The Blade and the Fallen Goddess (Chapter 2)

   My blade sinks into the targets chest piercing the heart. Never give a mage a chance to think they can pull off any number of impossible tricks with even a moment's prep. Stealth is the most useful tactic against these kinds of opponents. Mages are extremely expensive especially for a small time organization like this. This was supposed to be an easy job eliminate the security and open a few door. The targets a small cooperation that is operated by a major gang syndicate.  I move forward there only one more door that I need to open. I round the corner final security point should be right ahead. The starts to burn black flames start to cover the floor. I smile mental tricks don't work well on people like me. It takes a lot of discipline to become a mage even more so to become a mage who can fight with a blade. As I sprint forward blade flashing in the light of the illusionary flames. The look on the mind mages face as my blade pass through his chest is one of pure shock. Pathetic such a weak mage probably used some mind trick to get the job in the first place. Pain explodes from my back blossoming form a single point.

         "Bravo, so this is going to be fun, that was one hell of a trick. What's your ranking 4 or even 5 would be my guess" the body at my feet dissolves into the ground.

         "Well, well, you're still on your feet." A voice says resounding from the walls like thunder. The fire grows larger this time taking on the color of real flames. Even with my mind shut blocking any attacks the rooms seems to heat up. This is really going to be great fun. Turning the manipulation of the mind into reality takes an incredible amount of power. If this mage is on that kind of level I'm going to need to change up my tactics. Instead of closing my mind off I open it up throwing my will outwards squashing the flames that are quickly spreading. My blade takes on a shadowy glow as my magic flows through it. My armor that had prevented the initial attack loses all weight and begins to draw shadows to me. I'm going to have to charge my employer a lot more. As the energy gathering around me shatters the lights darkness falls and the illusion shatters also. This is my game the shadows are my home my element.

         "Sadly I have no time to play with you little swordsman, but I will leave you with a parting gift." The voice says quieter this time since the illusion has been broken. There a massive flash of light and now before me stand all of the security guards I had killed in this operation. This is going to be a serious problem, these bodies are azeral wraiths recently deceased minds animated and controlled by the will of the mind mage. Any damage to them heals nearly instantly because there existence is half illusionary. This job just jumped to a whole new level. There were ten guards on the place small fries but augmented with this level of power they become a threat. The biggest target here is the mage the rest are simple hired guns even as wraiths there mostly going to just shoot. I pulled up a shield around me drawing the power from the shadows around me. I could feel the impact from the first volley hit quickly then again and again. The shots were hitting impossibly fast. Of course the mage was a bloody time mage and with the extra power being channeled into him enhanced his power to a whole new level. Time magic is tricky business it can take a lot of forms speed enhancement to pausing in order to get more time to assess the situation.  At a higher level it breaks the laws of reality allowing alterations in the flow of time itself. This mage might be power up but he doesn't know how to use it. I search through the darkness to pinpoint the source of the distortion. The time mage glows like a beacon emitting massive amounts of raw power. Once locked on it is a simple matter of passing my blades through the shadows and hitting the mage straight in the back. One the blade passes through the target I unleash a massive amount of energy shattering the entire body and destroying the wraith. The rate of fire decreased significantly as the residual magic wears off. I drop my shield and focus on the incoming fire. I run forward through the hail of bullets dodging and deflecting the entirety of the incoming fire with easy. Though stopping the incoming fire is easy my best bet is to shut down the ability to shot. I extend my power down the blade extending it with shadows ready to cut the guns to pieces. Waiting for an opening to strike, a break in the fire, one of them attempting to advance, something. Perfect one of the wraiths stops to reload, a chance to strike take out enough of their weapons and this is going to be a cinch. Of course at this point the goddamn security system decided to finally acknowledge the battle occurring. Despite the damage done to the lighting systems light floods the hallway blasting away my shadow. The shock of this sudden release of power slows my reflexes weakening my defense. Pain shots through my left leg as a bullet passes through it. I need to fight through the pain bring up a shield of darkness around me. I'm not going to be done in by some bloody flood lights and some reanimated small fries. Shadow spread around me in a bubble consuming the light and shielding me from the incoming fire. I'm good but under these conditions beating a hasty retreat seems to be the best plan. I draw on my power to move through the shadows to get out of here normally a simple task but I find myself met with a block another gift from the mysterious mind mage. Now I'm in serious trouble without an escape route I need a new plan. The temperature of the hallway increases to an uncomfortable level as the incoming fire dwindles and stops.

