Running across the vast fields, the cold morning air freezing my breath and chilling my bones. I knew that if I stopped to rest, even for a fleeting moment, I would lose my chances for escape. Looking ahead, I could see a small band of soldiers combing the surrounding areas, attempting to track me. Quickly I darted beyond their sight and silently drew my sword, waiting in anxious unsteadiness for them to spot me.

"There he is! Quickly, follow me!" Shouted one of the guards. I knew at that moment there would be no turning back. With my sword at the ready, I waited and allowed them to close in on my position. Almost allowing them to surround me, but allocating just enough time to prepare my initial attack. One of them tried to catch me off guard by flanking me from the side. He met a quick, painful death, collapsing to the ground in a bloody heap. The other soldiers seemed shocked at first, but finally mustered up enough courage to strike at me.

"Why do you pursue me like ravenous dogs? Don't you know what you're up against?!" I muttered, emotionlessly as I brought my sword back to the ready. "You've commited atrocities against the Highland and will be brought to justice before the Emperor!" Shouted one of the soldiers as he drew out a crossbow and trained it on my head. Motionless, I waited for a chance to strike, but the more I hesitated, the less likely I would stand a chance at surviving this battle.

Knowing that it would be no or never, I charged at the soldier carrying the crossbow, catching him off guard. My sword plunged deep into his chest, blood staining the ground. The other soldiers closed in on me, drawing their weapons and charging steadfast at me. Spinning around, I caught one behind me, and then two more from the side. With my position located, more soldiers were quickly approaching, led by at least 10 heavy cavalry units. This battle seemed more hopeless by the minute, but I would refuse to surrender to those Highland dogs!

Wasting no time, I quickly evaded the attacking party and attempted my escape. The sun was now peaking over the horizon, and it seemed that eluding the guards would be impossible. The dragoons quickly caught up with me and attempted to strike. I barely managed to shield their blows, without harm. Seeing an opening in their formation, I broke free again, naturally, they followed suit and were quickly behind me. I ran as fast as I could, my heart beating out of my chest. One of the dragoons got close enough and drove his pike into my arm. In agony, I fell to the ground. Quickly, I got to my feet and prepared to defend myself. The pain from my wound seemed to fuel my hatred for the Highland and it's countrymen.

"Die!!!" I screamed as I swung my sword, knocking the dragoon off his mount. He attempted to recover, but my sword quickly met with his throat. Still in pain, and nearing exhaustion, I continued my escape, but was again met with resistance. A handful of swordsmen, and 3 dragoons approaching from behind, all advancing upon me. Suddenly, I lost the ability to maintain my stamina, and my escape was brought to an uneventful close. All I could do now was fight to keep myself alive, and I would do just that for as long as I possibly could.

The Highland military was quick to surround me, and eliminate any possible chances for escape. It seemed as though this would be my final battle. Those words that haunted my existance seemed to echo back to me louder and louder as each second passed. "Could it finally be happening? Would I finally be witness to my own demise?" I thought franticly. I quickly drew out my sword and attempted to fight my way out, but I was bitterly outnumbered.

I managed to take out several of the infantrymen, but I was bombarded with arrows and stones. Barely having enough energy left to stand. I attempted a final attack, summoning the last bit of power I was given by Lady Windy. I brought forth a small dragon from the abyss, which was able to destroy a few more of the troops before being eliminated. Exhausted, and mortally injured, I collapsed to the ground, holding my chest in agony. Everything seemed to slowly fade away from my sight. Faintly, I could hear the soldiers cheer, as my life essence faded away into the wind.

It seemed like an eternity before I was conscious again. I could hear the sounds of departed souls whispering and murmuring all around me, as I stood in darkness. I tried to move, but was unable, like my body wasn't really there. Shortly, I began to be pulled by some ethereal force forward, going deeper into the shadows. I attempted to scream for help, but my voice was abrosbed into the blackness, I was helpless...

"Yuber... Yuber... Thy time hath come to serve me..." A low, resounding voice echoed from deep within the shadows. "Who? Nay... What are you? Why should I choose to serve you?" I replied, as a feeling of unsteadiness crept over me. "Such is not for thee to know, Yuber... Thou needeth only serve me without question..." The entity beckoned.

I felt my body being pulled towards the epicenter of the abyss. It felt as if I would be torn apart, yet I was in stagnation for aeons. I screamed in terror as visions of nightmarish figures and apparitions flooded my head. A sharp pain struck me in my heart, as if something were trying to pry it out, or perhaps, remove it from me.

"Hath courage, my servant... You needeth only endure this torture once. Soon thou shalt arrive in my domain." The entity echoed. "Why are you doing this to me?!" I screamed in agony as the pain I was suffering seemed to amplifying. "To ensure thy loayalty to me, servant..." The voice replied. As my suffering grew to an almost unbearable state, I attempted to draw my sword. "What dost thou hope to accomplish with that mortal's weapon, servant?" The voice laughed. "You shall not have my unquestioned loyalty this day, demon! Nor shall you ever have it!" I shouted, valiantly attempting to stand my ground, as futile as it may be.

I felt a deep rumbling from withing the spiralling mass of shadows. A swarm of the deceased had emerged and were flying directly at me. Feeling the pain inside me, I felt as if I were almost powerless. Still, I would not be subdued by this, or any creature. The spirits surrounded me and began their assault, as I attempted to take a defensive stance. They seemed to draw in the dark energies of the void and utilize it to their advantage. They fired a volley of beams of energy at me, I tried to avoid them, but the abyss seemed to hold me in place, not allowing me to stand my ground. The energy coursed through my body, intensifying the pain I was already feeling. I began to feel weak, as if this energy were sapping my vitality, yet for some unexplainable reason, I would not yield. Through sheer determination, I broke the bind that the abyss held over me, took up my sword once again, and prepared myself for what seemed to be another hopeless battle.

