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☵ 3rd of Frost, 199, Age of Steel ☵
Continued from HERE
Continued from HERE
☵ The night was calm as the Hattori sat in the shadows around the bandit camp, surveying the vermin in the natural element. One could hear the merriment of the bandits as they enjoyed their spoils; be it stolen food, drink, or even the woman that were taken. It was a disgusting sight, to say the least, and the Hattori family watched with vehement animosity toward them all. It was an unspoken consensus that none would leave this camp alive.
Using the cover of night the Hattori moved into position starting at the base of the camp, as it extended up a mile or so to another outpost, and then into a cavern near the base of the mountains. Kyofu, Kojima, and Kotoru would assault the camp from the front, while Aiko and Ayane cut off their retreat. It was a simple strategy and one that worked very well for the serpent clan.
Just as the merriment began to simmer down the Hattori sprung into action, Kojima having flame lit arrows rain down upon the drunken horde. Panic soon ensued the camp and confusion set in. Thanks to the ale they had been consuming, the bandits were disoriented which worked in the favor of the serpent family.
A whistling sound came amidst the flames drawing the attention of the raiders to the flaming buildings. Filled with a mixture of fear and confusion they watched as shadowy visages appeared, silhouetted by the light of the insatiable flames as the camp was being devoured by them. Some began to run in terror as others shakingly held their weapons. "Like lambs to the slaughter" Koto whispered, a diabolic glint in his eye and smirk on his face.
Kojima placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder, as Kyofu came forward, his eyes illuminated by the flames. With a snap of his finger, Kyofu gave the signal to eradicate them, and the bloodbath soon began. With a laugh Koto charged into the panicking horde, cleaving down those who would dare try and stand against him. It was marvelous to the young viper.
Koto was never one to pass up a chance for a good bloodbath, especially one so well deserved, oh how he enjoyed those the most. One by one each bandit filth he came across met their end by his blade, and he was like a force of death cutting a swath through them. That wasn't to say he was untouchable, as some of the bandits got lucky leaving cuts and scraps along his porcelain skin. With the initial force in the camp eliminated, Koto set his sight on the second camp up the mountain.
As he admired his work he felt a sharp burning pain in his leg. Looking down with curious eyes he saw a young boy, maybe eight or nine by the looks of him, and the dagger hilt he was holding onto. Kotoru could only cock his head to the side as he drank in the fear of the child, a fear laced with determination and anger. It was refreshing to see, which made him smile a bit, before placing a well-placed kick into the young boy's gut sending him sliding across the ground.
Koto was many things but a child killer he was not. Removing the dagger he watched as his father and brother made their way to the second outpost of the bandit camp, trailing quickly behind them. They all knew that the bandits would be expecting them, given their grand entrance. that also meant they would far better in a fight than the rabble he faced before, which only proceeded to wet Koto's appetite for more.
looking to his left he could see a cart that sat under a ledge he could use to get onto the rooftops. Jogging back into a bit, he came sprinting toward it and jumped onto the cart then onto the ledge. With a might push of the leg muscles he had, he leaped far enough to sink his staffsword into the roof of the building.
Rocking his legs side to side, he threw them up onto the ledge of the roof in order to pull himself up and onto the roof. Once on it, he scanned the area ahead to see what route was best to get to the action. He decided he would catch up and strike from above using the element of suprise, rousing them with fear from his attack.
Kotoru was keen on keeping his steps light, airy, and free of noise. He was trying to surprise them after all, and the last thing he wanted was for them to know he was slithering above them. Running his fingers over Orochi, an exhilarating shiver shooting up his spine as the blade cut through the skin of his finger and allowing blood to run free. Orochi wanted blood too, and who was Koto to deny it of such.
Continuing to make his way to the vantage point, Koto managed to keep in good pace with his father and brother, leaping from rooftop to ledge to rooftop again. He had some close calls, barely making it across some at one point, and having to sink that blade of his into the roofs just to hold on. The two had already begun sweeping through the secondary outpost, which meant the attention of the bandits was on Kyofu and Kojima, allowing him to slip on past them.
Leaping down he found himself face to face with a bandit and a rather interesting creature. Locked in a cage was a quadrupedal snake of some kind, one he had never seen before. It seemed it was to be an ambush for his father and brother should they make it this far. Well, he couldnt have that so he decided to disable the trap before it could be sprung.
Sneaking up behind the guards he brought his staffsword across the neck of the closest one, decapitating him, and using that same momentum, impaled the other through the gut. Twisting Orochi a few times, he kicked the vile piece of flesh from his weapon. Walking over to the cage, he locked eyes with the creature, beautiful yet with a burning sensation of distrust within its eyes. It looked at Koto as if it was expecting a confrontation.
Though he couldnt blame it, as judging from the many scars and scrapes it had on its body, it was clear to him that the bandits had been abusing this poor creature. The intensity of its gaze was mesmerizing, and dread filling as well. Koto was a big believer in being free to indulge oneself in the pleasures of life.
Walking over to the corpses he checked their bodies for a key, but not wanting to waste any more time, he raised Orochi high above his head, then brought it down onto the lock of the cage. Opening the door he motioned for the creature to go. At first, it backed further into the cage, but once it realized Koto had no intention to harm it, it indeed made a run for it.
As the serpentine creature ran off so too did Koto, in the direction of the bandit leader himself. If he could kill the leader the rest would lose their will to fight and make this culling much easier. Once there the Bandit leader was waiting upon his throne of spoils. He didnt seemed worried at all that Koto had made it to him, and the young viper soon learned why.
Moments later he was struck by an arrow to the left shoulder, one that seemed to have poison to it. Ripping it out and falling on one knee, Koto looked up at the Bandit leader as he approached, his vision blurring from the effects of the poison. Were fear would have normally set in a normal man, only anger seemed to rise in Koto. Anger that such cheap tricks were used on him and he walked right into them.
Next thing he knew, a heavy boot impacted against his face sending him flying across the dirt. All he could hear was muffled laughter as he struggled to stand to his feet, his vision failing him in the direst of situations. Trying to get his bearings he never saw the fist coming and was sucker-punched to the ground to which the Bandit leader proceeded to beat the young lord relentlessly. After what felt like an eternity and Koto with welts and bruises all over his body and face, the bandit leader wanted to finish the job.
Retrieving an ax, he raised it over Koto's head, but before he could slam it down on the young man, something took his attention. Koto could hear a loud roar like hissing, then screaming and the sound of meat being ripped asunder. Looking to the blurred image he could make out a figure but was uncertain as to what just happened, passing out.
After some time he finally came two, surrounded by his family, he himself being laid up in his mother's lap. "Next time don't rush headfirst into danger Koto." she reprimanded giving his nose a soft flick. Kyofu came to kneel by his son, ruffling his hair a bit and then smiling. "You did well my son, even with all these damages done to you. The creature that saved you ran off as we approached to tend to your wounds." his father noted, signaling for his men to begin the "cleanup process, leaving no trace of them.
As they recouped and disposed of the bandits' bodies, far off a figure watched as the events of tonight unfolded. A hooded figure, cloaked in black robes loomed over in the distance, as another one in crimson robes approached from behind. "Was this truly necessary? We could just kill them off now and be done with it!" the crimson cloak stated, to which the black cloak raised a hand. "It's been some time since I saw him, I had to gauge our prey to make sure I knew what we were up against, besides it seems Kyofu has many weaknesses now. We can use that to our advantage and watch him toil in agony as we rip his very world from him" the black-robed commented, a mighty gust of wind sweeping across the area, and taking both hooded figures with it. ☵
