"BLAAAYYMOOORE!!!" Zade screamed as she marched down the street. The buxom mercenary was dressed in her characteristic black leather, but this particular suit of armor was much more functional than her usual garb. She was covered almost completely in the rugged battle gear, leaving hardly any flesh exposed save for the tear-drop shaped opening that exposed a large portion of her bosom. Her forearms from wrist to elbow were sheathed in steel bracers. Her belt carried her whip, along with an assortment of throwing knives.

"BLAYMORE!!!" she repeated. Her voice had deepened into a near-growl. The moon, which was just a fraction away from being full, beamed down on her and reflected off of her armor and the smooth brown skin of her face. The face was contorted into a particularly nasty sneer.

"BLAYMORE!!"

There was no response. The enigmatic assassin had failed to show himself. Zade had been attempting to reach him for the past hour, and all she succeeded in doing was attracting the attention of a local gang of ruffians. Needless to say, they wouldn't be bothering anyone again for quite a few nights. If ever.

"BLAYMORE I'M GOING AFTER HIM!!! YOU CAN'T STOP ME!!!"

Still no answer.

"Dammit!" Zade swore to herself. "Never around when I need to gloat. Bastard."

Zade altered course and made her way to the other side of town, where her quarry probably slept peacefully in his expensive, over-stuffed bed.

"I'm going to get him," she mumbled, still hoping to attract Blaymore's attention. "I know you're here and you're NOT going to stop me! How do you like THAT!"

Zade paused.

"I said YOU CAN'T STOP ME!!!"

Silence was her only response. Zade continued walking.

"...tell ME what I can and can't do... I'll show him..."

Soon she found herself on a deserted street framed by over-sized houses and well-maintained street-lamps. December's house was easy to find. Not only was it one of the largest dwellings on the block, but the entire two-story building seemed to radiate a sense of quiet menace and foreboding that the other homes lacked.

Zade walked right up to the front door and stopped. All of the lights were out, which meant that December was either not at home or was asleep. Zade wondered what type of security he had in place. She reached out to touch the thick wooden door, intending to gauge the number of kicks that would reduce it to splinters, but her hand stopped short just a fraction of and inch away from the surface. Something felt wrong.

Zade sniffed... and then sniffed again. She had no idea what she expected to smell, but something in the back of her mind told her to take another route.

"Uh-huh." she nodded and smiled to herself. "Front door is definitely out."

Zade backed down the steps and stood just off of the street. She looked up. There was one large window facing her on the top floor, as well as numerous stone decorations... gargoyles she assumed... on the roof above.

"Roof decorations... bad idea."

She unfurled her whip.

*CRACK*

The leather whip was wrapped around one of the stone outcroppings. She yanked a few times and the whip held fast. Moving quickly, Zade scrambled up the whip, and twisted her left arm around the leather strap to secure herself. She grasped the edge of the window and pulled. It slid open effortlessly. She shifted her weight and swung inside. Her feet thumped on the thick carpet.

It was cold and dark.

Very cold. And very dark.

Zade blinked a few times to let her eyes grow accustomed to the lack of light. Surprisingly, it only took a second before her surroundings became clear. She wasted no time freeing her whip, and then looked around. She found that she was standing in a long hallway with five doors, three on her left side and two on the right.

December's bedroom would be large. One of the rooms on the right. Zade sprinted to the first door and paused for a second. She sniffed, again not knowing what she was trying to smell. Then she dashed to the second and drew one of her throwing knives. Zade stepped back and kicked the door in with one mighty blow.

"SURPRISE!!!!" she shouted as she stepped inside. Her arm was in motion even before she saw the target. A shape... a man... standing by the bed, near a table with an oil lamp. Zade altered her throw at the last instant and sent the deadly missile hurtling toward December's throat. There was no way he could dodge it.

The second the dagger left her hand, Zade saw something move in the shadows to her left. Something incredibly fast...

Blaymore? she thought. Then she saw the impossible.

