"You two, go warn Languard." Harvenger growled as he slashed another branch from his path.

"I'm not leaving you to die here." Shilieka spoke with a stern, but slightly perplexed look, "I'm not leaving you behind."

"That's not for you to decide." The Kato whirled abruptly, staring coldly at the pair, "I said go to Languard. They must be warned."

"Harvenger, you've gone mad!" Shilieka wailed, "Even you can't take out an entire army by yourself."

"Even so, I must know if they are there." He turned his body slightly, glancing over his shoulder as he added, "If only to ensure they will participate. If they are here, then they are here for us, and I can expect them shortly."

"Listen, I'm not overly found of you, but you are growing on me." Lethander spat, crossing his arms, "But if you are going to go down in a flame of glory, count me out."

"How can you say that?!" The Pixie exclaimed, "He saved your life!"

"I said I owed him." The Naga hissed angrily, uncrossing his arms in a blink and pointing his claw directly between Harvenger's eyes, "But to say you saved my life, just so I could die some other time?"

"We all die eventually." The Kato said bluntly, "Maybe it is my time, but I want neither of you coming with me."

"Harvenger, you can't win this." Shilieka pleaded, "Your trainer wouldn't want this to happen!"

"Well, I'm sure he didn't want to be tortured before he died, and I'm fairly certain he didn't want that, either."

The Pixie fell silent, realizing all too well how pointless trying to instill sense into him was.

"You don't need to die like this..." She spoke slowly, clutching the bag into her chest. As a single tear rolled down her cheek, she added, "I still need your help."

A long pause followed. The only sight or sound that broke this still image was the gentle bouncing of Shiliekla's hood and cape, with the light sniffs that came from underneath.

"Lethander will take you back to the city." Harvenger spoke blandly, no remorse in his words at all, "However..."

She didn't have to look up, of course, since the Kato's body fit perfectly into her field of vision as he approached. He took her left hand from the pouch, and pulled it to his lips. His mustache tickled the back of her hand as his wet lips placed a soft kiss on it. He gazed up slowly into her teary, saucer like eyes.

"I'll come back."

With that, the nimble Kato bounded into the foliage, his small frame disappearing into the underbrush. With a slight sigh, and brushing her right wrist under her eyes, Shilieka turned and began heading in the direction of Languard. She glanced back, then stopped at the realization that Lethander wasn't moving.

"I don't like the choices of death here. I'm afraid this is where I go my separate way."

"We saved you, ungrateful serpent." She spat at him.

"Oh no, I am most grateful." Lethander hissed, "But I'm not going to die for a cause I have no concern for."

"This cause..." She spoke harshly, placing a dagger's potency in her stare, "Concerns us all."

The Naga raised one eyebrow with a small grin, in an obviously mocking gesture.

Slowly, he slithered up beside her, then said, "I'll take you as far as the city gates, but under no circumstance shall I enter them."


Meanwhile...Somewhere in the mountains near Languard...

The Golem's body fell into the hole, disappearing into the seemingly bottomless darkness. The white guerilla creature cradled the pure Ape in his left hand, whispering small words of prayer as the injured monster shivered from blood loss.

"Chieftain...needs you..." The Ape sputtered from trembling lips, "Da' bad man...comes...."

Slowly, the shaking slowed. Eventually, it stopped, and the lifeless arm of the Ape hung loosely over the giant's forearm. The titanic beast slowly lowered the brave Ape to his huge palm, and then dropped him in the hole as well. He watched sadly as the body disappeared into the abyss.

The rays of the sun were falling under the horizon as he exited his cave, highlighting the sky with a wondrous display of colors. He turned, staring back towards the cave's entrance.

In a burly, deep voice, he spoke to himself, "No one must find it..."

With that, he slammed his massive weapon into the side of the cave opening. It buckled and crashed on itself, as another shock rocked the mountain's side. The Ape stepped back, his white fur matted with orange and red as the dust flew past. The entrance had been sealed, for now.

Slowly, he turned, and began his decent into the forest below.


Meanwhile...at Moo's encampment...

The Genocider stood at the edge of the camp, bored out of his cow skull. He glanced around, just to be sure that no other monsters might be awake to talk to. None were. It was getting darker now, but the moon came up as brightly as the sun had. The entire base was lit in this gloomy blue that somehow put him more at ease.

He planted his blade into the earth, and propped up on it with his elbow. The next shift would relieve him in around three hours. He sighed, wondering what next minuscule chore he'd have to do. Watchman was so dull. If Moo could only see his potential, he would easily be instated as the Seventh.

The Durahan chuckled lightly at the thought of his greatness, his leadership, his power. Then, the sinking finality of being stuck out here on guard post sunk in.

He glimpsed a rustling bush beside him. His head darted that way, but his elbow still laid on the sword's hilt. Slowly, however, he pulled his other arm under, feeling the handle of his weapon tightly.

Suddenly, he ripped his sword straight up, then slammed it into the moving brush. The leaves and twigs shattered with the weight of the blade crashing down.

The Genocider glanced down, annoyed, by the sight of nothing. Well, despite what critter it was, they would certainly think twice about trespassing on his shift. As the Durahan giggled to himself once more in his mind, he saw a shadow dart into a tree, just a few feet into the shrubbery.

The Genocider placed his sword on his shoulder, slowly placing one foot before the next as he moved out of the clearing, and into the uncharted forests. His mind shuddered at the thought of this adventure, him and another, unknown creature, dueling in the twilight, battling to the death.

He stopped, glancing into the tree the blur had fled to. Suddenly, the form burst from the canopy, heading further into the forest. Who was the hunter, and who truly was the prey?

