Sorrow

A Castle surrounded by dense forest deep in the heart of Central Asia stands quiet, a whistling wind howls all around it, a chilling breeze blows through a hallway. A sentry standing guard feels the breeze and turns his attention towards that direction; he’s suddenly grabbed from behind with a knife at his throat.

“If you keep slacking off you will be taken out if someone were to attack.” a woman’s voice says.

Stammering the sentry says, “I’m… I’m… sorry ma’am, please accept my hand as payment…”

“If you're with one less hand how would you properly remain to protect us?”

The sentry responds, “Yes ma’am, thank you. Sorry, ma’am, I’ll do my best Ms. Meow.” As she releases her grip, she turns the sentry, “I told you, call me Sing.” She says.

As she begins to walk away the sentry takes in her breathtaking form. The black skintight suit that she wears leaves nothing to the imagination hugging every inch of her 5’2” frame. Her jet black hair is worn in a short ponytail not even passing her shoulders. A wrapped whip hangs from her hip with a sharp blade dangling from the tip. Three black cats follow closely behind her, all looking back at the sentry with a look of suspicion.

​ While she walks the sentry shakes his head in shame. As Meow (Sing Ting) walks into the dining hall she sees the rest of her family. When she sits in her seat she views the persons filling the seats: Bull (Sal Ting) the youngest, Crisp (Sin Ting) the 2nd oldest, and Butterfly (Su Ting) the oldest.

“Hello, brothers, sister, How have you all had done in your promising adventures?” Asks Su. Su Ting, in her 4’10” frame, wears a long, baggy kimono covered in butterfly print. The kimono covers every feature of her body including the two huge butterfly knife swords she keeps hidden up the sleeves. Wearing her jet black long hair in a tight bun on the top of her head, with a butterfly hair clip.  

“I’ve killed 22 over the course of this week, my sister.” Sin says. Sin Ting wears a long brown trench coat and a gloved right hand with sharp golden blades extending 2 inches off of each fingertip. His red hair is stylized in spikes sitting not more than 2 inches above the top of his head.

“18 for me, sister.” Answers Sing.

They all begin to look at Sal with a very focused expression, looking as if they can pierce his thoughts. Sal Ting, a mountain of a man standing 6’2” and weighing 230 pounds of muscle, wields a spear-axe the same height as him. A tight muscle shirt exposing his bare arms meets his black hair dangling just past his broad shoulders.

“STOP IT!” Sal yells out. “Your gazes of inquiry can never pierce my mind. If you want to know anything just wait for my response.”

His siblings look on at him awaiting an answer. “If you must know I’ve taken 71 lives this month, and each one sealed their own fates.” Says a reluctant Sal. “Poor souls crossing my path.” He says stifling a laugh.

​As they all sit there quietly watching Sal, he breaks the silence saying, “We all deserve to die.” Angrily Su slams her fist onto the table, cracking it.

“How dare you say that, our parents made certain that we would be able to rule this country with an iron fist! They taught us our special techniques and talents so that we could fulfill our destinies.”

Sin then yells out, “Sal, even you admitted that you enjoyed taking the lives of those who force themselves upon our blades. If you have such a problem with it why don’t you just join our parents in death.”

Sal rises from the table slowly, “You’d all love it if I were to die, wouldn’t you. I may not be here for much longer all of you could weep then.”

“Silence!” Su Yells out, “We have call for celebration.” Sal sits back in his seat.

“Our dear sister has a new title according to media outlets. They’ve now announced her as the “Cat Queen” from her most recent adventure.”

Sing smiles and stands up, “This is an honor, I love having the media grant us names. I think I’ll use that as my calling from here on… isn’t it lovely when you become infamous?”

“Well,” says Sin. “Would it really make a difference what they call you? There hasn’t been a proper description or photo of us in quite some time. The reason you’re called “Meow” in the first place is from them only hearing trails of massive cats meowing after a death.” They all begin to laugh hysterically around the table.

Sal begins to laugh louder than the others, causing his siblings to stop laughing. As he begins to stand he abruptly stops, looking at each one of them in the eye. “I’ve murdered hundreds of people with my bare hands, let alone my spear. I am known throughout the world as a killer and I feel as though we’ve been lucky.”

He starts to leave out of the room saying, “I hope we’re fortunate in death as we are in life. If things were to change we’d all be very happy.” With that sentence, he was out of the room.

Sing looks over to Su, “I don’t believe he said that just now. He’s the most vicious of us all on the battlefield, he’s just like our father.” says Sing. “I sense that his pain may bring something new to the table, though I don’t know what it could be.” As Su says that she glides over to the opposite door that Sal left out of and signals a sentry.

“Send 2 observers to follow and watch Sal. Report anything that doesn’t seem right, regardless of what it is.” The sentry acknowledges with a head nod and moves on quickly to the end of the hallway and vanishes.

A corridor that looks much like a bunker has 2 off-duty sentries in it discussing martial art techniques. The sentry sent by Su appears suddenly and the two men stand at attention.