Some... creature... launched itself out of the darkness and across the room. It shot through the air like a giant hawk, and snatched her dagger out of mid-air. The thing then slammed into the opposite wall... and stuck there, hanging by its long, black claws. Her useless dagger dropped from its hand and fell to the floor.

"What. The. HELL!!!" Zade recognized the creature as the one that she had seen earlier during the day. This wasn't good...

The thing was in motion again. Zade saw the long, boney limbs flex... and then gasped as it was leapt off of the wall straight for her. She ducked too late.

J'Hasp slammed into her and knocked her back out into the hallway. Zade hit the ground on her back and she felt the creature's long claws rake across her armor. The mercenary tried to throw the beast, but she choked as her air supply was cut off. The thing had wrapped its prehensile tail around her throat and had begun to squeeze.

Zade reciprocated by wrapping her hands around the squirming creature's neck. She felt the bones yield and give, like a young, green tree-limb, but J'Hasp showed no signs of weakening, or even noticing her tactic. Zade suddenly twisted and rolled over onto her stomach, intending to crush the thing between her body and the floor As she moved, J'Hasp leapt away. Zade stood and looked around... left, right, behind, the creature was nowhere to be found. Drawing another knife, Zade stepped once again into the bedroom.

Unfortunately, Zade had not looked above her.

J'hasp dropped from the ceiling and landed just behind her. She felt the thing's long claws rip through her expensive leather armor as if it were paper. They raked across the bare flesh of her back, yet surprisingly they did not draw blood. Zade felt the freezing cold air of the hallway stinging her skin. Before she could turn to face the creature, something wrapped itself around Zade's legs. She was shoved forcefully from behind while her legs were yanked out from under her.

Zade's chin hit the floor... the world exploded into a shower of white sparks. Without waiting for her vision to clear, Zade rolled over and made a wild slice with her dagger. She heard a squeal and a hiss, and her legs were suddenly free. She could hardly see, but she knew she had hit something. Zade scrambled to her feet and was immediately knocked backwards as something slammed into her. She shook her head, and her vision cleared just in time to see J'Hasp flying towards her once more... claws extended towards her throat. The creature had a thin cut across it's pale chest.

"Gotcha!!" hissed Zade. She leapt into a flying spin-kick that caught J'Hasp on the shoulder and sent him crashing into the wall. Her second throwing-knife was in the air as soon as her feet touched the floor. She ran after the knife... a spit second after J'Hasp had knocked the missile out of the air, Zade smacked into him and pinned him to the wall. She threw her metal arm-bracer as across his neck and tried to hold the beast still with her other hand. The thing squirmed in her grasp like a bag of large snakes.

J'Hasp immediately responded by bringing his feet up and sinking his claws into the hard leather armor across Zade's midsection. There was a ripping sound, and Zade felt the deadly talons strike flesh. At the same time, her air supply was suddenly cut off as J'Hasp's tail formed a noose around her neck and drew tight with. Choking, Zade stepped back and fumbled for another dagger. She drew one from her belt, but before she could slice the appendage away, both it and the creature it belonged to disappeared. Knife in hand, Zade spun from side to side, this time making certain to look up as well. The creature was here somewhere... she could smell it.

She peered into the dark corners...

Nothing.

"Guess it's just you and me," she said to December between gasps of breath. The huge man stood in the same spot he had occupied when Zade first entered the freezing cold bedroom. He had his arms folded across his chest as he watched.

"I do not think so." replied December. "The warm-up is over. Now the contest begins..."

Expecting him to make a move, Zade drew back... and her dagger was snatched painfully from her grasp.

J'Hasp tossed the blade away, and it joined the others on the bedroom floor. He struck at Zade's face with a rain of deadly slashing attacks. Zade brought her arms up just in time to block... she saw sparks fly from her metal bracers several times.

Zade did a few quick backflips to put some distance between them, then drew her whip. J'Hasp and Zade faced each other at a distance. December stood off to the side, still watching. Zade smiled, glanced at December, and then back at J'Hasp.