       "Stand up swordsman; I'm in need of your services." A women's voice responded down the hallway. I partially drop the shield to look at what the hell is going on. In front of me are the bodies of the nine guards or what's left of them flames lick at what remains of their blacken flesh their guns are reduced to puddles of molten metal on the floor. Standing amongst the carnage and flames is a woman who is shrouded in burning red cloth. The heat radiating from her feat was enough to reduce the floor to slag.

         "Who the hell are you?" I say preparing to face this new threat.

        "Is that really how you should be greeting your new employer" the woman says smiling. The flames seemed to die down around her but the flames surrounding her clothes remained. An impressive trick but a little extravagant in my opinion.

         "New employer you really don't know who I am do you. I choose who I work for and when. I don't particularly remember signing on with a hot head like you. So thanks for the offer but ill pass." I say trying to keep the pain off my face. The bullet missed any major arteries but it shattered my shin bone. I was using some shadows to stabilize the limb and keep me on my feet. As I finish speaking flames crawl up my injured leg pain explodes from every nerve in my leg. I fall to my knees

         " Good now that's a more appropriate stance for one in the presence of a goddess. I believe we have an arrangement to discuss, follow me." The woman says turning on her heels and waking down the hallway flames trailing in her wake.

         "Bloody bitch I'll kill you for that!" I say bringing myself to my feet. I draw the power from the shadow around me. I rush forward to strike may blade a blur. I stop my blade millimeters from her back. How had I moved like that I look down my leg is no longer covered in blood and the bone is set perfectly.

      "A gift. You will find that working for me has many benefits and if you must know I am Gabija goddess of the hearth and just as that fire may burn the house down it can also shelter those who live within. As for whether I know who you are the answer is obviously yes. Zachariah Kartal also known as Kage. One of the Crossroads greatest assassins although you dropped off the map a couple years ago. Now come along there's work to be done," she says not turning around or even slowing for a second. Security systems I had managed to avoid tripping began to spring for the wall but they all burst into flames melting from the immense heat. Gabija not a name I've heard but goddess or not she has a hell of a lot of power more than any pyromacer I've come across. It seems that following her is my best bet right now, buying time right now is key I still need to kill that damn mind mage. Though the kind of power wielded by that mind mage was beyond anything I've gone against in a long time. My current employer can wait they know where to send the money and the jobs done.

"Fine let's say I'm taking this job. Whatever it is, I need some information. Names, places, objectives. Either you're telling me what the hell is happening or I walk." I say stopping in my tracks waiting for a response. She turns around flames flaring higher searing the air itself.

"Insolent little human, I should burn you to ash for challenging me. But your kind of power is unique even in the Crossroads and right now I need that power. As for the mission for now we need to gather a few things. I don't expect you to trust me I expect you to obey." She says voice like a raging inferno. A line of fire cuts across the hallway in front of me. "If you wish to leave cross that line and fight me but know this I will kill you if you do."  

"Goddess or not let's see you try." I could feel my shoes melt as I step over the flaming line. This is a seriously poor decision even with my leg healed and my power returning to normal. I've killed gods before but not without a lot of planning and some really nasty trick none of which I have now. Before my foot hits the ground I can already feel the temperature rising to unbearable levels. I jump into the shadows phasing out of reality and the temperature instantly dropped to the chill I've become accustom to. Once I enter the shadows my power returns in full, I can't run special distortion is something she can trace easily. I need to strike now. "Nice try but I'm better than that. I believe it's my move now." I say my voice emanating for the shadows.

"Do really think your parlor tick is going to fool me." She says smiling. The flames that had seconds ago been burning bright die out and with them the hallway is plunged into utter darkness. What the hell is she planning there are shadows in the darkness as well as the light. For where she had been standing a small light begins to grow a perfect orb of light. As it increases in size it grows more rapidly. A light that does not affect the darkness around it is not natural, whatever this light it is not something I want to be anywhere near. The ball of pure light seemed to explode outward instantly. As the light engulfs me I'm knocked out of the shadows, temporarily blinded and disoriented I stagger to my feet.

