# Brothers Bound



## Captain Stillios (Mar 8, 2009)

Hey guys, just found this story I wrote for course work last year, Im gonna put it up and hopefully get some comments!

*Brothers bound*
A new sun rose over the horizon and Khouin Hawkblade rose from his fireside and kicked his partner and brother Nigura Hawkblade.
“Get up you lazy dog” he said to the blankets which covered his brother, when he did not move Khouin sighed and moved away from the camp slightly and found the rabbits he had hunted and killed last night then carried them back to the fire.
His brother still had not moved.

Khouin sighed again and grabbed a bucket from his pack pausing a moment as he remembered what he and the old bag had been through, although it was old and torn and stunk it still carried everything it had to despite the holes in the side, he allowed himself a quick laugh at the old witch who thought that by restoring his and Nigura’s youth and giving them enchanted gifts would stop them from doing what they had been hired to do.

They had locked her in her house the next month and burned it to the ground.
Walking over to the gushing stream Khouin filled the bucket with ice cold water then walked over to Nigura’s blankets and mat, “Five seconds before you take an early bath!” he said holding up the bucket “Four, three, two…” he finished and threw the water over the blankets knocking them to the side and revealing the masterfully placed rocks and sticks.

“Oh shi…” he hissed but stopped abruptly as cold steel touched his throat an inch above his jugular.
“You are dead” came Nigura’s voice from over his left shoulder.
“Funny, I should have stopped walking around don’t you think?” Khouin replied.
Nigura laughed and withdrew the knife.
“That is still your greatest flaw brother, you need to mind your surroundings, if you had only looked hard enough you would have seen me hiding not three feet away in that tree, now, today we have combat training and then we travel for Kor-Pedro and Ironlatch”

Khouin slowly turned and saw his brother starting to clear the fire traces and their concealed weapons, his eyes travelled to his brother and he wondered how they were so different in skill yet so alike in stature, they both had shoulder length hair, both were tall and wire thin and both had an air about them that suggested that these were not men to be trifled.

However both had several differences, Khouins hair was jet black while Nigura’s was pure white, Nigura had a slight limp in his right leg from a ill aimed crossbow bolt from Khouin, and their eyes, Nigura’s were the pure black of the abyss with only a slight amount of white showing around the edges, Khouins however were the most menacing as they changed colour according to his emotions, not bad for two men over one-hundred and fifty years old.

Having filled in the fire pit and cleared their belongings to one side they both drew their weapons, Khouin had been given two beautiful Katanas one of pure silver which he had named Siloe after his Father and one of ocean blue Ilea after his Mother, while Nigura had taken a huge double headed axe with blades like butterfly wings and made of deep black star-metal, they faced each other across the clearing, Khouin struck first with his left hand blade slashing for Nigura’s side and his right lunging for his face.
Nigura simply grinned and knocked the left blade into the right sending both to the side.
“You’ll have to do better than that brother” Nigura laughed
Khouin just grunted and threw himself at his brother hoping to knock him off balance.
He was met by Nigura’s right fist.

When he regained consciousness he groaned and felt his nose, it was not broken, when he got to his feet he lurched towards Nigura’s still grinning form and launched a lightning array of attacks that few men could hope to match, all were deflected, parried and dodged by his brother for over an hour.

Eventually Khouin staggered back sweating like a pig and with his arms feeling like lead, Nigura then began his own attack, running forwards he hammered Khouins blue sword from his hand then swung around and used the axe handle to club behind his knees causing him to fall and finally a double handed punch to the back throwing him to the ground.

“Still learning brother” Nigura said to Khouins downed form.
“You bastard” Khouin groaned as he picked himself up for the second time of the day, “I think you broke something” he hissed as he felt where Nigura had hit him and his fingers came away with blood.
“Its not as if you’ve got anything to break there anyway” Nigura laughed, pulling Khouin to his feet he turned and started to saddle the horses which they had picketed the night before just outside the clearing, hanging their blankets and food from the horses saddles they mounted and headed off south to the capital of the Drashite lands, Kor-Pedro.


Kor-Pedro
Although Khouin had been there many times, the sheer size of Kor-Pedro never ceased to amaze him, over two thousand acres of land were contained within its walls, towering spires tipped with diamonds and a soaring coliseum in the centre made from red rock to give the impression of the entire building being washed in the blood of the champions that fought within, and all ruled over by the sorcerer Dakures Ironlatch.

