Flash Attack

Von entered his chambers and was met with an incredible darkness, the room being just graced by the light coming from the candles on the hallway. He stepped in and laid in his bed, clothes still on and without taking the covers off, there he pondered what had been said throughout the night.

His mind kept going back at that description of The Fall, how quickly and suddenly everything had fallen into chaos, how easy was for everyone to turn on each other, no wonder it was called that, fall, everything fell, the Empire, it's society, it's own protectors and creators had fallen into greed and corruption and that ultimately gave the event its fateful ending.

His breathing started getting slower and slower as the weariness of the journey and it's events had taken its toll on Von, he closed his eyes just for a minute and before he knew he was asleep. His mind still completely awake began dreaming, showing blurry and indescriptible images which if tried to be understood would only confuse more. Picture after picture, sometimes a mixture of memories and the own recreations of his mind.

Von jolted awake, his eyes widened as a cold sweat had covered his entire body, he quickly wiped his face and stood up, cleaned, and left his bed just like he had found it and silently walked out and went straight for the main door, picking up his boots his mind was made.

"Sorry Jochen, we'll see each other soon enough" Von thought as he walked outside complete with all his gear, he quickly set out on a course for a very particular place, one he missed and reminisced about, one who held someone incredibly dear for him, somewhere where his fondest memories were found; home.

It wasn't long enough until the golden rays of sunlight began piercing the once moonlit skies, the wind started to pick up and Von was struck with the beauty of nature as the top of the tries rang with its sonorous roar as leaves clashed against each other, while the bird sang its morning song and the crickets and other insects accompanied them. For a second he just stopped, and closed his eyes, for every bit of darkness and suffering in the world there were some moments just like this, where peace was just found in the most simple events.

The moment passed as quickly as it started and Von opened his now more calm eyes once again and retook his journey home. A few hours later he passed where Jochen, Summer, and him had slept two nights ago before and after the attack, he stood there and watched for a few seconds before moving on, the road ahead split in a "y" shape the right leading back to the Capital and nearby towns and the left leading further away, and towards his hometown.

Taking the left road Von accommodated his gear on his shoulder, and kept walking forward, deciding to keep for a little longer before going to sleep, last night's sleep had been restless and despite his increased stamina thanks to training and months in the front he was still human and his energy was running thin.

Not long after he reached a small town, the dozen or so houses and big fields showed that this was probably a small farming community, he got closer and put it upon himself to ask for a place to stay for just a few hours, if denied he would just sleep nearby behind some tree or bush.

Entering the town itself Von saw a ruckus right outside one of the houses, a young girl, couldn't be past twenty years old, stood in front of two men, both of them armed and hostile. The girl tried to look tough, but her pathetic attempt was destroyed by the fact that she was crying and yelling as she held her arms open to block their way.

Von slowly descended his gear on the floor, he looked around and saw that all the people from the town were watching the scene unfold from their homes with terrified looks. Von quickly realized who the men were, their red clothes and armor, their armbands with the distinct symbol of the AnsHass, they were tax collectors.

His hand and ribs were still a bit sore from its previous break, thanks to blood medicine he was able to recover amazingly fast. That, combined with the inner energy covering his every tissue allowed to heal very quickly, dozens of times faster than regular folk, still pain was there, minimal, but there all the same.

Shaking his head away from that thought he began walking towards the men and realized what was going on.

"Come here brat" One of them said, a bald, tall very bulky man. His big hand quickly clasped around the girl's reddish hair, he quickly and swiftly lifted her from her feet and threw her away from the two extremely scared parents. The father ran behind his child and was quickly met with a punch to the gut, he fell crying in pain.

The girl who had been thrown away ran back to his father and stood there with him crying,

"Please, we don't have any more money, we beg you!!" The mother cried, her also red yet slightly darker hair was tightly tied up into a bun, her clothes were dirty and tattered, common for country folk; her eyes were filled with tears as she begged the men to stop.

"You think I care?" The other soldier said, "We gave you enough time, enough is enough!" He walked straight for the mother and grabbed her from the hair bun, he kicked her behind her knees throwing her into the ground "Money or blood, you choose" he said as he looked at the father.

"Are you sure about that offer?" The soldier holding the woman heard behind him as the coldness of a steel blade traced around his throat, he turned his head slightly to see a cold blooded stare,

"Let her go" Von said as he pierced the man with a killing stare, "You want blood, you'll have blood, not theirs though" The other quickly realized what had happened and drew his sword on Von "Fucker!! Let him go!" He shouted as he got closer

"One more step and his throat will be wide open" Von threatened as he pressed the blade tighter, the soldier behind the blade was now slightly whimpering and trembling, all his arrogance and mightiness took so easily.

"That's how you're gonna play huh?" The bald soldier said as he smirked "Fine I'll play just the same" He rushed over and grabbed the girl back from her hair, the father quickly tried to grab her only to be kicked in the teeth, he now had a blade against her throat, the girl started crying,

"Mom!! Dad!!" She cried

"You fucking coward" Von said

"Let him go or she dies" the bald man said

Von let go and slowly removed the blade which had collected a small amount of blood from the soldier's throat. As soon as he let go the whimpering one went back running to his friend,

"I did what you said now let her go" Von said as he held his knife up and walked away slowly to appear non-threatening.

"I said I wouldn't kill her, not that I'd let her go, If we sell her she will pay for all their debts." The bald man said as he made a twisted, grotesque smile, his teeth crooked and yellow proved to add to that horrendous smile. The girl started trying to fight and push away with no avail.

"Thank you" Von said

"For what?" The bald man asked in confusion and anger

"For giving me an excuse" Von quickly finished as he lowered his hand which held the knife in a throwing pattern, using his fire binding he accelerated the knife to become a projectile. The knife hit but not the head where he aimed but the shoulder, however this still was useful as he let go of the girl who quickly ran away towards her family.

"You bastard!!" He screamed as he held his bleeding arm "You know who we are? We'll kill you!!" His face now contorted in pain instead of that disgusting smile made Von smile instead.

"I think the problem is you don't know who I am" Von said with a smirk " and slowly unsheathed his sword.

"We are the Anshass!!, you don't mess with us!!" The whimpering man said as he gripped his sword with shaky hands, the bald man while in pain was furious and his sword didn't shake as much. While two against one was difficult he had the advantage, he was in an open area and the enemy was wounded and scared, he could easily win this.

"I know, that's why you'll die" Von said lunged at them with his fire binding on his feet allowing him to cross the distance between them instantly in what he called a flash attack,

They didn't see him coming.