Chapter 4: The Initiation (Eris)

[Vincent]

It took a bit of time for the scouts to finalize the details and for this mission to be cleared to begin. It gave Vincent time enough to be attacked by assassins, fight against the corpse of an ancient Marques and more importantly train with Eris. Regardless of danger he had confidence in her.

The road the two were made to traverse was long and winding. It seemed to be an old road through a mountain that had no clear sense of direction. It certainly added to the appeal for a secretive group of bandits to use it to deter followers. "I try not to complain, but if we have to take this path every time we attend one of these meetings, I am going to loose my patience and good humor for these people." Vincent half joked.

He had recently afforded himself some newer and nicer clothing but now he donned dark and battered clothes with a frayed cloak and mask. He envied Eris who could reliably use her normal weaponry. His swords were in a way too iconic to carry here. His enemies knew the blade far too well, and so he settled for a larger great sword. It was a crude iron blade but it would be deadly enough in his hands. It's weight was roughly on par with Phoenix Heart's so he felt comfortable.

He had probably ran the drill with Eris more times than her patience could last but he did it once more. "Remember, I am Mark and you are?" He asked trying to get her false identity from her.

[Eris Coulson]

Eris never knew she hated masks. Well, she always knew she thought they looked f**k**g stupid on average, but she'd never WORN one before. Gods were they uncomfortable. Every breath you took stuck to the inside of it so it got all moist in no time. It was damned disgusting. At least hers didn't cover her ENTIRE face...but it still eclipsed most of it. Too much to her liking.

For once, though, Eris did her best not to openly bitch about it. This was supposed to be a stealth mission, yeah? That meant she had to shut the hell up. Heh, she was NEVER chosen for recon type stuff back in the army. Both because she uh, lacked the actual qualifications and training, but because she was known for her loud...ness. Was all right as a assisstant captain to a small squad, since she was willing to bark out orders, but terrible for recon.

The shabby, dark attire she had to don to complete the disguise was actually far more comfortable than the mask. It looked terrible but, really, she wasn't trying to look like some sort of hot-to-trot woman anyway. She was here to obtain intel and get paid, maybe stab a few fuckers while she was at it. After the last mission she took with Vincent she was looking not to disappoint again.

“Tiff.” Eris gave a curt response. She understood that going over mission details was important, so she held her tongue, but she still was more than a little tired of running over the basics with Vincent. Not to mention her mood was permanently soured from the damned smelly freaking mask. Ugh... “How much further before we arrive? Because I agree – this path is way too damn long.”

[Vincent]

As the two established their false identities yet again Mark looked to Tiff adding, "From the looks of it we can't be too..." He cut himself off as they rounded a sharp bend only to find themselves staring down a cave entrance. "...far." He looked to Tiff and shrugged. "Looks like we're here." He chuckled. Vincent clutched his necklace briefly in thought before letting go of it to approach the great gaping maw and her guardians.

The two men that stood at the entrance were dressed much the same as them but instead of skull masks they wore matching masks that looked more akin to a monster with horns and angry teeth. Perhaps the masks were a sign of rank and the like. "You two! State your names and business!"

Mark rolled his shoulders and cocked his head at them. "Initiation day. Both of us."

"Two recruits in one day?" He looked to the other monster masked figure. "We should give the recruiter a bit more credit." Back to the two. "I hope you two are strong." He snorted. "Well, I hope she is anyway, we need a few more ladies around here."

"I can vouch for her ability. She can stand against the best of them." Mark chimed in.

"Is that so?" The guard looked to Tiff and laughed. "Well, you two need to wait out here for now. When the time comes to initiate you two we will let you in. You don't get to pick your challenger, and only one of you leaves walking. Understood?"

"Simple enough for any oaf." Mark agreed.

[Eris Coulson]

For once the world seemed to move WITH Eris...er, “Tiff”, rather than against her. Of course this was horse crap but it was still a relief for Tiff to see her destination fast approaching. Her feet had begun to grow sore, and the longer the walk took the more nervous she became. Combat was one thing, but espionage was very much uncharted territory. Tiff didn't know how good she would be at it and, frankly, she'd never really “played a role” before. She'd always just been herself.

But it was far too late for her to back out. So she took a few deep, calming breaths before they approached one of the cult members...or whatever. He sure looked like a cult member. He had some over the top mask that looked as though it'd been designed to give a fright to small children. All it did was make Eris want to kick him right in the -

...And of course he made a remark about her gender, too. Yeah, sure thing pal. More ladies for you, eh?. Difference was between Tiff and the douche in front of her, HE'D be the one bent over with a rod up his-

...Oh, fancy that, she'd get the chance to take out her frustrations on some asshole when she fought them. Right, that had been discussed. It was why Mark didn't have a fancy magical sword to swing around. Still the reminder was a welcome one. Tiff relaxed her fists and she nodded, just giving a grunt while the guard walked off. There wasn't much to be said, nor did she want to risk saying anything. The wrong remark could be overheard and throw their cover off, after all.

So Tiff just crossed her arms instead, and waited for the show to get on the roll.

