p { margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1px } hr { height: 0.0125in; background-color: black } body { font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal } Bloody Vengeance By Storymaster69 Henry clenched his fist. He couldn't help but stare at the violated body of his younger sister her body tied down to the ground knowing somebody had done vile and unspeakable things to her helpless person slowly torturing her to a slow and agonized death. She had many tiny cuts across her face arms and breasts and there was evidence that she had been raped repeatedly till she died. The city watch finally showed up and took her body away. Although they tried to look indifferent about it some of the younger watchmen looked sick and angry that something like this could happen. A few men stayed behind and began to question the people living and working in the surrounding area on the slim chance that someone had seen something happen. One stayed to talk to Henry and find out if he knew of anybody that might want to do this to his sister, but he had to say no. He then began to ask some questions of his own. The people he talked to all said that they had seen nothing happen and didn't even know till the watchmen asked them about it. Finally after several hours of futile searching he came across a small man crossing the market area, losing hope that he would find anything he asked him what he knew. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Well sir," he said in a rough voice, "I wuz walk'n down this here street when I saw this big feller carry'n this here pretty little thing into an alley kicking and scream'n for help but everybody was too scared of the man to do anythin' about it. I however was smart or at least I thought so at the time, and run off to find someone who could help her. I looked and looked for a watchman but you know how it is, you can never find one when you need one." He said with a nervous little laugh. "I wuz finally able to find one but by the time we gets back twuz to late and she wuz already dead." "Is there anything else that you can tell me that may help." Henry asked not feeling very hopeful. "Well sir funny you should ask because I being and artist by profession wuz asked to make up this here picture of the man I saw." Henry was shocked and angered when he saw the face of his sister's murderer, it was the face of a man that he had known since they were small boys growing up together. He had no idea why he would do something so vile and evil but he intended to find out. Ignoring the little man's questions he pushed past him, got on his horse and rode straight out towards the city gates determined to avenge his sister's death. The guard at the gate was about to close it in the darkening sky but seeing Henry approaching ushered him impatiently through. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ He couldn't help but think how ironic that such a beautiful night was going to be dirtied by his grim task, but he knew that it had to be done, or his sister could never rest easy in her grave, and he would never be able to look himself in the mirror again. As he approached Jason's manor a few miles outside of Cybila he began to formulate a bold and daring plan on how to get to Jason and finish him off. He knew that Jason had guards inside the house and he would have to somehow get by them before he could reach his target. He approached the wall surrounding the manor, jumped, caught the top and quickly pulled himself up and over. With equal stealth he stole up to the kitchen entrance and tried the door. Thankfully it was not barred and he slipped quietly inside looking around in the faint glow from the well-banked fire waiting for the morning meal. He proceeded through the house noting Jason's good taste in art and interior design, moving over plush dark carpeting who's color was impossible to tell in the subdued light inside the house. He had to quickly conceal himself from the sight of a number of servants, carrying out various duties that there master didn't want to see during the day, and various guards moving from post to post in a vain effort to keep out intruders. There was a guard standing outside Jason's room and Henry quietly came up behind him put a hand over his mouth and plunged a dagger into his heart. Henry entered the room barring the door behind him as Jason looked up from his seat by the fire where he was reading and got to his feet. "Yes Henry what can I do for you?" he asked trying unsuccessfully to keep a normal tone of voice. Henry knew then that Jason was the man he was looking for and drew his sword. He had trouble matching the kind of monster that could do such evil to an innocent like Sherrie, to his good friend and confidant that he had known since they were children, playing at being warriors getting all the glory and the beautiful girls that they rescue. Or the man who many times had gone out of his way to help someone in trouble, or just needed a little help to make it by that day. Jason lost his look of innocent bewilderment and replaced it with one of fright and grabbed up his sword hanging on the wall. He turned and stood in a defensive crouch ready for Henry's attack. Henry approached cautiously knowing that Jason was as good with the sword as he, but determined that he would avenge Sherrie. He began to probe Jason's defenses picking up the pace and power behind his thrusts and blows, but Jason was able to block them all. Hoping to throw Henry off, Jason began to taunt Henry, "You know your sister was good," he said, "especially after I had cut her a few times." Henry's fury began to mount but he wouldn't let that make him loose control and come at him blindly. Jason continued relentlessly, a maniacal look coming over him, "She was so beautiful, too beautiful for her own good, I had an obligation to bring her down a peg or two. But even as she screamed as I cut across her lovely breasts and thighs she was still beautiful and I couldn't take it any more and I had to kill her. Do you understand what I'm saying? I did it for her own good she shouldn't exist in such an ugly world it makes everybody else so inadequate and I couldn't let that continue." Henry was sickened that his friend could be so deranged and continued to hammer at Jason's defenses wearing them slowly down, using his anger to fuel his strokes. Jason's guards began to pound on the door attracted by the dead guard outside and the sounds of fighting inside but were unable to break in through the heavy iron bound wood door. Jason finally made a fatal mistake. Henry was able to slip by his over extended thrust and slice him across the sword arm causing him to scream in pain and anger. The weakened arm was then unable to stop the next blow that cut him deeply across the stomach causing his intestines to slip out through the cut and he slowly fell to the floor. Somebody outside the room finally thought to use something as a ram and began to break in the door. Henry, after a final kick to Jason who was vainly trying to hold his guts in place, quickly wiped his sword clean, sheathed it and broke through the window and ran along the balcony to a point where he could safely lower himself to the ground and make his escape. END