• tab Cricket watches from the rooftops as Thunder emerges from the bar, stumbling now and then. Was this drunkard really able to incapacitate his sister? The very thought filled him with rage increasing his desire to slip a cold steel blade through his heart. He followed silently along the rooftops stalking his prey watching for an opening.
    tab This was not Crickets first fight with a drunk; they are often at times very easy to take down with little balance. Add the brute strength that Thunder posses their wild thrashings can turn deadly if caught in close range. Along with Thunders martial skill those wild thrashings can come deadly close if not careful.
    tab Studying his movements he found they were to erratic to get a lock on him with his bow from this angle, he would need to get towards the ground and let his arrows fly across Thunders path for a direct hit. He descended from the rooftops to the streets below, but in his haste forgot to shift his balance to land silently and instead hit the ground with a noticeable thud.
    tab Thunder stopped dead in his tracks, Cricket quickly moved to the nearest shadow watching to see if his mistake had given away his position. Looking over his shoulder for only a few seconds Thunder continues his walk home. Cricket waits for only a moment before he returns to his pursuit. He moves silently towards his prey while placing an arrow on the string of his bow. When he reaches a distance he feels close enough Cricket stands and draws back his bow. Suddenly Thunder turns and tosses his bottle towards Cricket; he ducks and immediately hides in the nearest shadow.
    tab “You, who stalks me in the night, come out so I may see my opponents face,” Thunder bellows.
    tab Cricket does not move from his spot hoping that Thunder will have believed to be mistaken from having drunken so much.
    tab “Come out I say I know that you are there, you are not the best assassin that has tried to kill me I could hear you since I left the bar.”
    tab Cricket reluctantly stands and walks into the moonlight facing Thunder. At seeing his opponents face Thunder is shocked at a feeling of recognition that overcomes him. Though he has never met the man that stands before him now, he has seen those eyes before. Those eyes that had stared him down not long ago, eyes that seemed to pierce directly to your heart and make it cease to beat for only a moment, the eyes of killer, an old foe…of a ghost.
    tab “You…I know of you,” he says to the man.
    tab “Yes and I of you, you are the man that helped to end my dear sisters life,” Cricket screams has he draws back his bow.
    tab “She said she had a brother that would come for us and here you are; I suppose you wish to end my life. You will find that it will not be that easy,” Thunder raises his foot and smashes it into the ground cause the earth beneath him to break and a small boulder to rise in front of him in mid-air. He then punches it with a great force sending it flying towards Cricket.
    tab Cricket lets his arrow fly and to breaks the rock into smaller piece, only a few of the land a hit, but none doing real damage. He then shoots off three arrows in succession with great haste. Thunder punches the ground causing another small boulder to rise and shield him. The first two arrows strike the boulder and the third hits his left arm.
    tab Thunder races toward Cricket and before he could defend himself lands two strikes in the head with his fists and on to the right side of him with his leg. Cricket is stunned only for a moment and jumps back to put some distance between them. He feels that pain of the heavy blows and knows that if he is struck again by an attack like that he will not last long. He decides there is no time for play and charges up his essence for his final attack.
    tab In the meantime, Thunder kicks more boulders from the ground and launches them toward Cricket. Cricket does not let them phase him has they hit concentrating on building up his essence. He draw back his bow and releases a single arrow, which is then followed by hundreds of other arrows made of light appear and shoot off towards Thunder, each and every one of them hitting him directly.
    tab Thunder falls to the ground covered in blood and many holes. Cricket walks up to his body and is surprised to see that he is still clinging to life after that attack. Standing directly over him he draws one final arrow and aims for his forehead.
    tab “Wait…I need to tell you…” Thunder says trying to hold back the fits of cough filled blood.
    tab “Wait for what nothing you can say will make me let you live,” Cricket inquires.
    tab “I have…no delusions of living past this night…I just wanted to let you know…I never wished…for your sisters…death.”
    tab “Noted,” Cricket replies while letting his arrow go. It shoots straight through Thunders head and into the ground on the other side. Thunders amber eyes grow pale as the last bit of life in him fades.
    tab Cricket takes Thunders hand and cuts off his middle finger; this along with the fingers of every other person that was involved with his sister’s death would be the flowers on her grave. He quickly left the area to find a place to rest and treat his wounds for he will need all his strength to face his next opponent, Crimson Sky.

    To Be Continued...