Out of desperation, Aero reaches for the old rusted steel blade at his feet. There is nothing within his grasp that even resembles a weapon besides it. Not to mention, Aero has a feeling that the sword is calling out to him. The ancient magic that is said to be within the blade is a mystery to him; but he doesn’t have time to question it right now.
As he wraps his hands around the hilt, the room fills with thickness. The very air is electric!
Aero screams in shock as the old blade begins glowing bright yellow, brighter than any sunlight he’s ever seen. Lightning bolts fly from the blade across the room. Time seems to stop as the blade transforms in his hands.
Aero looks down at the blade and he cannot believe the sight. The old blade has returned to its former glory by his touch. The sword is an ancient style short sword. Writing in an ancient magic tongue glows in the center of the blade. The hilt is accented in gold inlays, and the pommel is a large oval shape housing a red gemstone inside.
The sword is still glowing yellow and pulses out beams of yellow light. As the pulses travel through the vault, they cast shadows on the hidden figures. There are two of them in the vault.
Aero doesn’t hesitate; he lunges toward the closest figure and buries the glowing blade into the chest of the shadow.
“I can see you.” Aero says as he pulls the blade out of the invisible man.
By the time the dead assassin’s body hits the ground of the vault, it has turned visible. The grey scaly skin is a dead giveaway. David was right, these are Underbridge Assassins.
Aero looks up directly at the other shadow in the room. The shadow runs out of the room, quickly stabbing the last guard.
“Go get him!” David screams.
Aero runs out of the room looking for the shadow.
The yellow pulses fill the large room, and Aero searches every corner for the shadow.
Then out of his peripheral vision, he sees shadow running down the stairs toward the grand dining room.
Just below the stairs at the dinning table, sits Matthew and a Meegan soldier enjoying the remaining ale.
“Matt! Look out!”
Matt turns around just in time to see the shadow step off the stairs, only three strides from him.
The shadow makes a lunge at Matthew.
At the last moment, Matthew side steps the shadow and swings his ale glass into its head.
The shadow falls to the floor with a loud thud.
Matthew quickly refills his glass as the Meegan soldier draws his curved bladed sword on the shadow.
The shadow tries to knock the blade out of his way, but the soldier was ready for him. The soldier immediately stabs the shadow, who then turns visible.
“Underbridge? Here? How?” Matthew asks.
“I don’t know, I’m sure they were hired by someone in the capital because they were trying to steal the Royal Blade.” Aero replies.
“You have the blade? But I thought you were…”
Matthew catches himself, he knows that he has to be very careful with his words now. He stops talking and takes a moment to admire the relic; but screams can be heard from the streets. They know the attack is not over.
“I need a sword.” Matthew says to the Meegan soldier. The soldier looks around the room before finding the only weapon in sight.
“Grab his blade.” The soldier says pointing at the dead assassin. Matthew does so.
The three men burst out of the old mansion to find chaos in the streets. Meegan citizens are dead all over, with the living running away in mass panic.
The Royal Blade still glowing and pulsating, shines shadows on about twenty hidden assassins.
“They are clearing the streets for an escape!” Matthew says
“They all die here and now!” Aero responds.
Aero points his sword at the closest one as if he is calling dibs on him, and the blade sends out a sharp blade of light that stabs the shadow killing him instantly.
With the streets clear, Aero continues point at various shadows with the sword. Killing each with a beam of light.
As Aero downs several in the street, he wonders how this is happening. The blade seems to be doing this on it’s on.
Matthew and the soldier were able to kill a couple more themselves as the shadows retreat towards the docks.
As the men give chase, Captain Brotou leads a garrison of militia in from a side street.
“They are falling back to the docks; we can’t let them escape.” Aero shouts.
“Understood.” Brotou replies.
When the men reach the docks, the gates are still closed but dock workers bodies are laying all over, only a few remain alive.
“Where are they?” Brotou shouts.
“It’s Underbridge Assassins from the mainland, they can turn invisible.” Aero responds.
“How can we fight something we can’t see?”