"Checkmate, although I hoped you would assist me, goodbye Kage," she says no hint of emotion in her voice. A small star grows in her hand rotating slowly, around itself blazing brighter than any fire. The star reached the size of a grapefruit and shot forward with unimaginable speed. Time manipulation is not my forte but desperate times call for desperate measure. I drop myself out of the flow of time a dangerous technique but one that can yield astounding results. Moving is incredibly difficult but all around me everything has stopped. The star has already halfway closed the distance. The heat emanating from it appears as a visible distortion in the air. I avoid the waves of heat coming off the star as I close the distance between me and the goddess. My blade hits home right into the heart of goddess. Just as my blade hits its target I fall back into the flow of time. The shock is immense but I hold my ground and sheath my blade, wiping the blood from the blade with the same motion.

"Checkmate, ha, I do believe it is but not for me." I say. All my energy seems to fade away as the adrenalin wears off.

"Your reputation is well deserved. But the time for games is through. I will ask again no ultimatums this time; you may leave if you wish. Will you take the job?" She says from behind me he voice calm and controlled. The body in front of me, the body I was sure was real, erupts into flames and disappears almost instantly. To be bested twice in one day, I must be getting old. One hundred isn't young but by mage standards it's not ancient.

          "I've been out of things for too long, I think it's about time to jump back in. So as long as this stays interesting I'm in."  I say halfheartedly. It's true that these small time jobs don't suit me but there are still things for my past I really don't want to get back into. As we speak a small flame alights in my new employer's hand disappearing instantly. Is this some kind of communication system?

"This changes things. Here is your first assignment, Avery Ferguson; a small time gangster has recently acquired an artifact of great power. Your job is to retrieve that item. I'll find you when you have it." She says distantly. The air temperature rises and shimmers taking on aspects that preside a spatial distortion.

"Two questions, first does it matter who I kill and secondly could you be anymore vague in what the hell I'm supposed to be retrieving?" I say mild annoyance plain in my voice. Of course before I could finish she had already disappeared. An artifact of great power, I hope it's not Excalibur damn things got the annoying habit of appearing in the oddest places, it also nearly bit my leg off last time I came across it. Whatever this damn artifact is it shouldn't be hard to find either this Ferguson character is trying to sell it or they have no bloody clue what it is. Either way I find them and take it killing anyone that stands in my way, should be fun. Ok first order of business is to figure out where these gangsters are camped out. I've been out of the loop for a while now laying low. I run through the list of possible contacts or at least contacts who won't try to shot me on sight or worse. With those criteria the list shortens considerable from well over one thousand to one, The Oracle at Delphi. Looks like I'm taking a quick trip to Greece. For now shadow jumping is out of the question good thing I know where to find a gate. It's not well known mostly because people tend not to visit graves in the Crossroads, whether because they fear their own mortality or just that the dead have a tendency to be infuriating I'm not sure. But keeping the dead from going on walkabout is a task taken up by several corporations based in the Crossroads. This particular gate is located in the mausoleum of one particularly annoying spirit by the name of Lee Harvey Oswald, he's always complaining about being setup for some shooting or some nonsense like that, I'm not sure how or why he's locked up the way he is but it's not my money. As it stands the graveyard is currently in the care of The Anubis Corporation, lucky for me there on the cheap side they're more concerned with preventing a break out than a break in. After several minutes of walking I finally reach the front desk of the building; I've always found it odd that the worst crime syndicates have the nicest reception areas, but then I never had an office, if you needed my services you found me and hoped you didn't find me in a bad mood. Once I reached the street it was time to begin my walk tom the Anubis Corporation's graveyard.

