sense of duty he inspired in them or the knowledge that every second counted for the fleeing citizens, every man laid down his life that day.

He unsheathed from his belt his great sword, and plunged it into the stone base of the wall with tremendous force. Then from his head he took his somewhat caved-in helmet, and placed it reverently upon the sword. He knelt and slid his gauntlet over the Silver Plate on his Full Plate armor that bore the name Carris, and his rank. Silently he prayed for them...

To say he was proud... was an understatement.

The sudden crunch of snow shattered the reverent moment and sent him into attack mode. He somersaulted just in time as a blade savagely struck the ground. He pulled another sword from the limp hand of a fallen invader, and faced his charging attacker. Their swords clashed in a flurry of sparks, and a loud clang echoed in the silent alley.

His red eyes locked glares with the blue eyes of another much more mature Vraxis. "You should've just died when I bashed your skull in the first time." He growled in their guttural tongue.

Though Carris was strong, he knew the mature Vraxis would be stronger. He wouldn't let the other know his fear... he uttered back a vulgarity that made the Vraxis flinch.

"You disrespectful little greenfleshed runt." He broke the meeting of their swords and slashed in a berserker's rage. Carris met each sword blow with a quick block, but he was still being pushed back into a corner of the alley.

"Fuck!" The berserker Vraxis shouted as a crossbow bolt planted firmly into his shoulder. He tore it out and glanced back at the young human male standing behind him in flanking position, "You son of a bitch... shoot all the fucking bolts you want. I'll get to you..." His eyes returned to Carris. "after I'm done killing this one."

"Not likely." The human retorted as he quickly reloaded and fired a bolt right into his shoulder blade.

"Fine, you wanna die so bad--" The Vraxis noted how sluggish his arm moved, and Carris saw the dismay on his face.

With impressive speed and strength, Carris's reptilian body flowed with each and every powerful strike. He smiled as he felt the Vraxis's guard weakening with every sharp blow, finally a quick upwards slash delivered a cut at the base of his neck. Frightened by this near fatal blow, the Vraxis dropped his sword after blocking one last time and rushed down the alley.

But before he could pass the human, he stopped cold in his tracks. A fiery red sword had penetrated his heart, and as he started to black out, he heard whispered. "You are the one who dies today... just like everyone else here." Withdrawing the sword, the Vraxis slumped to the ground dead.

Carris tossed the short sword on the ground and picked up the Vraxis's great sword, "You've got guts." He sheathed the sword and smiled. "Not everyday you see a human willing to take on a mature Vraxis."

"Yeah?" He hooked the crossbow onto his belt, "You look like you needed some help."

"I can admit that battle wasn't going in my favor," He closed the gap between them. "but hey I don't mind help." He extended his hand, "Carris Kleine-ska, formally the Captain of the Garrison."

He accepted the gesture. "Matt."

"Thanks for the help, Matt."

He nodded and started towards the alleyway only to be blocked by Carris. "Wait," He put his hand up."You keep going that way and you'll hit the encampment in the city."

"I know."

"There are ten Vraxis like him in the City. You think you can take them all on?"

The young man's pale blue eyes looked into his, and Carris saw the deep pain in them long before he spoke. "They killed my family, and I'm going to kill as many of them as I can." He tried to push past but Carris held his hand up against his chest.

"Look. They pretty much killed my family, too. See out there?" He motioned with his head over to the split in the wall. "Out there in the snow lie all my friends and family, Vraxis and human alike. It's stupid to rush them," His voice slowly lowered to a remorsefully soft tone, "...trust me I know."

Matt stopped trying to push through, "Then what do you suggest?"

"Rest up. My shelter isn't far from here and you're welcome to stay." He smiled as he walked passed him.

It was strange thing to see such a friendly face in a city full of murder, and so eager to make friends. Immediately, Matt was suspicious, however, he hadn't had anything to eat, and his stomach was rumbling with disdain. So he followed this supposed captain, weary for an ambush of any kind.

They slowly made their way alley to alley, avoiding the guards at all cost, though every soldier made his heart beat with a strange and sicken glee; he could always feel his hand reaching to the hilt of the blade. It felt as though the blade craved the blood, and in turn so did he.

"Here," The here he was pointing to what looked like a pile of broken glass weapons and other refuse. "I know it doesn't look like much but I threw crap over it and put water on it so it iced over; there's actually a cellar door of the church there." He pulled on what appeared to be a discarded sword hilt, and revealed the entrance to a well lit catacomb. Complete with walls of piled up bones, and occasionally fresh corpses. That, fortunately, was not where Carris intended for them to stay, instead he directed Matt to the cleared out "mourning" area for the recently deceased.

"So, home, sweet home. I suppose." He sat down on one of the make shift beds: a stone with bedsheets over it. He looked over to the small fire that had burned down to embers, and the chicken in the pot above it. Cold, no doubt. However, food was food and once again he heard the rumbling in his stomach.

"Hungry, huh?" The Vraxis tore off a leg for both of them, gave one to him, and sat on an opposing stone slab. They both sat quietly eating, "So what about that sword?"

"What about?" Carris chomped a big piece of meat off the leg. It was a plump chicken indeed.

"Well for one, I have never seen a red-tinted sword before."

"I found it in the snow, and since then I've been killing."

"It appears... you have a strange destiny ahead of you."

"What?"

"I was a swordsmith, and have made a few enchanted blades in my time. There is something definitely different about that one. May I see it?"

"Fine." He pulled it from it's sheath and handed it to him, but as soon as his fingers touched the blade, they sizzled and he tore his claw back from it. Noting the slight burn to his claw, "It's meant for you."

"Yeah, to kill." He pulled the blade back, sheathed it, and continued eating.

"Aren't you even curious who it came from? Or why you?" He ate his leg more slowly, still eyeing the sword.

"Yes, but what does it matter. No one can answer it now that everyone is dead."

"I'm sure Imbul didn't die in the assault, probably why they're still here my guess."

"Imbul?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, he was the head mage at the academy."

Matt scoffed, "Of, course, The poor kid should know the mage where all the nobles send their kids; So what if he survived."

"If that sword is as powerful as I think, he might be able to teach you how to unlock it's power."

"If it means I can kill more of them, then fine." He stood up, and tossed what was left of the devoured chicken leg away.

"Wait, you're just gonna go? Alone?" The Vraxis stood up, in their usual grandiose posture. "I'm coming with you."

"I'm a loner."

"Look, I was too until some suicidal maniac took out a mature vraxis that was about to kill me. We can help each other out, and if that sword is powerful, then maybe I'll join your little crusade, deal?" He raised his claw.

"Fine." They shook.

They exited the cellar, and slowly made their way towards the towering spiral in the noble district of the town. Another snowstorm had picked up making them almost invisible, and most of the guards had retreated into their posts. Not thinking there had been any survivors anyway; especially after one night in the cold.