Fighting in this abyss proved to be difficult, as there was no stable ground to stand on. I had to either swim, or use my own momentum as a means of evasive mobility. One of the spirits swumg at me with it's etheral, ghost- like claws, quickly, I caught it with my sword. I quickly retaliated with a well-placed slash which cleaved the spirit in half. The others behind me attacked, thinking I was unaware of them doing such. They attempted to use the same energy beams as before, I managed to dodge them this time by forcing myself upwards. In haste, I overlooked one of the spirits to my right, which flanked me, driving it's claws into my side. I swung my sword sharply in a circular form, catching the spirit's head. As the battle carried on, seconds seemed like hours as the pain in my head felt as if it would tear me apart from the inside out. Eventually, I was able to eliminate all of the spirits. But, this battle was not without consequence... The energy which the spirits had embued me with had managed to absorb nearly all of my strength. I loosed the grip on my sword, watching as it slowly drifted into the shadows. Before I fell unconscious again, I could hear the entity laughing at me, along with the other deceased souls trapped in the abyss. The sound was like a mad chorus of laughter, echoing so loud, it felt as if my ears would burst. I finally relented, giving up hope of ever escaping what fate had in store for me. I closed my eyes and drifted off into the darkness... For the first time in my life, I actually felt what it was like to feel hopelessness.

I dreamt I was that youthful, spirited young man I was so very long ago, proudly serving my homeland and it's monarchy. I watched as I relived the points in my life where my own selfish desires for power brought pain, and death to everyone and everything I held dear. I looked into my eyes, the eyes I used to have. I saw a distant flame, burning very brightly. The flame of desire I used to have, which fueled my thirst for eternal strength. I almost wished I could see what was reflected in my eyes now. Perhaps that flame has been drowned in a sea of blood, the blood of my victims.

Before I awoke, I again remembered the words of a dead king, ruling a long-forgotten land, buried under a sea of wasted lives and shattered hopes. "In this life, only two things are certain. Birth, and death. The trouble is that it's impossible to determine when exactly these two events will happen to us all..." Those words seemed to be all that's left of a life that I ceased to live 3 centuries ago. Now, even they, the words that I had tried to hold on to, seemed to lose their meaning... I was left with nothing. I had given it all up, searching for something that I thought would make me happy. In the end, my own desire for power seemed to be my downfall. As my visions of the past slowly faded away, I wondered how much further I would drift from that person I used to be...

"Yuber... Awaken my loayal servant..." The voice called. I slowly opened my eyes and sat up. It felt as if I had been resting for ages, I looked at my armor which was covered with dust and spiderwebs. I slowly stood up and dusted myself off. Looking around, it seemed as if I was in some sort of crypt. Large, stone boxes and the smell of decay covered the room. In the center, a circle of candles was arranged, in the center of it sat a large throne, a large shadow sat, motionless there, watching me with it's glowing eyes. I looked down to see that I, myself had emerged from one of the coffins, I was intruiged to know who else slept here. Slowly, I emerged from my coffin. Approaching the large figure with caution, I stopped just outside the circle of candles. The shadow finally moved, arching itself downward as if to get a better look at me. As it slowly moved, faint tremmors shot through the large chamber, dropping bits of debris from the celing.

"So, you are the one who brought me here, yes?" I asked the shadow. "That, I hath done, servant... But I hath awakened thee for a purpose... Wilst thou meet my demands?" The shadow replied. "Yes, master." I answered, almost instincively. "...Good... Then I entrust thee with these, the armorments of the Profound Shadow." The shadow boomed, it's voice itself causing a small tremmor.

I was enveloped in a soft light, feeling a negative energy empowering me. My decayed armor was replaced with a new suit of black, gemlike armor, covered with an ornate pattern of gold. I was also given a new sword and shield, both of which coursed with the power of the void throughout. These armorments seemed to heighten my own energy, perhaps allowing me to endure a much longer battle.

"Thank you, master. I shall do my best to serve you." I humbly answered, bowing before the shadow. "Listen well, my servant... I hath an important task for thee..." The shadow spoke, slowly sitting back up, still staring down at me with it's menacing eyes. "Dost thou remember how thou were brought into this dimension?" The shadow inquired. "Yes, I do. I died in battle, and my spirit was brought here by you." I answered. "That is right, servant... I hath brought thee here to serve my cause... But, alas... Thou art my strongest disciple..." The shadow slowly stood up, revealing that it was far larger than I had anticipated. I slowly backed up, feeling intimidated as it looked down at me. "I doth require many disciples to allow me to become more powerful... The more disciples I hath here, the more dominion over the mortal world I doth possesses." The shadow continued. "And as such, I require thee to bring me those disciples, servant... Use thy sword to sway their minds... Cleave their hearts away, purify their souls with thy blade... Such is how to bring them to me, servant... Such is thy mission..." The shadow concluded.

Once again I'm an assassin, a hunter of souls. But this time, I'm not killing the enemies of a vindictive ruler, or hunting bounty. Nay, now I've been entrusted to recruit souls... I wondered for what purpose could this demon require so many souls. I almost didn't want to know, as this "mission" would no doubt shed what little traces of my past life away.