Travel in the Crossroads isn't so much about knowing what roads to take its more about knowing where you want to be picking a direction hoping something doesn't decide you look like a snack before you reach your destination. There are only two actual roads, if they could be called roads, hence the name Crossroads but stemming from that center is a maze of winding alleys and underpasses, most of which are only there some of the time. I've heard there are some organization that have tried to map the Crossroads with varying degrees of success always with an at least 50% casualty rate. I hear one organization calling itself The Guide has achieved a relative degree of success although I believe the map can only be read by those that can see in several dimensions that don't even have names yet. No one is really sure how large the Crossroads is as a whole and I honestly don't want to know. Luckily the trip was short it's never good when it takes to long to get anywhere it either means you really shouldn't be getting there or someone with a hell of a lot of power really doesn't want you to get there. The Anubis Corporation's graveyard doesn't look all that impressive, there aren't any walls surrounding it there isn't even a fence. However there are some serious defenses around that location shields magical and scientific. These defenses are all directed inward, the only thing keeping people outside is a simple sign that basically says that the Corporation takes no responsibility for the safety of those who enter the graveyard. This is one hell of a deterrent for those who know what the dead can do given sufficient motivation.  As I enter the grounds I notice a couple sprits watching me form a distance but they seemed more the sit and watch type than the disembowel you and feast on your corpse type. For a graveyard in the Crossroads this place is quiet, this is honestly more worrisome than if there were ghosts everywhere yapping away, most of the spirits I've come  across are usually bloody annoying at least the ones that aren't working for some organization or another, those are the quiet ones that really scare me. I finally reach the mausoleum it's not all that impressive, small but heavily warded. I knock on the door the wood looks like it should give out but it doesn't,

"Hey Oswald, open up I need to get going." I shout, hoping he's awake if he's not I'm going to be here awhile. It wouldn't be hard to get in on my own but doing so would probably wake up the entire graveyard, which would be serious problem there are some really powerful things buried here most of which I really wouldn't want to deal with.

"Ah Kage when was the last time you stopped by it must be getting on five years now. Got any news on who set me up," Oswald says excitement in his voice. Ghost tend to have a distorted sense of time I was here less than a month ago, I was working a small job in Athens some CEO nothing interesting. The door to the mausoleum opens releasing a massive amount of magical energy. Whoever put these wards up didn't know much about the dead, they have an odd ability to open up wards against the living with ease. So if you don't want people getting in you need to ward the place from both ghosts and people. That's the main reason the people employ ghosts.

"Sorry Oswald I only know it probably didn't come from any major players in the Crossroads" I say quickly. This is the same thing I tell him every time and it usually satisfies him. For some reason he has a terrible memory not really sure why it not actually something usually associated with dying. I've honestly never look into anything for him it never something I cared about.

"Damn I really was hoping for some answer, Oh well I'm guessing your just here to pass through you seem to be in a hurry, next time if you have a chance sit for a bit its boring around here most of the time." He says disappointment in his voice.

"Sure I'll pack lunch next time I come around. Just make sure not to tell any of the grounds keepers I stop by." I say as I walk to the coffin at the center of the mausoleum. I have no intention of doing that anytime soon but he'll forget that soon enough. I'm not sure how this gate formed inside the coffin of a framed assassin but its convenient for me I found it when I was on a job twenty years ago I was employed to kill the ghost of some AI, that was an odd thing to deal with, it had found a way to hack back into the system it was created in and started killing off some of the companies employees. The damn thing managed to hit me hard before I could find it with some kind of neural virus I was almost killed but I used the shields on Oswald's mausoleum to shut it down. I ended up spending a lot of time talking to Oswald while I got the virus out of my system. He managed to forget my name six times during the hour I spent there but the annoyance was worth it to find a permanent gate to a useful area.  The job didn't exactly end how I planned the AI managed to work out a deal with the company and I was called off. I took a trip to Greece after spent about a week getting drunk with Dionysus. The gate isn't difficult to get through all you need to do is open up the casket and step in. The gate lets out in the Acropolis a major tourist sight which would be a problem if the gate didn't let you out around 3 am the day you go through it. Night time is really convenient for a mage like me it reenergizes me enough to start shadow jumping again reducing the time it takes to get from Athens to Delphi. The trip takes only a fraction of a second moving through the darkness at nearly the speed of light.

The Oracle at Delphi is a powerful informant network that operates out of a small news stand. I've only met a few low level employees never anyone higher up in the organization at they are quite good at what they do. When I reach the stand the man behind it hands me an old newspaper.

"I think this will be just what you are looking for." The man says as he hands it to me. That's the scariest thing about The Oracle at Delphi they usually know you're coming and what you are looking for before you even get to their office. I open the paper inside is a large folder.

