The Exemplar

[Atelos]

"Wonderful." The words coming out of his mouth did not feel like it belonged to him. He wasn't sure what was his own mind anymore and what was that thing's…His smirk faded and Atelos felt tiny in the world, even though he was apparently going to meet the Mayor. Shang however seemed cool, confident, and seemingly satisfied…or ambitious. Atelos was not sure which one it was.It did not matter to him at the moment. His companion's motives seemed unimportant in his train of thought. The hyena laugh still traced throughout his mind…

Shang looked unsteadily at the Spartan, he knew something was preoccupying the warrior's mind. However his observation was not pressed, he either didn't care about the Spartan's predicament or felt it wasn't important. The Spartan however, could not notice even the most obvious of looks. His mind raced with fear, something he had not felt since his capture…

His mind flashes back and forth between his flashback and the present. The last few words from the jackal seemed to haunt the Spartan…fun…He looked back to the tower where they both dwelled and entered. Shang had already left the Spartan and entered, the wooden door creaking, swinging from its hinge slightly. Atelos placed his hand on the wooden door and let out a sigh. He pushed it open, immediately entering the tower immersed with stares and silence. Those around him were already hushed, from Shang entering and now the Spartan. Absolute quiet endured as he began to turn and follow Shang into their quarters. Atelos kind of felt at home, as if he returned from a major battle and other towns seemed to be in awe.

Atelos had nothing to do but think, he had no "good cape" that he had to impress the Mayor with. He started to chuckle at his own mental joke. Shang quickly glanced at the Spartan as he prepared for his meeting.

I wonder why this is so important to him?

Thirty minutes of his own mind went by like that. He was already on his walk back to the exit of the tower and he had done nothing productive. His mind felt like a puzzle and he felt unsure as he walked out of the door once more.

Shang was already there as well as the commander, both waiting for him. Atelos was confused for a second, he had never seen Shang leave before him…well he wasn't really aware of his surroundings at the time. He must have left while Atelos sat there contemplating.

The commander gave them both a nod. "Let's get going we don't want to keep the Mayor waiting." The commander didn't give them a second look and he was already on his way. He was taken through a part of town he didn't know. The town seemed a little less renovated, and less raided than the more close to the walls. A building seemed to stick out as a little more central than the rest, even though it looked as mundane as everything else. It seemed all makeshift, felt like it should be more extravagant than it currently it is. It felt stripped to Atelos, felt naked.

"This is it," the commander said. The guards lowered their guard for the commander but blocked the path for the two primes. The commander, with a neutral face, lowered their weapons, "They are with me. Let them pass." The two guards seemed uneasy but allowed the domineering warrior and the sorcerer, who had no suspicion to him at ALL, to pass. The uneasy darkness of the room was not illuminated any better by the swinging lamps on the wall.

Just passing out of the darkness were two young boys, one of which was covered in a metal clad seeming to serve as armor and the other…it didn't matter Atelos had business to deal with, internally and externally.

Atelos walked into the apparent meeting room and took notice of the mayor. Even though the weather was not extraordinarily cold, the Mayor dressed as if he were preparing for a storm.

The commander spoke, "Excuse me Mayor, These are the two primes who cleared out the Necromancers just outside the town. I thought you would like to meet with them."

The Mayor seemed to inspect the two primes.

The jackal voice appeared in the form of a whisper, "Give me control…" the voice trailed off and his left arm began to raise on its own but Atelos strained to keep an attention position. Atelos' face was as stone as a soldier's but those with a keen eye could see the fear he was undergoing.

[Shang Tsung]

The Spartan seemed uneasy. Was he nervous about such a high-profile meeting or was something else gnawing at his mind? It was something they would have to discuss later over food or drinks, but for now, the sorcerer had to get through this meeting with nothing short of absolute success. In the long term, today was more important than anything in the last few weeks.