There was a whoosh of air as Zade sent the bladed tip of the whip hurtling towards December!

The crimelord never moved, but J'Hasp shot through the intervening space and landed just beyond his master. A short length of leather dropped from his claws, and two more sections of the whip flopped to the floor. Black claws clicked tauntingly.

"DAMN!!" shouted Zade. "That was my favorite whip!"

J'Hasp leapt.

Zade threw herself to the floor and rolled a few feet away while J'Hasp passed harmlessly through the place where she had just stood. She came up, knife in hand... and yet another blade was smacked out of her grasp. Zade twisted away and J'Hasp's claws made another set of stripes down her exposed back. This time they drew blood.

Zade continued around and extended her leg, bringing her heel into J'Hasp's midsection. The creature huffed as the air was forced from its lungs. Then it ran it's claws down the entire length of Zade's leg, ripping both leather and skin.

Zade struck out with her bracer-covered forearm and knocked J'hasp back several feet. The creature leapt again. Zade reached out and grabbed the edge of a nearby table. With strength that surprised even her, she lifted the heavy wood furnishing and swung it, knocking J'Hasp out of the air like a giant insect. The impact was solid and hard.

The creature hit the ground and rolled over near the wall. It was up immediately, with no signs of being hurt.

"What are you MADE of???"

J'Hasp took a step forward and was rewarded with a table to the face. And then a boot. And then a fist.

Zade snarled as she launched into a series of attacks that would have reduced normal flesh to bloody pulp. J'Hasp, however, weathered the onslaught without even bothering to block most of the attacks. His malleable flesh and flexible bones suffered little damage despite Zade's enraged strength.

When J'Hasp grew tired of the beating, he turned onto his back and planted his feet in the center of Zade's chest. Powerful leg muscles flexed, and Zade was thrown up and back.

So powerful was the thrust that Zade collided with the *ceiling* before dropping onto the floor near the bed like a leather-clad stone. Her chest felt like she had been kicked by a wild horse. No... *several* wild horses. Ribs were severely bruised, if not broken. Her head throbbed, along with almost every other part of her body.

Zade groaned, and caught sight of something under the bed. A metal bar that was part of the support frame. It was barely visible in the darkness; Zade had no idea how she could have even seen it. Zade reached into the shadows, grasped the bar, and pulled. Wood splintered and the bar loosened. Zade smiled.

She felt a sharp pain in her feet. J'Hasp had sunk his claws into the flesh around her ankles, and was yanking her away from the bed. Zade tightened her grip and let the creature's unnatural strength free her next weapon for her.

As soon as the bar was free, Zade swung it. Surprised, J'Hasp could do nothing to avoid the blow. He was hit in the side and thrown a few feet, but he quickly stood, ready to strike back...

Zade was on her bleeding feet in an instant. As soon as the thing reared it's ugly head, she swung with all her might. J'Hasp tried to jump to safety, but was too slow... The metal bar caught J'hasp square across the shoulders with enough force to shatter a stone block.

As the thing was thrown into the wall, Zade heard the wood crack. The creature made a mewling sound, but it did not go down. J'Hasp staggered around like a drunkard, and paused in front of the window, trying to clear its furry, scaly head.

Zade snatched up the discarded table and held it in front of her like a shield as she rushed forward. She plowed into the dazed creature without slowing down. She came to a sudden, bone-jarring halt as the table impacted the wall. Glass burst out onto the street as J'Hasp was forced through the window.

Growling, Zade turned to December.

"Guess who lost," spat Zade.

"I see you have not yet learned the dangers of jumping to conclusions."

"huh?"

A scratching sound... sharp claws on hard wood. The sound was *outside*... traveling up the wall towards the bedroom window...

The table, which was still blocking the broken window, flew backwards as if it had been kicked by a giant. It was thrown clear across the room and crashed into the opposite wall with such force that both it and the wall suffered severe damage on impact. The table cracked and fell to the floor in several pieces.