"Thank you very much I think this is just what I need" I say handing the man a credit card. I personally hate the damn things but it's better than carrying an armored car around with you considering the price tag on things in my line of work. I walk away leaving the card at the stand the account will run out of money considering there prices they charge for this kind of info. Once I'm sure no one is around I head into the shadow to jump to a more secludes location to read through the information I acquired. Considering the time I've spent in Greece I know of a lot of location that are out of the way. The one I decided to head to now has one hell of a history, it's a glade sacred to Artemis last time I showed up there I ended up fighting her. This one wasn't my damn fault either she tried to turn me into a bloody deer, lucky for me my protections kicked in and kept me human. The fight ended with both of us badly injured, the Greek gods respect exceptional fighters so it ended there. I've had free access to that place ever since as a reward for my skill. I haven't met Artemis there since but I think that's for the best neither of us want a repeat of that fight.

The file was thick but he first page was a summery and it contained more information than I needed it gave me a location of the gangs base of operations and a rundown of their combat capabilities. They armed but nothing unbelievable, assault rifles and the like no alien tech which would be my main concern, they also only a mage not of particular note. The only thing that came as a surprise to me is that nowhere in the file was any information on the leader Avery Ferguson. In a place like the Crossroads it takes someone of at least notable power to lead a gang of any size. The fact that The Oracle has no information on this him is slightly worrisome but if I'm careful it shouldn't be a major problem. Given the element of surprise I've dealt taken out much bigger organizations than this. My last two encounters however have shown me that I can't underestimate anything that I don't fully understand. I don't think that they're going to move whatever it is they possess any time soon. The file doesn't give any hints on the identity of that object either but that's a good thing, it means they haven't been open about the fact they have it and even if they decide to sell it now it is going to take them some time to find a buyer even in the Crossroads. This means I have some time to prepare I can hit up one of my safe houses for supplies and give myself time to rest. The trip back to the Crossroads is quick there is a gate located near the glade it lets out in the Greek temple district.  Though I'm on speaking terms with most of the pantheon I'm happy I don't run into any of them as I leave the gate. I quickly use the shadows to reach my closest safe house. It's not incredibly secure but it has a good stockpile of weapons. I exchange my blade for one less corroded, channeling large amounts of my magic through the blade damages it. I grab several throwing knives as well, I could grab a couple other weapons but I need to travel light. Once I was armed I jumped to a small alley near the warehouse Fergusson's gang is held up in. There aren't any guards posted in front but oddly enough there are two cacti potted on either side of the building. In the Crossroads things that are out of place are never a good sign, so I reach out with my magic to test the cacti for any kinds of traps or magical defenses, I find nothing. I guess they just have an odd sense of décor. I feel I probably could jump into the warehouse the defenses seem mediocre at best but it think it's not a good idea just to jump in especially since I still don't know what the hell I'm looking for.

