Kain had been traveling for
several months. He felt as though he were being drawn someplace,
but he had no idea why. All he
knew was that he had to go south, to the mountains where the
"Giant" had been awakened. The land had grown peaceful
since
the demise of Zeromus and his evil influences, but there were new
monsters to fight.
Thieves and highwaymen, with no evil creatures to drive them
away, were becoming more abundant. Kain had booked
passage with a caravan in exchange for his services as a warrior.
So far, his skills had not been needed. Kain shifted nervously
in his perch high atop one of the wagons. From his position he
could see for several miles down either direction of the road.
The trees, thick with shadows was what worried him. They had not
seen another caravan, let alone any sort of traveler for
several days. Very unusual for this time of year.
Kain looked at his lance. It was a holy weapon, taken from the
heart of the the moon, which was just becoming visible. The
wagon drivers started lighting their lanterns and torches. Night
was fast approaching, as was the dangers that it brings. Kain
silently wished that there were more guards than just himself.
With the war over, many of the soldiers had retired, and good
mercenaries were hard to come by. Many people figured they had
seen enough violence in their lives, and did not wish to
witness anymore.
Not Kain. He thrived on the conflict. To do battle with a worthy
opponent, that was true contentment. Kain lost himself in his
thoughts for a moment. Just then five men dressed in black jumped
from the trees, barring the caravan's way. A few moments
later, five more men jumped out from behind, cutting off any
escape. From their synchronization and speed, Kain knew they
were not novices. The band quickly closed in and started
attacking the caravan.
Kain jumped down from his post and met one of the men head on.
Kain ducked as the thief swung his sword in a wide arc. He
then thrust his lance forward, striking his opponent in the
chest, shattering his ribs. Two more men advanced from behind,
but
Kain quickly spun around, holding his lance outward and down. The
metal spike whistled as it sped across the dirt road, and
then up, completing the arc. The lance struck the first man in
the crotch, sending him flying back. Then, as it completed its
flight, shattered the second man's skull.
Kain coiled his legs beneath his body and sprang into the air.
His leap carried him high above his wounded opponent. With
practiced control, he measured his lance and sent to crashing
into the man's abdomen, pinning him to the ground.
Seeing the real threat, the rest of the band turned their
attention to Kain. The skilled Dragoon did not wait for his
enemies,
however. With another powerful leap, he flew into the center of
the group, striking one man down in the process. Kain spun
his lance like a baton and sent it whistling through the crowd.
One man was sliced across the stomach while another was struck
in the head. One of the thieves stabbed low, trying to take out
one of Kain's legs. Kain arced his lance down low, pinning the
blade to the ground. He sent his armored boot crashing into the
man's face. Kain then turned to the three remaining thieves
who, seeing their comrades dead, ran of towards the woods.
Kain would not be denied though. He leapt high into the air, and
came crashing down across the back of the nearest man. He
then tossed his lance like a javelin, sending it tearing through
the back of one thief, and into the back of the last.
The man should've been wounded, but he kept running. Kain cursed
and ran after the man. He couldn't lose that lance!
Kain chased his adversary through the thick woods. Branches and
brambles clutched at his body, but were knocked away by
his dragon-like armor. He could hear his opponent crashing
through the woods just ahead of him. Suddenly, the woods
opened up and Kain found himself tumbling down a rocky ravine.
All the commotion caused the rocks to lose their grip, and
Kain found himself in the midst of a landslide. Kain slid with
the flow of the rocks, trying his best not to get struck by any
large
ones. The only thing saving him was his armor, which was
literally being torn apart. The thief fared much worse, for he
wore no
armor of any kind. By the time the reached the bottom, the thief
was nothing more than a bloody mass.
Kain finally slid to a stop, but not before striking his head
upon the trunk of a thick tree. Kain struggled to get to his
feet, his
eyes blinded by sticky redness. The world was spinning, and Kain
couldn't keep his balance. After taking a few steps, he
crumpled fell in a heap. His life-blood flowed freely.