J'Hasp pulled himself into the room and perched on the very edge of the window. He glared at Zade, showing a mouth full of long fangs. His claws clicked as he fixed Zade in his sight.

Zade stared in astonishment. She had felt for sure that the thing was either dead or unconscious on the street below. Now, here it was... seemingly in perfect health.

She scanned the edges of her vision for the metal pole that she had used to lay the creature low before. She saw it on the floor, just a few feet away...

"Well," she taunted, "Come on, then-"

J'Hasp needed no invitation. He covered the space between the window and Zade an instant. Zade had already leapt to the floor. She rolled, gabbing the metal bar as she passed it, and then came up in a perfect fighting stance. She swung, without even bothering to look... she knew the creature would be there...

It wasn't.

J'Hasp had hit the floor and, instead leaping after Zade, shot straight up to the ceiling. He dropped onto Zade from *above*

Zade was in sudden darkness as the creature wrapped it's flexible body around her head and shoulders. A storm of claws ripped at her armor, shredding everything above her waist.

She grabbed the creature and yanked, trying to dislodge it. J'Hasp would not move. He encircled her chest with his tail and squeezed, forcing the air out of her lungs.

Zade couldn't breath.

She had no idea which part of the creature's anatomy was covering her face, but whatever it was, Zade opened her mouth and bit down on it as hard as she could.

There was a high-pitched squeal, and the thing loosened its grip slightly. It was enough. Zade pulled the creature away from her and threw it towards the wall. It landed neatly, sinking its claws into the wood. Then it immediately leapt back at Zade.

Zade swung the pole once more, not realizing her mistake until too late. The creature was not coming directly for her... it came in low and off to her right. The pole traveled harmlessly through the empty air, but as the thing passed, it wrapped it's tail around her forearm. The appendage grew taunt, and J'Hasp sprung back towards her. Claws sank into the flesh of her opposite shoulder, and before she knew it, Zade found her arm twisted behind her back in a most painful position. The thing could easily break her arm if it wanted to, as well as flay every inch of flesh off of her back with its talons. The metal pole fell to the ground, and Zade began to squirm, trying to break the creature's hold.

With her free hand, Zade retrieved one of her throwing daggers and lobbed it towards December. It was a clumsy throw, but it had sufficient force to kill, and December was quite a large target. No sooner than the dagger left her hand, the creature was gone. Off to save its master.

Zade bolted for the window, intending to leap to safety. She was only on the second floor... injuries should be minor, especially compared with what she would be getting if she stayed.

She took four steps.

Zade was yanked backwards by her belt. Suddenly, she was airborne, and then she crashed painfully into the wall. Everything went numb for a second, and then the sensation, mostly pain, quickly rushed back into her body.

She was dazed. The room was spinning.

Zade was in the air again as the creature picked her up and threw her.

This time, Zade careened into December's decorative bed, which quickly collapsed The metal pole she had removed obviously contributed greatly to the bed's strength.

Zade sat up in the bet, and was quickly knocked back as something extremely hard struck her across her exposed chest.

It was the metal bar, this time wielded by J'Hasp.

The bar smacked her so hard that she flew head-over-heels and landed on the floor on the other side of the ruined bed. She struggled to her feet, more from reflexes than any conscious motivation. She staggered backwards and bumped into the wall.

Zade shook her head until her senses calmed down and the room stopped spinning. Then the attack came.

She felt a fury of claws ripping through what remained of her leather armor. She blocked her face and neck as best she could, and even tried to strike back occasionally. But the thing was too fast and too strong. It plowed through her blocks as if they were nothing; its claws coming away with a scrap of her clothing and a few drops of her blood. Zade hit the floor and covered her head...

Everything went quiet.

J'hasp stood directly in front of her. He picked up metal bar from where he had dropped it earlier.

"...no..." said Zade.