“Lets see if we can find a place to stay” Nigura said before starting down the hill, instantly crossbow bolts flew from the trees at the side of the path, impacting in the side of Nigura’s horse causing it to panic and bolt towards the city, cursing, Khouin was about to follow when his horse was shot out from under him.

“Look here lads, some fresh meat!” yelled a voice from the shadows under a particularly large oak, rolling to his feet Khouin saw that almost a dozen bandits were emerging from the tree-line most with swords in their hands but three still had their crossbows out at their sides.
“What do you want?” He asked
“Well we could start with your gold and then maybe those pretty swords on your back” replied a huge new bandit who emerged from the trees slightly behind the others with a broadsword in one hand and a hatchet in the other, “Now if you would kindly take off your purse and swords and place them on the ground” he continued in a bored tone of voice.

“If you want them, come and take them” Khouin cried as he drew Siloe and a dagger from his boot.
“Someone take them off him” The leader said, one of the bandits advanced with sword in his hand, Khouin didn’t give him time to attack, knocking the sword away he buried his dagger in the mans chest then ripped it out and kicked the body into two other bandits.
“I would have your name before you die!” The bandit leader yelled
“You first”
“Cadoras the bandit, you may have heard of me”
Khouin had indeed heard of the exploits of Cadoras the bandit but was not impressed by the mans reputation.
“Ok then, know that you face Khouin Hawkblade!”

A look of terror passed over the outlaws when they heard his name with good reason, through out his life Khouin had done many great things not all good but one included killing the bandit king Cadoras’ cousin Reknag.
“Well this is an interesting turn of events, however the man who killed my cousin was old and at least seventy years of age while you are barely out of your twenty’s, even so I shall face you myself since none here have the courage to do so” Cadoras sneered
Khouin nodded then drew his second sword Ilea after his mother, Cadoras advanced slowly before suddenly charging straight forward at Khouin.

Khouin simply swayed to the side and stuck out his leg causing Cadoras to land in the dirt.
“Is that it?” he asked, Cadoras roared then to his feet and slicing for Khouins neck with his sword, Khouin easily parried with Siloe then whipped his sword across Cadoras’ face above his eyes blinding him.

“Finished?” Khouin asked as Cadoras tried to clear his vision, “You really are over rated you know, your cousin had twice the skill you do”
Cadoras again threw himself blind at Khouin but again Khouin simply parried all of Cadoras’ attacks then slashing deep cuts into his shoulders, knees, face and wrists until he could no longer use his arms or legs.
“Finish me then” Cadoras gasped “At least finish me quickly you dog”
“No I shall not, your band shall get me a new horse and then I shall leave, you shall live and if I ever call for your aid you shall answer” Khouin replied

It was not long before Khouin was ready to leave and with a quick glance back at Cadoras as he was helped onto a stretcher, set off after Nigura.

He found his brother waiting at the gates.
“Took your time” Nigura remarked
“Bit of horse trouble”
Nigura simply nodded and together they headed for the nearest Inn as Khouin described his encounter with the bandits.
“So what did he tell you?” Nigura asked
“There are seventy guards with dog patrols, surrounding the palace although morale is low” Khouin replied as he remembered Cadoras’ masterful acting, it had been Cadoras who had hired them to kill Reknag and he had owed them for cementing his position as bandit king.


Assassination
In the next few days Nigura ventured into the city to scout the palace and any way in while Khouin prepared their equipment like grapple hooks, swords, crossbows; disguises and escape route.

Nigura returned on the night of the fifth night since entering the city.
“I have a way in” Nigura said over the table in their room, “We use the crossbows to take out the sentries atop one section of the wall just after the shift change, then scale it using the hooks from there we move through the palace into the great hall where Ironlatch is holding a feast”
Khouin nodded and they both took up their weapons, crossbows and grapple hooks then left through the window onto the roof outside, then they ran across the roof tops until they were just under the east wall of the palace.

Drawing his crossbow he aimed down the sight and releasing a bolt that landed between the left guards eyes while Nigura’s bolt took out the one on the right, next they fitted the hooks into their bows then fired them over the wall, soon they were on-top of the wall and down the other side.

Donning the servants robes that Khouin had scavenged they made their way to the kitchens.
Both of them picked up platters with drinks on them then walked through the servant’s route to an empty balcony over looking the great hall.
Crouching they took of the robes and bundled them into Khouins backpack then started to assemble their crossbows.