Though the woefully under guarded entrance makes for an easy entry I keep my senses open I'm not being caught this time around. The inside of the warehouse is more of a labyrinth of large empty shipping crates and potted plants. I really don't understand the damn setup in this place the plants really seem out of place. I feel someone closing in on my position the first guard I've felt in the whole place. I phase into the shadows to sit and watch the damn guard seem to be heading straight for my location. The guard rounds the corner quickly his gun raised and ready to fire. That's odd it's as if he expected to find someone there. This is an easy kill, I can hit the man quickly and he won't even see me coming. My blade phases back into reality striking for the neck as the man passes my location. Instead of flesh my blade sinks into wood, the wood wraps itself around the blade as I try to pull it out holding it fast. I release the blade and phase back into the shadows. From there I assess the situation one of the small trees has grown a massive branch sticking out into the hallway. There is a surprised looking guard staring at the tree wondering what the hell happened. Odd there isn't any magic coming from the plant itself. There is only one type of mage capable of this kind of trick, but what the hell is a druid doing as the head of a gang. This does explain all the plants and why the guard seemed to know where I was. This is going to be a lot more fun than I thought. The second I phased out of the shadows several of the plants began to grow at a rapid pace preparing to strike me from all directions. I didn't give them the chance; I threw all of my bladed weapons quickly targeting the guard. The bloody trees block most of them but the ones they blocked were shadows. The blades hit home in the guards neck severing the spine. The trees had grown faster than I had anticipated rapping around my body and constricting. I've always respected pyromacer there power can be incredibly destructive, and infinitely useful as such a adapted my own technique one that is incredibly useful in this situation. As the plants attempted to constrict around me my body became engulfed in black flames, these black flames burn as hot as any created by a pyromacer burning all that touches, my shadows protect me from the flames. The flames engulfed the plants surrounding me obliterating them. At this point secrecy isn't an option or at least not a good one the building defenses had finally kicked in making shadow jumping a very poor idea unless I want to b scattered across most of the known universe. I can already hear more guards closing in. I still have time to retrieve my blades from the floor and the body of the dead guard. I could grab the guards gun a P-90 but the flames that were keeping the trees and other plants from crushing me would melt the plastic and set off the rounds. I'm an assassin skilled at striking from the shadows just the nature of shadow magic but I'm also the strongest shadow mage in the Crossroads, which means that in terms of raw power I'm no pushover. As the guards find me they open fire in a control manner which speaks to experience, the weapons being fired vary from assault rifles to handguns. Letting loose a wall of lead down the corridor at me. The bullets burn up before getting near me the black flames incinerating them. I swept my blade across the corridor extending shadows down its length cutting the guards in half as it passes through them. As this group of guards falls a few more take their place this time my shadow blade is block by a kinetic barrier. This is not the kind of defenses I would expect from low level gangsters. More importantly these guards seem more controlled and there all wielding the same weapons. My best guess is that these guards are mercenaries from G4S a powerful mercenary found in the Crossroads low level grunts like these are relatively cheap definitely on the pay scale of these gangsters. This means they know that they have their hands on something valuable and have brought in some extra firepower to ensure they keep hold of it long enough to sell. These mercenaries aren't armatures like gangsters the second they realize there fire power isn't getting them anywhere they change up tactics from the back of their formation one of the mages in the file steps forward a low level telekinetic. The mage throws a grenade in my direction stopping it just outside the range of my flames using his power. Not a terrible plan but I'm not in the mood to deal with something like this I swallow the grenade with shadows sending it somewhere else obliterating it on the shield of the building itself. Now it's my turn to use a trick. Once again my blade shots forward this time slowly, the weakness of a kinetic barrier is that it only stops things with large amounts of force behind it. Once my shadow blade passes the barrier I form it into a ball and release blast of needles killing the entire squad. I move quickly heading towards the center of the warehouse. Of course the damn druid would have a full grown oak tree in the center of a bloody warehouse.

"Well, this is an honor someone sending the greatest assassin in the Crossroads to kill me, though I heard you retired from that a while ago." The tree in the center said.

"Come on out druid it's time for you to die, I'm in a hurry" I say trying to get a fix on the druids location. I can sense his magic I inside the plant life but it shifted around the quickly it's impossible to pinpoint him in time to strike.

"Oh come now assassin let's not be hasty, why not take a necklace there hand carved" this time the voice originates from a cactus on the east side of the room. Just as the voice emanated from the cactus the needles coving it shot out like bullets. These needles grew in size as they flew through the air this growth allowed them to pierce the flames surrounding my body. Their size had decrease significantly as they burned but they hit me with a lot of force piercing my skin dealing significant damage. I moved out of the way of the incoming fire taking cover behind one of the storage containers. It appeared to be filled with wooden necklaces. I increased the energy being put into my flames.

"i think I'll pass, though you do have something I need" I say burning several of the plants nearby to prevent another attack.

"Ah so you're here for that, I really don't see what you people want with a sword that can't even be drawn the damn things heavy as hell I can't even lift it." The voice says once again coming from the oak tree. So the artifacts a sword, an impossibly heavy one, it can't be there's no way it could be Zarato. I threw that damn sword into a collapsing dimension. Even if it could have survived, no one could have retrieved it. Zarato, one of the three legendary swords, it is a sword forged from the heart of a dead galaxy. A singularity forged into a blade capable of tearing reality apart. I reach out with my power and there it was the sword I gave up when I choose to lay low. This fight ends now I have bigger things to do like find out what the hell that goddess is planning. Once I began to reach out to that blade it flew to my hand tearing apart all that stood in its way.  The reason I gave up this sword was simply because using it brought to much attention. The power it unleashes appears as a beacon to all of reality and there are so many things seeking it. With this blade in my hands I could obliterate this building, but that is too noticeable if this sword is still here and that stupid druid is still alive the things that hunted me for this blade still think it's gone. Instead I use the blade to cut the druid from his the plants.