“Like this.”
Aero holds up the still glowing and pulsating Royal Blade. The pulses cast shadows on about fifty invisible assassins.
“Not a single one can escape!” Aero screams.
“You heard the man!” Brotou shouts to his soldiers.
The epic fight ensues with the fifty assassins making a final stand, cornered in the dock.
The fighting is fierce, with blades clashing in each corner of the docks.
Aero swinging away with his glowing sword, with Matthew at his side.
Eventually he notices Lieutenant Rain to his other side. She returned to the militia after the dinner.
The soldier that Matthew was drinking with stays close as well. The four of them lead the charge in taking out the remaining assassins.
Aero finally notices that the majority of the Meegan garrison is simply functioning as a wall to prevent escape while Aero’s four do most of the fighting.
Finally, backed into a corner seven assassin’s turn visible and throw down their weapons.
As they were doing the act, Aero swung his sword from about ten feet away in a horizontal slashing motion. A yellow slash wave travels across the emptiness between them and beheads all seven of the surrendering assassins.
Aero looks at the sword in his hand. It has stopped glowing and pulsating.
“I think it’s over.” Aero says, still looking at the sword.
“Sir, it was an honor to fight at your side, I am Ali.” The soldier says.
“He’s been my new drinking buddy since you have been distracted by, well you know.” Matthew says.
“The honor is mine, Ali. I am Aero. We need to clean up the streets.”
“Agreed.” Brotou says as he walks up.
“Captain, I will coordinate the docks. We will pile the assassin bodies in a pile so we can search them for any clues why they came here, and I assume burn them?”
“Yes, we will burn them.”
“The Meegan dock workers, we will carefully move toward the entrance to the docks. Will you lead the cleanup of the streets?”
“Yes Sir.” Brotou says as he leads the garrison out to the streets.
Aero carefully places the sword in his belt so he can work on clean up.
He begins work with Matthew, Rain, and Ali.
It takes about an hour for them to place all the bodies where they needed to be.
About the time they finished Brotou returns with just a handful of men.
“We were coming to assist, but you finished already.”
“Captain, how bad are the Meegan loses?” Aero asks.
“They are bad, but it could have been a lot worse. We lost one hundred twenty-seven Meegan’s tonight tonight. Nearly half were women and children.”
“My goodness. This is so senseless.” Aero sits and places his head in his hands. He begins to weep. Matthew places his arm over his friend and weeps as well.
“Prince Aero!” a shout rings out through the docks.
Aero looks to the entrance of the dock, and he sees Rania standing before them.
He rushes over to her. “Are you alright, what about Azka?”
“My father demands the return of the sword.”
“Your father?”
“Governor Dabir.”
“Your father?”
“Now!” She demands.
Aero is astounded by her words, but wants to disarm the situation.
“Of course, I will accompany you right now.”
“No! You will hand it to me.”
Aero’s eyes are locked on hers; he responds without hesitation as he hands her the sword.
“It’s his sword, I had no intention of keeping it…Are you still going to be at the bench tonight?” he asks.
“We will see.” She says as she accepts the blade and turns and walks away.
Aero stares at her until she is out of sight.
“Aero, she had a dagger in her hand.” Matthew whispers to him.
“What?”
“Your eyes were locked on hers, the curse… it almost happened just now.”
“No way, Matt.” Aero says as he tries to process the events of the night.
As they speak, a group of twenty soldiers enter the docks. They draw their swords.
“Prince Aero! You are under arrest!” one of them yells.
“On who’s authority? This man just saved thousands of Meegan lives!” Brotou responds.
The man hands the captain a sealed note.
“Prince Aero. I apologize, but I am honor bound to serve Governor Dabir.” Brotou explains.
“Do your duty Captain.” Aero responds.
They place Aero in chains, Aero has to calm Matthew down while they do so.
“Go find David and the others, make sure they are safe.”
As the guards lead Aero away, Matthew, Rain and Ali depart to find David and the others. With Aero in chains, David is in danger as well.
Relics of the Old Age 