The Specter
by Gallar

PROLOG

"There it is," Janda whispered to his mysterious companion as he peered
around the corner of the stone structure. "If we ambush it now we will
have our chance! Surely you cannot pass up this opportunity." As Janda
said this he never once looked to this mystifying man, he just kept his
keen gaze on the metallic-skinned gon`re as the seven-foot brute kept
the look out for an easy kill.

The man shook his head and replied, "You underestimate the instincts of
one as powerful as a gon`re. Don't be foolish enough to think we can
attack it now; our position will be ruined. Now stay still and shut your
mouth."

Janda had always been surprised at the man's constant cool demeanor.
Even when Janda first met this mystery the man always stayed calm,
despite their vicious first fight. How difficult this one was! He had so
much power, yet so much grace in his movements, so unlike any soul in
the treacherous Domain. Janda's partner must have been pulsing with
Enargio, he concluded.

But this nonchalant attitude still could do nothing to temper Janda's
budding fury. Nobody told Janda to be silent, not this man, not anybody!

With breakneck speed, Janda turned around to face his insolent
companion. "You can't speak to me that way! I am a third-rank in my
domicile! I have the Domineer by my side!" he yelled.

His partner casually turned his gaze to the pacing gon`re. "A domicile
in its final clutches. You know that Leassa will soon fall, you know
that other factions are conspiring to bring down your annoying little
house, that is why you came to me," the man replied matter-of-factly as
he put a slender finger to his small lips.

Any mention of the inevitable demise of his domicile brought forth more
anger than ever in the proud Janda. The young warrior curled his lips in
frustration. "Are you saying that-?"

In the blink of an eye, the man snapped a petrifying gaze at the great
Janda. This stare alone was punishment enough for any soul in the
Domain. Janda almost tumbled backwards as his partner's gaze fell on
him.

In that moment, Janda irrationally thought that his life was over, but
when his companion turned his head to face the fiend again, Janda felt
relieved, as if his life had been spared.

Janda looked to the pinkish-grey sky and looked back down to his
companion. He took his still-shaking finger and wiped the sweat from his
brow and crouched low. He hoped for his life that his partner would not
notice the new stain in his breeches.

"Anyway," Janda began again, this time with renewed caution, "the
monster possesses a wealth of Enargio. My mistress will definitely
appoint me second rank in Leassa if I obtain this power. And you know
very well that the Domineer loves magnificent brawls. If the Presiding
One is entertained by this fight, then I might well be charged with
extra Enargio; with this power I could bring the Leassa domicile out of
its pit of regression."

"Just wait." The man replied sternly. He pulled his thick mane of black
hair back and tied it into a knotted bun and reached into a small pocket
hidden in the thigh of his black unjahide, a slightly tight fitting
outfit made out of the leathery skin of the creature, the unja. He then
produced a small bottle containing a dark lavender liquid, poured some
of the fluid onto his palm, and smeared it under his eyes, eyelids, high
cheekbones, and over his small lips. The mystery held out the bottle as
if in an offering. "Take it." He said as he laid back against the
nearest building's wall, taking in a huge breath, "the time is near."

The huge gon`re paced about, scanning the various stone structures for
prey. The monster had felt a tingling sensation this entire night, as if
tonight it would reach the pinnacle of its power. This thought bothered
the gon`re as well as intrigued it, for it didn't know what to expect in
the vile Domain; didn't know what to expect from the vile Domineer.

It shook these thoughts away immediately for it knew the price of
disloyalty to the Presiding One. The gon`re knew anyway that its powers
came from the Domineer, from the precious Enargio that was graciously
provided to the creatures of the Domain, the greatest gift of all. The
fiend laughed at its half-witted thoughts and once again felt like a
feared soul in the domain.

Then its face was smashed head-on into the building's wall.
Janda had never seen such speed and quickness in his life as his
colleague practically flew into the wall with the gon`re's head leading
the way. Before the fiend even fell to the hard ground the man was upon
the gigantic gon`re, fists and feet wailing away in rapid and almost
blinding succession.

Janda, eager to join the fight, threw himself at the unfortunate
monstrosity. The man then nodded to Janda as they each hooked the
creature's arms over their heads, preparing to slam the brute to the
ground below.

And then the silver fists lurched out on both sides, fracturing Janda's
precious jawbone and bruising his companion's temple.

