Chapter 13 - Chapter 12 Denied Righteousness

We had already set course for the next location we had to go, Zach and Dr. Levine had already strapped me to the examination table running tests on the artifact, my body, and my armor with intense focus as i dove in and out of consciousness, the inside of my head felt like it had melted into soup and my hearing faint, they flashed their lights in my eyes, ran scans, everything they could possibly do to see what was going on in my body, for three days they did this while we made our course, leaving me in statis in between examinations, when in Stasis they would monitor everything, if my body made an unpredictable movement they would see it and document it, they would run tests to see what kind of systems could secure and contain me, i watched everything in stasis as time went by, days turned to weeks, weeks turned to a month until one night we crashed into something with what sounded like a hard impact, alarms started blaring throughout the Warband as people began getting up and grabbing their gear, they woke up Corvine but they didnt wake me from Stasis, i could hear gunfire and Corvines cannons but everything sounded like an echo like i was far away from what was happening, the door opened and i could see Jackal firing his rifle into a direction as the other was covered by Corvine, Jackal moved back into the doorway before being shot in the left shoulder, Corvine pushed him back through the door and it automatically shut behind Jackal. The power went out so my Statis was deactivated, i fell down to the floor and jackal helped me up saying "we need to get out of here Hyde" i looked up at him "no shit? I thought we were just receiving presents" i joked as i grabbed my rifle, handgun and Phakizaki hilt, i put the hilt on my belt, my handgun in its holster and pulled the charging handle on my rifle chambering a round as i took point at the door grabbing my Phakizaki in my off hand and turning it on, the blade glowed a dark purple as it emittedand we hear and see bullets being fired and flying all around the room in different directions, to our immediate left Corvine was firing while using himself as cover for Rosemary and Gerald who were also firing their Sub Machine Guns, we advance towards them behind Corvine and assist in the effort "Corvine my ancient friend! Its good to see you still in one piece" i said as i patted on his back before shooting at an enemy with my rifle and he bellowed out a metallic laugh before yelling "battern and beaten but not dead!" As he kept firing into the hostile forces he saw a figure cloaked in a red scaled leather that dragged on the ground a foot behind him, his armor resembled a high tech diving suit with Sode shoulder armore on, Kusazuri, Suneate, Hiza Yoroi, and Waraji all on him as well and a hilt dangling from his belt, a hilt which resembled one of a katana. Our gazes met as the shooting began to fade on both sides into a complete cease fire, i walk in front of Corvine into the front the unknown hooded warrior doing the same on his side, as he did his visor became transparent revealing a grizzled Japanese man no older than fourty with his left eye covered by ragged black cloth. I remove my helmet and he lets out a low growl pacing back and forth slowly, gazing into my face as he paced before shouting "you are a demon tainted by the dark gods!" I stood in silence listening to the man who continued to monologue, "your soul is tainted! Violated by their magics and their insanity" the man walked towards me until he was a couple feet away from me looking into my eyes with raw fury and rage continuing "have you no honor? No shame? No remorse?! You continue on this mindless crusade and for what? What drives you demon?" I stood in silence for a few minutes before answering "because your not the only thing this armor is destroying" the forces who were just our enemy stood in silence, witnessing the grief on my face as they saw jagged, glowing, and pulsating marks coming up around my neck under my collar as i lowered my cloaks hood "whats hilarious is it wasnt even meant for me" i went on. The look on his face felt like a mix between disgust and confliction, as if he felt sorry for me for what demon i had become. He grabbed his Phakizaki Hilt and ignited it with a quiet hiss into an elegant blue Tachi Katana blade saying "put back on your helmet demon and may the most honorable warrior live to see tomorrow" i grab my hilt igniting the original parts igniter and watching the long dark red spike of a blade shoot up with a whoosh, i got into stance and he didnt hesistate to go in for the first strike, i blocked his strike with my blade igniting the other and twirling the Phakizaki into proper position before blocking each attack he sent at me with thunderous clashes as i twirl my Phakizaki like a staff and do a horizontal slash at his left leg. The man jumped into the air, did a front flip towards my back side and slices my left leg clean off before swinging his blade into mine causing me to drop my Phakizaki which deactivated as it hit the ground "foolish demon!" He taunted as he raised himself from a crouched position to a standing position behind me as the life support system of my armor was screaming in my ears as my vision became blurry with shock and agony from my now missing leg, he then as i tried to raise my upper body with my arms proceed to slice my right arm off at the halfway mark of my upper arm causing me to collapse onto the floor in a pool of my own blood as he and his forces walked away out of the holes in the walls they breached from and onto their ships with the hooded man yelling "if we ever see you in these waters again! We wont be as merciful to you demon of the Dark Gods!" I began to close my eyes and faint as the others rushed to me their voices echoing in my ears as my eyes closed and when i felt i was about to truly die my soul was pulled back to the Assassin's, the ancient giants that have been training me still hard at work, i fell over onto the field at my feet and i close my eyes with a deep sigh realizing my curse.