BLADES: SHADOW AND LIGHT

CHAPTER 1. A new beginning

Kael stood atop the rooftops, his gaze scanning the city below. His face was covered with a black piece of clothing showing only his emerald eyes that glinted as each passing light fell on it.

His hair danced to the tune of the cool night breeze.

His black robes billowed in the wind as he surveyed the streets with keen eyes. His blade, a slender katana with a blade as sharp as a razor, hung by his side, ready for action. He had come a long way since he was taken in by the Master of the Blades. Under the Master's tutelage, he had honed his skills to become one of the guild's most promising sect members. Rumors had it that he would take over the master when he was gone, but that was the least of Kael's worries. It was true the old man had taught him everything he knew and had even adopted him as a son, but politics wasn't something Kael was interested in. Protecting the realm was more Important than anything, and recently he could feel the strong growing darkness that was about to engulf the realms.

It was a dark and stormy night, and Kael was on a mission to eliminate a corrupt noble who had been exploiting the city's poor for personal gain.

Since the last great war where the Shadows lost the war, things were never the same. The after effects of the great war could be seen in humans who acted as puppets to darkness.

They were corrupt and greedy and wanted nothing more but to satisfy their selfish interests. Nothing else mattered to them than the greedy thirst for more wealth to the detriment of the poor that slaved away for them. These people were leaders, blessed by the gods to lead the people. Kael sometimes wondered if the gods had been blind to pick such leaders or if the monks at the sect had something to do with it.

He had seen the selection done a few times and knew what it required but he couldn't explain a lot of things as that was not his specialty. Being powerless was something Kael hated. He could feel the powerless emotions of the people the blessed leaders were meant to lead, and knowing that those leaders wouldn't stop until extinction was something that made his blood boil. It was for this reason that he took on the jobs of eliminating some of the greedy leaders that he felt no hope of repentance in.

His mission that night was just one of the many missions he has taken in assassinating the lives of corrupt and greedy officials whose selfish interests had made them human terrors to the poor.

As he made his way through the winding alleys, he moved with the grace and precision of light, blending seamlessly into the darkness.

Kael's target was heavily guarded this he knew, but he knew that those guards were no match for him not when he was this undeterred. He had been trained to face any obstacle and overcome it and to him fighting off guards was no obstacle at all. He carefully maneuvered through the guards, taking them out one by one without or weapon or making a sound. His movements were a deadly dance of steel and light, a testament to his skill as a member of the blades.

Finally, Kael reached his target's chambers. The noble was sitting at his desk, counting his ill-gotten wealth. Kael's eyes narrowed as he approached, his katana glinting in the moonlight.

The corrupt official looked up to the shadow In Front of him and cringed, he dropped the gold bars he held in his hands and crawled back.

With his voice shaking and sweats dripping from his face he decided to plead. He had always heard of the Light Reaper but never for once thought that he could be a victim of such. Light Reaper, that was the name the officials called Kael. His kill was merciless and without warmth, like a body without a soul.

" Please..eee.eeee..ssss ..p..a…rr..rrr…eer " before the words on the official's mouth could finish, Kael raised his blade which glinted from the light giving off a bloodthirsty aura and with a swift and silent strike, he dispatched the corrupt noble, ending his reign of greed.

As Kael disappeared into the night, he couldn't shake the gnawing feeling in his gut. The mission had been a success, but Kael couldn't shake the growing unease within him. He had once believed that the Blades were the epitome of justice, that their actions were always in the best interest of the city. But recent events had made him question his beliefs, in as much as the master was the leader of the blades, over a decade he had not given out any others yet the only earth shaking thing he had done was taking Kael in as an apprentice.

It had been the work of a few of the elders to maintain peace and order in the sect and I'm the realm, but Kael doubted if they ever did anything. As for the killing of the corrupt officials, it was the only official duty that the Master had asked Kael to do without any of the sect members knowing it was a direct order from the king.