







Kari

ran

through

the

bamboo

grove,

her

padded

footfalls

making

not
a

whisper

of

noise.


Movement

up

ahead

told

her

she

was

gaining.


With

a
shrill

scraping

sound,

she

drew

her

katana

from

its

place

at

her

side.

Up

ahead,

she

could

hear

the

men

yelling

as

they

ran.


The

words

were
incomprehensible

to

her,

complete

gibberish,

but

she

knew

what

they

must
be

screaming.


She

knew

what

she

would

be

yelling

if

she

were

in

their
place.


The

moonlight

filtered

through

the

bamboo

trees

and

reflected

off
Kari's

blade

in

the

darkness.


Kari

considered

sheating

her

katana

for
fear

of

being

detected,

but

thought

better

of

it,

and

kept

running.










The

two

men

stopped,

utterly

exhausted.


Both

leaned

up

against
trees,

panting,

with

drops

of

sweat

dripping

from

their

thick

brows.


They
were

from

the

west,

with

pale

skin

and

rounded

eyes.


As

one

of

the

two
sat,

his

back

to

a

tree,

he

sighed

and

asked

the

other

a

question.


To
Kari,

who

was

listening

from

about

thirty

feet

away

(and

gaining),

it
sounded

something

like

this

"blahblahblah,

child

blahblah,
motherblahblahblah."


Kari

was

born

in

the

west,

and

lived

there

for

a
year

or

three

before

arriving

in

Kara-Tur,

picking

up

minimal

language
skills

from

the

place.


The

first

man

finished

his

sentence,

and

then
looked

up

to

his

companion

for

a

reply,

and

screamed

aloud

at

what

he

saw.
The

standing

man

started

to

raise

an

eyebrow

in

question,

but

was

cut
short

by

a

wicked

blade,

severing

his

head

clean

from

his

body.


The
sitting

man

could

do

nothing

but

tremble,

and

babble

something

in

his
strange

language.


As

Kari

kicked

away

the

head

of

the

slain

one,

she
advanced

on

the

cowering

man.


She

grabbed

him

by

the

hair

with

her

free
hand,

and

forced

his

head

down,

so

he

gazed

upon

his

own

midsection.


Then
she

promptly

slit

his

belly

with

her

blade,

the

heat

of

the

mans

innards
creating

a

bit

of

steam

in

the

cold

night

air.


Dark

red

blood

drenched
the

mans

tunic

as

Kari

turned

and

walked

away,

her

black

silk

jump

suit
rustling

as

a

gust

of

wind

blew

over

her.


I

would

continue

writing,

but

I'm

tired,

and

song

messages

werent

meant
for

writing

stuff

like

this

anyways.


Well

maybe

they

were,

but

who

cares,
I'm

tired.


Goodnight.
the

end.