"Avery Ferguson, I would ask how got a hold of this blade but whatever you say won't matter. Goodbye you were an interesting diversion." My voice sound different, this blade changes the wielder as much as it changes reality. I can feel its influence but this was my blade and it won't change me again. Time itself slows to a halt around me as i strike severing the head of the shock druid turned gangster. I sheath the blade and cloak it under layers of shadows the only way to keep it hidden.

Zarato a blade I truly hoped to never see again, does this have to do with those blades. The three legendary swords Zarato, Sacrifice and the most feared Iron, each holding the power to slay any enemy even gods, blades said to have been forged by an unknown man in order to exceed human limitations. Sacrifice a blade that kills it's wielder as surly as its target, an unstoppable blade that can kill with a single strike. Iron the sword before which all are equal whether they are man or god. A blade that had been used by an unnamed swordsman to slay an entire pantheon in a single day, earning it the name god slayer. These three swords have appeared throughout history shaping it in ways that no one can comprehend. They are feared and sought be all their power is unquestionable but the price they exact is what should truly be feared.

"Gabija I know you can hear me we need to talk. I'm changing are arrangement." I shout to get her attention. This sword changes things; I don't know what the hell she's planning but this time I hold all the cards. Gabija appears striding forward from a burst of flames, holding a blade swathed in flames.

"Good you've accomplished your mission we can proceed." She says calmly. I'm done working for this hot head. This time around I have the upper hand.

"Do you really think I'm going to continue with this absurdity? I don't know why you sent me to retrieve this blade but that was a mistake, there are some things in the Crossroads that should never be used and this is one of them." I say once more drawing Zarato. If she thinks I'm going along with this it's time to change her mind. I extend Zarato at the same time I strike. The air rending as the blade strikes tearing through anything in its way. The shockwave is similar to that of a sonic boom but multiplied a thousand fold. A flicker of light and my blade is stopped dead in its tracks. Gabija's flaming sword held in a cross guard stopping Zarato. The flames that were covering the sword are absorbed into Zarato.

"Zarato is a truly exceptional sword, but it doesn't make you my equal. That sword may be made to fight gods but it is only a tool it does nothing to enhance your abilities." Both swords still locked together. As she speaks she strikes, flaming sword moving like lightning. I barely manage to block my body reacting on instinct. I could feel my skin burning from the proximity of that sword. I shield my body with shadows. Since I need only concentrate on defending myself with my power instead of creating attacks, my shield is nearly impregnable. Somewhere in the back if my mind I realize how bad of an idea this is using this sword attracts too much attention. I use the power of Zarato to attempt to consume the flaming sword. Air, light even the ground itself is consumed by my blade. Though the flaming sword became wrapped in darkness I could still feel the pressure of the strike. I disengage and begin to circle, this is going to be an interesting fight, good I need to remember my old style of fighting. As we circle I run through strategies in my head ways to strike, potential counters and counters to those. An impossible number of scenarios but picking the best is the only way of defeating a god. It's not flawless but now's the time to strike. My best bet is to use the impossible nature of Zarato to strike in a way she can't predict. Lunge forward at the same time activating Zarato's gravitation pull but only at the tip. Literally drawing my opponent to the tip of my sword. Gabija uses another one of those clones to take the hit. An expected strategy and easy one to counter by instantly destroying the clone through an explosive release of shadow energy I'm able to keep utilizing this technique. Before she finally falls to the tip of my blade an impossible amount of chaotic energy suddenly appears nearby. I turn to face this new threat and so does the goddess.

"What the hell is that?" I shout as I prepare to strike. Before me is a cloaked figure that seems to be moving in all directions at once but it's not even moving. Nothing could have tracked my sword this quickly. Where the hell is this thing from.

"A far walker, I don't know where they come from but they are one part of the problem that I'm trying to deal with." Gabija says preparing her sword to strike as I was.

"I still don't know what your plan is and I want no part of it but that thing pisses me off a hell of a lot more than you have and it hasn't even said anything." I said annoyed, simultaneously striking towards the far walker. As my blade shots forward a massive root erupts form the ground stopping it in its tracks. I beheaded that damn druid what the hell is he doing still running around. The druid seemed to grow from the root.

"That's one nasty sword you go there assassin, but this time things are going to be different. Thanks to my new friend." The druid says contempt like venom in his every word.