“Listen, men, Madam Butterfly just ordered visual reckon on the Bull. Anything unusual, report immediately, this mission is a top priority. Let’s move it, he went west.“ as the 2 sentry get ready they discuss that they have to watch Sal the youngest and strongest of the Ting family. They rush their outfits and zip out of the castle. Once they catch his trail they stay within a hundred feet of him, watching him closely. They get to a field and watch Sal as he pierced the ground with his spear-axe, sits and begins meditating for about 45 minutes.

The Night is dark, dark as space, the only light is illuminating from the full moon overhead. The wind blew furiously and the grass danced as if glorious music filled the air. The 2 sentries’ split directions getting at opposite ends of the field. As the sentry’s look on they see a man in a white and red suit slowly walk up to Sal. This confused the sentries.

“I’m not in the mood,” declares Sal. “Challenge someone else to kill you, go away.”

The man steps closer, “I don’t really care how you feel,” says X. “I’m here to end your life, Sal. You should have counted your blessings while you still had the chance. Your demise is imminent.”

“Fine!” says Sal, anger building within him.

“You want to fight,” Sal pulls his spear-axe out of the ground. “You got a fight and know this, your death… is your own fault.” Sal then begins to walk towards X.

“I am the most undefeated fighter, killer, and assassin this world has ever known.”

X begins to laugh, “No you’re not, you’re not even close to being that person. You want to know why?”

Sal then gasps and stops in his tracks, suddenly realizing who he’s talking to. He’s really convinced once he looks into the man’s eyes.

“Kamikaze X,” Sal says with a frightened look on his face and he takes a step back. “You… you… will be my greatest conquest.” Readying his weapon Sal rushes towards X.

Sal’s spear connects with X’s sheath and it pushes X back 3 feet. X a little startled by this laughs, “this will be a better fight than what I originally thought. This should be fun.” The 2 sentries were horrified by watching Sal step back the way that he did. Not one of the Ting family has ever stepped away from anyone, not even from their parents when they were alive.

The sounds that are heard besides the passing wind are grunts and clashing metal. One of the 2 sentry’s goes off to report in while the other sentry stays behind and watches their battle. X stays on the defensive as Sal continues to strike at him with powerful strokes of his spear-axe. The sentry considers to jump into it but the sentries of the Ting family aren’t meant to do anything but what they’re told to do. As Sal stabs at X with his spear-axe for a killing strike, X dodges and follows up with a spinning kick with his right foot. Sal blocks the kick just in time and comes with a right punch to X’s face. X flies back and flips into a landing; he then checks his nose and mouth for blood.

X then notices that he’s now 10 feet away from where he was originally standing. As he spots the red, warm liquid on his solid white glove, rage takes over his thoughts. His red eyes then begin to illuminate within the silhouette of his hat, looking as if 2 stoplights sit within a dark room. Slowly X begins to draw his sword from its sheath and sticks the sheath into the ground. In the distance, the sentry sees the glowing red eyes and this tells him who Sal is in battle with.

X starts to move towards Sal with impossible speed taking Sal completely off guard. Sal attacks back to block, block after block, X’s accuracy begins to get better and better. Sal moves in for his ultimate attack by attacking with the butt of his spear, then by coming down with his spearhead turned to the axe side slicing his opponent to death. As Sal uses his ultimate attack, X reacts by sliding past the butt of the spear and running his sword in and out of Sal’s stomach.

Suddenly the night falls silent, the wind stopped blowing, there was a sound like paper being ripped in half. A sound like a splash of water hit the ground. Next, a grunt and a large thumping sound came slowly after. Sal’s large body laid out on the ground with his spear-axe tightly grasped in one hand. Blood began to seep out from beneath the torso of the body. Sal’s tormented face showcases the agony he’s experiencing, his mouth slightly ajar with blood slowly oozing out. He begins to cough then starts to say something.

“Deliverance from this hell seems so beautiful at a time like this. I thank you for releasing me…” Sal coughs out more blood and grunts in agony. “I’m afraid… my family will attempt to make you… suffer for this… I’m… sorry.” He forces out in between shallow breathes. X steps closer with his sword tightly grasped in his hand and rotates it upside down.

“Your family will never have the chance brave soul. You fought well and now have received your fate in an honorable way.”

The words seem endless to Sal as he’s laid out on the ground, he sends out a moan of relief as his eyes roll into the back of his head. X had thrust his sword through both of Sal’s ears as he laid there. X standing removes his sword from Sal’s head and with one smooth motion the blood on the blade is on the ground. As he sheathes his sword he says, “Your family’s pain will end just as quickly.”

As the sentry looks on at one of his master’s demise, he notices that they exchange words for a moment. While Sal is lying on the ground, X moves around Sal to the front of his face. With X’s next action the sentry races back towards the castle. X notices the sentry running off in the distance as he throws the blood from his blade, guiding him directly to the castle and the rest of the Ting family.