Khouin looked over the balcony edge he saw many of the high nobles of the land, Orris fleet-foot from Drostina and his banner of a stone castle gate surrounded by fire, Wulfrick Iron-grip with the bear sigil, but at the opposite side of the hall sat the target.

Dakures Ironlatch gazed out over his guests with an accusing glare as if all of them conspired against him and he new it, Khouin was surprised at Ironlatchs appearance, short and stocky he had arms like hams, bald with deep green eyes that pierced the mind, around him was an aura of power that could be felt from across the hall.

“My guests” Ironlatch said quietly yet his voice was heard by all, “Tonight we celebrate the invasion of our enemies the Nedrans, feast, drink, all of this is rightly earned spoils and we should indulge ourselves!” He continued to the cheers of the hundred or so people in the hall, “But first, tonight’s entertainment, a special treat for you, the deaths of the Hawkblade brothers!” Ironlatch switched his gaze to the balcony straight at Khouin.

Nigura reacted instantly, rising he fired two crossbow bolts at Ironlatch then leaped from the balcony to the floor quickly followed by Khouin.
Ironlatch simply laughed and caught both bolts an inch from his eyes before incinerating then both, spinning his hands above his head Ironlatch launched a fireball straight at the brothers while guards flooded into the room.
Khouin dived to the side while Nigura simply raised his axe and caught the flaming ball on the flat of the blades, drawing his swords Khouin raced to stand behind his brother hacking and slashing at any his brothers terrible axe did not mark.

As Khouin stepped over the body of a headless guard another came out of nowhere and body-slammed Khouin away from Nigura, kicking the newcomer in the face then hacking his legs out from under him Khouin saw Nigura reach Ironlatch who had drawn a ensorcelled blade from his hip and moved to meet Nigura.

Determined to reach his brother Khouin sliced the throat of the man in front of him then dived into the gap and ran for his brother.
Nigura swung his axe one-handed left and down then reversed it and swung back double-handed, both were dodged by Ironlatch as they battled back and forth. 

Suddenly Ironlatch smashed his foot into Nigura’s side then spun and smashed his axe from his hand then punched Nigura in the face sending him sprawling out of the open door at the end of the hall onto the stone stairs outside.

Khouin watched all of this happen from not three meters away, it didn’t make sense, one moment Ironlatch was just holding his own then the next he had disarmed and injured one of the greatest fighters of the age.
Khouin saw his brothers axe lying at his feet; sheathed Siloe then picked the great axe up.

Sprinting to the stairs he saw Nigura desperately trying to defend himself without his axe, throwing crates, fruit, barrels and anything lying around into Ironlatch’s path.
Not stopping for anyone in his way Khouin barrelled through the few guards in his way trying desperately to reach his brother.

Nigura saw Khouin running towards him and tried to circle around to him but everywhere he went Ironlatch was there, one moment he was in front of Nigura, the next off to the left, then behind, until Niguras back hit the cold stone wall of the courtyards wall.

Ironlatch then appeared again in front of him and lunged forwards.
Only Niguras quick reactions saved him, at the last second he twisted to the side causing the blade to enter his chest just under his left arm instead of his heart.
Bringing his arm down to trap the blade Nigura hammered a right hook into Ironlatch’s face knocking his grip from the sword; Nigura ripped the blade out of himself and hurled it backwards over the wall.

Ironlatchs manner instantly changed to fear.
“No, don’t you have no idea what you are doing!” he screamed as Nigura stumbled towards him with a newly drawn dagger in his hand.
Only Nigura’s iron will kept him standing, blood loss was setting in and his body was shutting down, he gathered his remaining strength and plunged the dagger into Ironlatch’s thigh then collapsing unconscious to the ground.

However the blow, while serious was not mortal and Ironlatch stood above Niguras body with the dagger he had taken from his thigh in his hand.
“I’ll gut you like a pig” he gasped, however as he raised the dagger he heard a voice behind him.
“Not if I gut you first” the voice said as an axe blade suddenly erupted from Ironlatchs chest, falling to his knees then to the ground lying on his back he saw Khouin standing over him with a Hawk feather in his hand which he wiped in Ironlatch’s blood before turning away to tend to his brother.




Goes on for a bit more but I lost that part...so any comments?


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