"I've got the druid, you get the far walker." Gabija say flames already eating away at the plant that had spread across the battlefield.

"Fine, I already killed the druid, killing him again wouldn't be any fun." I say moving to intercept the far walker. It hurts to look at the damn thing how am I supposed to kill it. Well I think cutting it to ribbons is probably a good way to start. Right now it doesn't seem to be doing much but then it wasn't doing much when it raised the dead either. My blade slashes across its chest but it didn't even seem to faze it my blade just passed through it. This thing is really starting to irritate me not only is it bring back the dead but it's just won't die. I relatively sure this damn thing found us because of Zarato but if I want to kill it I don't have a choice.

This time when I struck I cut through reality itself, which seem to get a reaction out of this thing. As my blade passed through it, it avoided a lethal hit then it screeches and lunged at me moving as fast as light. As it passed through me I could feel its mind its intent, dark and impossible to comprehend, truly something otherworldly. Too bad for this thing I've dealt with worse the first time I drew Zarato I could feel its past the incomprehensible size of it the sheer  power of it and the certainty of its death its demise. My mind didn't break then and it won't now. As it passed through me I spun and struck it tearing it apart with that unfathomable power. It left no remains it had barely existed in this world to begin with. But the gash in reality did leave something behind a bloody four-hundred pound tuna. I'm not one to let things go to waste so using my magic to enhance my strength I pick the fish up and throw it at the druid who was fighting with Gabija. The druid was concentrating on not being burned to a crisp so he didn't notice the massive fish flying at his head. It hit him full force knocking him from his perch on one of the plants. I didn't really expect it to do that much. The strike gave Gabija an opening flames burning away all the plant. Then Gabija formed a star in her hand and she shot it at the druid. It hit him as he rose and his body disappeared in a flash his body didn't hit the ground because there wasn't enough of a body or enough of the ground for him to fall on.

"Listen Kage because this is all the explanation you're going to get. Early you fought with an incredibly powerful mind mage. His name is Atreus Ziz he is a newcomer who has been rising in power with the help of those kinds of beings. To fight him and his allies I needed those swords and people to wield them. That is why you are here and unless you would rather the Crossroads be controlled by those things I suggest you help me." Gabija says. Finally some answers and honestly not terrible ones. I hate this damn sword but that thing was worse.

"You're crazy if you think you can gather all three of those blades but if it means getting a shot at that mind mage I'm in." I say and this time I mean it I don't like being beaten and that bastard seemed like he was toying with me. I'm not the kind of person to let something like that go.

"Actually I already know where one of the other blades is. The sword Sacrifice is currently in the hands of an old friend of your Alex Kaitan." She says brushing the ash from her clothes.

"You've got to be kidding me how the hell did he get his hands on that. Well if you don't already know where he is I've got a damn good idea of where to start looking." I say. Alex Kaitan one of the strongest probability mages and worst gamblers I've ever met. The fact that he's in possession of something of a surprise to me, he usually sells off anything of value he come across either to cover his debts or create new ones. I've been asked to kill him before by several people but never bother to take the jobs. Mostly because the bastard owes me a favor and a probability mage of his caliber is something useful to be able to call on.

"Very well shadow mage lead the way." She says. That was unexpectedly easy almost too easy. Paranoia is a good thing in my book even if men in suites aren't following you that doesn't mean something equally as nasty isn't out there waiting for you to slip up. I didn't exactly learn that the hard way but I do feel sorry for the poor bastard who tried following me I think there's still a stain. The walk to the bar, it doesn't have a name never needed one, which I figured I could find him in or at least enough information on where to start.  The walk was shorter than expected which is odd, usually when I look for this place I'm sure the bloody building is trying to hide. It's not the kind of place you could miss at least for me massive spotlights and cameras around the entrance which is a rather unimpressive wood door. I could hear Gabija start to slow behind me. I turn quickly I don't know what she sees the entrance as but pissing her off more is probably not in my best interest.

"Wow, I did not expect the bloody security measures to work on you. Whatever your seeing it's not real the entrance appears as somewhere you really don't want to enter. Never understood the point myself but I just except it." I say trying not to sound offensive and failing miserably. Gabija glares at me and keeps walking. Once we pass through the entrance we are greeted by an insane array of weapons. Maybe those cameras aren't just illusionary.