The monster's hand quivered with glee at the mere thought of this event. Surely, this was the most entertaining thing he had undertaken since being stationed out here. Methodically, slowly, he stepped forward, constantly glancing towards the maze of branches and leaves above him.

Then, he saw it. Sitting there, halfway behind a branch and a trunk, the blackened fiend resided. It was watching him intently, even knowing that its cover was blown, it sat there. The Genocider couldn't see its eyes in the darkness of the forest's roof, but the Durahan himself was lit dimly by the moon's light.

His blade came up with a fury, as his knees bent down. He propelled himself towards his foe, slashing wildly at his opponent. Branches, leaves, and vines fell in a sort of rain as the heavy form of the Genocider slammed back into the ground.

Both hands on his handle now, his eyes scanned the tree tops, not sure if he had got it or not. Slowly, he placed his blade limply in his right hand, tapping his metal leg. He scared it off, and what creature wouldn't be scared of him?

He turned back towards the camp, and stopped suddenly. There, directly between him and his post, it sat. It was short, the head and shoulders just sticking higher than the vegetation it resided within. The moonlight revealed very little of this beast's features, except that it had somewhat long ears.

From each side of its head, protruded something as well. Like horns, but they were made of...hair? They turned upward sharply, and the Genocider braced for combat once more.


Later...

Harvenger poked his head from the tree line. The entire encampment must have been asleep. He was surprised that there weren't more guards. Creeping lightly, he sprinted up against one of the many tents located here. He clung to the tent, very careful not to make an indention in it, as he began circling it.

As he made it towards the entrance, he realized how large this base was. They had only caught a glimpse before, and the magnitude of this army stretched a good way before it reached the trees once again. From shadow to shadow, the Kato sped, not knowing when the next shift change was, but knowing that it would blow his cover.

As he shot under a wooden wagon, he started at the contraptions in front of him, not sure exactly what to make of them. Large, wooden boxes, with no wheels or logs under it to carry it. They just sat there. He thought they might be used for sleeping, and took a closer look.

Each side had a door, that hinged at the bottom. All the sides were open, placing four ramps that lead into them. The Kato entered one slowly, noting the line slits that covered this wooden cell. Maybe this was used to keep prisoners. Harvenger knew that Moo's troops were very innovative, but he couldn't figure this one out at all. The notion that it was used to store captured enemies was gone when he noticed that each door locked on the inside.

"Strange..." He muttered to himself.

They had a good fifty or so of these creates lined up. Harvenger noticed several vines where attached to each corner of these things, wound tightly into a solitary cord. He sped quickly to another tent, eager to see what else Moo's troops were creating.

After passing several other tents, Harvenger finally found some more weapons.

These were completely as dumb as the others.

Giant, wooden orbs. Each had one door going in, much like the ramps on the cubes. These balls, however, had very large holes throughout, systematically placed on their surfaces. Couldn't hold oil, or water, or monsters. Maybe Moo's troops had gotten dumber...

Harvenger made his way to the center of the camp, noticing a very outstanding banner beside one of the tents.

A large M plastered on it.

He made his way to it, quickly darting over anything that wasn't a shadow. He hugged a beam that supported the tent's opening, and after a quick glance around, he slowly slipped inside. The Kato paced himself softly, knowing all too well that one or more of Moo's more powerful servents were inside.

A candle burned, illuminating the entire tent. Several canvases lined the sides, with strange artwork and splattered colors on them. In the center of the room, were two beds. Basically, blankets on the ground. Harvenger stepped forward cautiously, as he noticed one shiny red ball on each pillow. He came to the center of the art exhibit slowly, glancing around at this all in confusion.

His eyes shot to the side as he saw movement. He blinked a few times as he stared at the picture. It was a beach, but the ocean paint was a glistening color, like he was actually there.

He spun again, extending his claws in a loud, metal shriek as he gazed at another picture he swore had moved. It was a crown on a table, wonderful red, blue, gold, and white all over it. The golden edges seemed to sparkle like the ocean was.

This painter was truly amazing.

Harvenger stared down at the orb beside him in fear, suddenly realizing his folly. He bounced to his left as a blue spike shot past him, nailing another picture. He dodged again as a golden whip flew from the crown and smashed a large frame. Thinking quickly, he dove for one of the hearts that lay on the beds. His claw pulled back, almost in range to impale it.

If only it would have been so easy.

A blunt, very harsh hit nailed him in mid air. The Kato's body ripped through the tent's side and rolled across the ground.

His vision blurred for a moment, then settled on the black feet in front of him. He rolled quickly as the heavy ax split the earth, bouncing to his feet as the Durahan pulled his weapon free.

Harvenger remembered them now. The Elite, the most powerful combatants outside of Moo's generals. These monsters were bred not for battle, but something far worse. Trained for war...

The Kato side stepped as the axe flew past him again. A metal foot punted him literally into the air, as the flat side of the weapon slammed into him like a baseball bat. He skipped across the ground once more, but as he stood this time, he heard a sound that made his hair stand on end.

Moo's most powerful soldiers, the Brother of Misconception, and who knew what else was in this camp. He knew though, he'd soon find out.

The number of whistles sounding grew...

-Stay Tuned- CHB

As usual, very good, but lacking in one or two minor things.

"Well, I'm sure he didn't want to be tortured before he died, and I'm fairly certain he didn't want that, either."
kinda redundant,eh? otherwise, not too shabby, as par.

Meh, it happens.

Of course, I'm building back up into action, which I am stronger at.