Free Age of Darkness by Brandon Chen Page A

were
scattered across the area, and one of the cloaked figures kicked at the rubble in
annoyance. “What in the gods is this? How is it possible that someone got here
before us?” He pulled down his hood, revealing a man in his forties with white
hair and a red tattoo running across his right eye. He scoffed in disbelief,
running a hand through his naturally snow-white, slicked-back hair as he clicked
his tongue. “Did someone know about the operation?”
    Tobimaru didn’t say anything, though he
glanced to the side with an interested smile. “It seems like the kids that we
were examining before came out for a little exploring. They know how to breach
the ward, meaning I can find the weak spot. Catch up with the children and buy
me some time. The Faar army was waiting for us to bring down the ward anyway so
that they could go and take this beloved village of theirs. The kids stole the
energy from the meteor, so I suppose it’s only fair if we steal everything from
them.”
    ***
    Keimaro and Yata rested against the apple tree
outside of Bakaara, panting. Keimaro was completely exhausted from the long run.
His eyes felt heavy, but he knew better than to fall asleep outside of the
ward. They weren’t one-hundred-percent safe yet. He sighed, knowing that he
would have to go home and apologize to his mother and father for his behavior.
He had been so angry about being lied to. But, now that he had cooled down a
bit, he knew that his parents still loved him despite everything; otherwise,
they wouldn’t have even taken him in or cared for him all of these years.
    Aika lay in her sleep right next to
Keimaro, snoring soundlessly on the soft grass. Keimaro was reluctant to wake
her but was about to reach for her when suddenly he heard a shift of movement
and a grunt. Keimaro turned and saw Yata being lifted off of the ground. His
feet dangled inches above the ground as he choked, gasping for air and grabbing
at the arm of the man who was holding his neck. Keimaro’s eyes widened and
glared at a white-haired man wearing a black cloak. The man stared into Yata’s
eyes with a crazed look, licking his lips slowly. An odd tattoo crossed his
right eye, making it look as if he had been brutally slashed with a blade
across the right side of his face.
    “Oi, Tobimaru!” the white-haired man said
with an evil cackle. “Looks like I found the fresh meat! They were off resting!”
He squeezed Yata’s throat tighter with a snarl. “You wasted the meteor’s power
on yourselves, huh? How selfish of you! Don’t think you’ll get away with it,
you little brat!”
    Keimaro looked past the man and saw another
black-cloaked man. When his eyes met those of the man named Tobimaru, Keimaro’s
heart thumped, feeling an instantaneous connection to the figure. It was as if
he could recognize the man through the cowl of his cloak despite not being able
to see his full face. “Who the hell are you guys?”
    Tobimaru ignored Keimaro’s question and
simply turned to face Bakaara, a gentle breeze blowing through his cloak,
swaying it ever so slightly. “I’ve located the weak point in the barrier. I’ll
bring it down. After I do so, signal for the attack, and we will begin the
operation.”
    Keimaro’s eyes widened at Tobimaru’s words,
and he gripped his club tightly. This guy was planning on bringing down the
barrier? That would mean the deaths of all of the citizens. That was the only
thing that kept the villagers safe from the dangers of the forest. Hardly any
of the guards actually knew how to defend themselves and would probably run in
the face of danger. It would mean the death of his family.
    A surge of anger shot through his veins,
and he rushed forward, leaving Aika’s side to sprint at Tobimaru. He leapt into
the air, gripping his club with both hands as he brought it crushing downward
upon Tobimaru. The white-haired man’s body moved in an attempt to save Tobimaru
from the blow, but he wasn’t nearly fast enough to match