J'Hasp held the bar his clawed hands, and then twisted it back on itself. The creature curled the hard steel weapon into a 'U', and then tossed it away. Then it just stood there, watching Zade.

"Oh....great...." sighed Zade. She stood in a slow, non-threatening motion. She took stock of her situation: Her opponent was some supernatural creature that was probably unkillable as far as she knew... her frayed armor hung off of her in small strips, leaving almost every inch of her skin exposed... Her injuries...

"Wait a minute..." she said. She looked down at her body. She was severely bruised and bleeding in several places, but so far she had sustained nothing even remotely life-threatening. This... from a creature that could bend steel in its bare hands.

"You- you were holding back ,weren't you?"

J'Hasp's thin lips widened into a smile.

"Indeed..." December's voice boomed from the far corner of the room. "If I had wanted you dead, you would never have entered this bedroom alive."

"What?"

"I left the front door unlocked for you. There was no need to break in through the window. Although, considering the amount of damage you caused in here..." December swept his arms around the room. The entire place and almost every stick of furniture in it was destroyed.

"You knew I was coming?" said Zade. She caught her breath and examined herself once more. Her first assessment was correct... she would live, but was in no condition to fight. "This was a trap."

"Not a trap. A test. You are a most remarkable woman. I wanted to see just *how* remarkable."

"So what comes next?" Zade eyed J'Hasp, who was still standing just a few feet in front of her. Obviously she was not going to be allowed to leave just yet.

"A proposition."

Zade glanced at the collapsed bed.

"I don't do that." she said. "Just have your pet go ahead and kill me."

"Do not flatter yourself." answered December. "I am beyond such things."

"I've heard that one before."

"A business proposition. You will work for me."

"Too late. In case you haven't noticed, I'm working for the competition."

"Yes. VonSinterbourne."

"Once I'm bought... I STAY bought."

"You will change your mind soon enough."

"Saying it doesn't make it so."

"Consider your little exercise here to be the FIRST part of your test. If you survive the next few days, you will certainly be worthy of joining me."

"You don't listen very well, do you? I'm already-"

"I can assure you that, at the end of that time, VonSinterbourne will cease to be a factor."

Zade stared at December, her mind processing what he had just told her. Something was coming... and it was going to be bad...

"You may leave, now," said December.

"That's it?"

"Yes. The front door is unlocked, please use it. And I would advise you not to get too curious on your way out."

December waved his hand and J'Hasp darted off into the shadows. Zade knew the beast was still there...somewhere.

"That's it?" repeated Zade, incredulous that she was being allowed to leave.

"I do not like repeating myself. Leave now or be removed."

"F-fine." Zade eased toward the bedroom door, her eyes constantly darting from one dark corner to the other. No attack came. December stood in the center of the room with his arms folded, as if waiting for a particularly obnoxious guest to leave.

Zade backed out of the room and quickly spun to face the hallway. She saw the stairs at the far end, opposite the window through which she had entered. She descended as quickly as her bruised body would allow, and found herself in a small hallway that opened into a large living room. The room was unlit, but despite the darkness, Zade could clearly make out plush furnishings and decorations that adorned December's house.

She remembered December's admonishment about getting too curious, and walked the short distance to the front door. It was unlocked. Zade exited, and closed the door behind her.

The night greeted the defeated mercenary with a clear sky and a glowing moon that seemed to mock her.

Zade hung her head and walked away, limping slightly as she disappeared down the dark street.

Perhaps ten or fifteen minutes after she had departed, a faint blue haze began to gather in front of December's door. Over the next few seconds, the cloud thickened and solidified into a man. The figure was cloaked in a tattered blue robe, from which long strips had recently been torn. His face was hidden behind a blue sash that covered everything below the bridge of the nose.

Blaymore paused on December's doorstep. Then he reached out to try the door. He found that it was securely locked, with several rather dangerous counter-intrusion enchantments in place. The assassin frowned for a moment, then nodded, and finally vanished in a flash of bright blue light.

[To Be Continued]