Janda, vision blurred, stared in amazement as this man of mystery fended
off, no, kept at bay the vicious gon`re. The man was executing several
lighting-fast moves, elbowing the brute in its muscled stomach, driving
his knee into its silver nose, kicking away at the vulnerable knee and
leg joints. But the man never once laughed, never once savored his edge
in the battle, always keeping a determined locking gaze on his victim as
he drove a sharp elbow into the back of the gon`re's neck, felling the
beast. Janda then saw his chance as his trusted companion wrapped his
lithe yet strong legs about the fiend's neck, slowly and painfully
squeezing the life out of this ugly soul. But the man's head was kicked
back by a boot to the face as he looked up and faced Janda.

No one ever insulted a third-ranked commander.

Janda, with more anger and frustration than ever, drove his hard boot
into the vulnerable face of this insolent fool. Janda had endured many
horrid years in the wilds of the Domain. His feet struck repeatedly,
doom-doom-doom. He had fought countless battles, defeated some of the
most vicious souls in all of this chaotic realm. He had struggled long
and hard to find a place for himself in the domicile Leassa, even harder
to reach the rank of third commander. Doom-doom-doom. Janda would not
let an insult to his house or his ever-important rank slip by. Damn this
man's grace and ferocity, his unique battle prowess! Doom-doom-doom. He
expected to hear a satisfying crunch from under his foot but instead saw
his victim's dark eyes stabbing a piercing gaze into his face and
suddenly Janda felt as if the world flashed with light, the particles in
the air had shifted, and that the Domain was not in its normal state.

Rethjul the Specter was angry.

Janda stumbled back and shrugged his confusion off of him. But this
delay gave Rethjul some precious time as he promptly shoved his fist
into his treasonous companion's abdomen, pushing the air from his lungs.
But Janda avoided the man's next swing and threw his forehead at
Rethjul's nose. This time the bone crunched flat and the nose began to
bleed profusely. Janda laughed aloud in triumph and pulled his foot
back, ready to strike. He was then violently turned about and stood
facing the monstrous gon`re. The fiend punched him in the face, hurtling
Janda against the wall.

How could he have been so brainless? No soul ever forgot the ways of the
Domain. The Domineer had blessed the gon`re with a rapid ability to heal
wounds. He knew that, he had always known that! If anyone wished to
survive in the Presiding One's dark world, they had to know the rules
and play by them. Janda had made a fatal mistake.

The gon`re cried in glee as advanced toward Janda, eager for this
being's Enargio. The monstrosity raised his pinky and middle finger to
the dim sky above, a prayer to the almighty Domineer. The Presiding One
had blessed it! It looked back once again to its victim but instead saw
the ground rushing towards him and its face splattered across the cold
ground.

Rethjul's face was beet-red with fury as he spun away from the beast and
began to ruthlessly manhandle the foolish commander. Janda's face was
meeting the wall, his gut receiving the vicious boot, his legs taking
incredibly powerful punches and sweeping him out from under his feet.
The back of his head hit the wall hard and Janda began to fall, the wall
peeling the skin off his head.

Rethjul grumbled in grim satisfaction as he saw the crimson spot on the
wall. He then heard the gon`re stir behind him. Rethjul quickly locked
his tough arms under the fool's arms and around his head. The mysterious
man could hear the colossal gon`re rising up from its dazed position.
Janda had a strong and well built neck, however, and it was hard for
Rethjul to maneuver it in his desired direction, but he had to work
quickly! The fiend's feet could be heard thumping towards him. Janda
tried to throw his imprisoned arms at his captor in protest, but got
both shoulder joints snapped for his efforts. The gargantuan soul was
slowly but surely stumbling its injured self toward Rethjul. The Specter
smiled when he heard the commander's neck crack under his grasp. He then
felt his muscles tighten up, his eyes roll back in pure pleasure, and
accepted the warmth shooting straight up his body.

Rethjul had received Janda of Leassa's Enargio, and with this new power
he turned to face the charging gon're.

Rethjul slammed straight into the monster and threw it to the ground. He
then got a view at its torn and splattered face, the finely toned
metallic face had been ripped open and was gushing with fresh blood. The
gon`re then scrunched its face in pain and hurled Rethjul off of its
torn body. But the Specter was on his feet.

The brute saw its opportunity as it charged once again at the devious
man, keeping its mind on how it would smash Rethjul between itself and
the wall. Rethjul suddenly turned around as the brute was upon it.

He impossibly ran up the wall and suddenly appeared behind the
gargantuan gon're. Rethjul closed his arms around the fiend's waist and,
with inhuman strength, hoisted the fiend over his head to the ground
below. He heard the satisfying crack once again and felt the life force
being spoon-fed to his soul.

Rethjul the Specter ran off into the dark Domain.

To Be Continued