[Vincent]

With the briefest exchange of dialogue said and done, literally, Mark walked to the side of the road and popped a squat. He motioned for Tiff to join him but it was all up to her. He rested his forearms on his knees and began to contemplate the initiation. If these were one on one matches he would have to handle himself but he would have to trust Tiff to win. He had seen her fight, he knew she could do it, but just because she could did not mean he wanted to have to standby and wait on a knife's edge.

"So, as soon as these fools are ready for us, you give the foolish bastard that challenges you hell! And I mean the violent kind, not the kind you give me." He grinned and laughed. He shifted his gaze to the guard that still stood sentinel. For what it was worth these men and women seemed to take this cause very seriously.

The sounds of the inner meeting could be heard even from outside. "Welcome, our brothers and sisters! Ye of The Culling! YOU! You are the ones that have risen up from the disasters of your lives, STRONGER! Than ever!" The Culling? What was that supposed to mean? Was that what these raiders called themselves?

"Today, is a good day, for you see, our King has bee found! He will be returned to us before long! And he will lead us to the highest of highs! But, further still, today we welcome a pair of initiates into the fold. Who will challenge them? Who will take the trial to rise higher still?!" Cheers sounded from a gathered crowd, it was too large for Mark to accurately guess but no more than twenty he was sure.

"Alright you two, that mean you're up to go in." The guard stepped aside motioning for the two to enter. Well that didn't take long. The real meeting must start after this Mark suspected. As he entered into the cave he saw ahead of him a circle of masked figures as well as two in the center. They must have been their challengers. Just outside of the ring were three of the riders the two fought last time. The Mage Knight seemed to be absent.

"So, which one of you do I get to take down a peg? And which one is for the lady?" Mark asked haughtily. Raising an axe a woman by the looks of it pointed it at Vincent.

"I will be you opponent, BOY!" She spat the word. "And I will make you suffer before I kill you."

"Oh, I would not recommend you do that. I can take a lot of pain." He explained with a simple relaxed shrug.

"Are you a fool?"

"No, I just don't fear a novice like you."

[Vincent]

"Novice!?" The woman sputtered before turning violently angry. "Okay you little brat, I am going to make you bleed out slow and painfully!" She swung her axe around a few times before staring him down mere centemeters from his face.

"Do you want to fight or kiss? I am getting mixed messages here." Mark teased. The woman mock laughed as she stepped back to put distance between the two. "Normally I would mess around and see just how good you are so I hope you don't mind me going all out from the get go?"

"Try it if you want! I will end you regardless!"

"Alright, alright you two. Rules are simple fight until only one of you is left standing." The man in charge of the match stood between them as he spoke but the moment he stepped away the fight began. The woman rushed Mark swinging her axe swiftly. She was stronger than she looked or the axe was light. Either way, it was a swift strike Mark had to actively evade.

Spinning out of the way mark drew his heavy iron blade and retaliated in kind. It was far more clunky and awkward in his hands than Phoenix Heart was. It seemed he had been spoiled while allowed to wield it. The woman deflected his strike causing him to scrape it against the stone floor striking up sparks. "Nice move." Without missing a movement Mark used the momentum to kick the woman in the ribs. "But not good enough I fear!"

The woman grunted before striking out a second time trying to catch Mark still off balanced. As her axe appeared to be striking downwards Mark raised his arm to catch hers mid-swing. Unbeknownst to him however was that it was a feint. No sooner did their arms clash did the woman have a dagger in her other hand striking for his chest. Had this been a competitive duel it would have been her victory, but now, the rules were changed. The dagger struck with little effort but it struck against a chest-plate deflecting the blow upwards.

As both of the woman's arms went high Mark capitalized by taking her axe arm in hand and kicking her in the kneecap. The woman fell backwards and with a yank from Vincent sideways. Her cries of pain filled the air. Her body crumpling to the floor, Mark wasted no time in crushing her other leg in the same manner as the first. "I believe the wording was, until they can not stand was it?"

"I am not through!!!" The woman shrieked. She tried to move and lash out despite the incredible pain to no avail.

"Kill her." The mediator ordered.

Mark looked at him briefly before raising his blade high and bringing it down. As it struck it did not strike the woman, but rather the stone beside her face. "No. She was not a worthy opponent. She does not deserve the honor of death at my hands. I am not one to sully them in the blood of trash." He then reached down taking hold of the woman's mask and ripping it from her face. "Behold the face of the weak!" He held the mask aloft.

The mediator grew angry but before he could move on Mark the Great Knight in charge halted him. "The words were indeed until she could not stand, but we can not let her go so easily. If she is allowed to live she could be the ruin of us all."

Mark dropped the mask and crushed it beneath his heel. "I don't really give a damn. You guys can kill her then. I already told you I won't dirty my hands in unworthy filth." Sheathing the blade he turned and moved to join the other members of the organization.

The great knight nodded. "So be it." With a raise of his axe the woman was soon assailed by boiling steam. The screams that erupted from her were terrible and long-lasting. Vincent longed desperately just to end her suffering quickly but the persona of Mark would not allow it, and so he watched in agonizing silence as others cheered until she was finally a boiled corpse. Behind the mask his face was pained but at least now he was in their ranks, and able to make an excuse not to kill an innocent... or so he prayed.

[End Thread]