As he looked down at the mayor, Shang had to suppress a scowl. How was this tired, disheveled-looking man the force holding this rotten town together? Any fool could see that the man was wearing a layer of makeup over his entire face, and the spots where his collar brushed against his neck revealed the fact that his real skin was blotchy and diseased.

What a joke. Shang thought as his garrison supervisor went rigid and the mayor glanced over the sorcerer and the Spartan. [i] There has to be more to this man than meets the eye. [i]

“How long have the two of you been in Darkshire?” The mayor asked. His voice made Shang think of a ghost or some other long-dead specter whispering across a graveyard in the dead of night. “I don’t think I’ve seen or heard of either of you before today.”

Shang grinned. “I’ve been here for a couple of weeks now,” he spoke before pausing to think something over. “I believe that Atelos here arrived within the last week, if I’m not mistaken.” After he made the remark, the sorcerer glanced over to his partner.

“Correct…” Atelos muttered.

When it became clear that the Spartan wasn’t going to go into any more detail, Shang cleared his throat. “We’re just two primes who came to Darkshire for the opportunity to make a difference. We’re just doing what any citizen of Darkshire would do if given the chance.”

A smirk spread across the mayor’s face, revealing a mouth of teeth that seemed a little too white to be the originals. “Of course,” he responded, his tone likewise showing a degree of cynicism that would be expected from the mayor of a dying, blighted town. “The garrison needs individuals like you. The two of you are officially citizens of our town. I hope that you continue to make a difference.”

[Atelos]

Ateos heard absolutely nothing but the echoes of the alien inside his own mind. He saw the mayor in all of his glory, his sorry, disorganized glory. The papers on his desk were weeks past and were flown everywhere and the Mayor had a disinterested look in his eye.

This is the Mayor of Darkshire? Pathetic…

The meeting flew by his mind and he hardly remembered anything from the meeting other than his vague nods and his subconscious answers.

… "I hope that you continue to make a difference."

"We will certainly try Mayor," Shang had offered his whole-hearted, yet deceitful, grace. A sly smile curled on his face that seemed forced in order to appease the slob in front of the two.

The mayor was sorting through the papers and looked up, "What are you two still doing here? Go on!"

And like that the two were scooted out of the Town Hall and into the streets just like that with the rest of Darkshire, abandoned and neglected.

Atelos was woken from his cloudy state and had a scowl on his face. "I would be a little more appreciative if two primes had decided to show up and save this cursed town…Damn unappreciative bastard.

Shang chuckled, "Well at least the idiot knows our faces."

Shang looked puzzled at the Spartan's apparent mood changes, not concerned but he didn't want to be on the wrong end of his shield.

"Spartan are you ok?"

"I don't know…"

The two stopped dead in the streets and Atelos continued.

"Shang…I think I need to find what Demon's that lurk in my mind. I can't trust myself to protect anything, let alone a town. I must leave for now and I'm not sure when I will return. So for now I must say Goodbye my friend.

Atelos grabbed Shang by the shoulders and gave him a sound embrace.

"I do not know whether or not you are fond of me, but know that I appreciate your companionship."

He let go of Shang and had a look of fear for a brief second before his bright smile returned.

"What do you think I am, a pansy? He patted Shang on the back and laughed. "I'll see you later my friend."

Atelos turned and walked in a different direction where neither of them knew them of.

[Shang Tsung]

The Spartan had departed to go find himself.

With his portion of the garrison on temporary leave as their commander filled out paperwork and tried to replace the dead recruits, the sorcerer found himself sitting in ‘THE Pub’ on a dim afternoon where the clouds were especially heavy in the sky.

“I heard you and the Spartan killed yourselves some necromancers out in the forest.”

Shang glanced up to see the ‘alternate’ bartender standing across the counter from him. Unlike the heavyset man he’d met when he first arrived in Darkshire, the bar’s backup bartender was a woman. To give her due credit, she wasn’t like many women that the sorcerer had encountered in his unnaturally long life. She wasn’t upper class, yet she wasn’t exactly a pauper wearing rags and trying to pity the coins out of his pocket with her equally appalling child. No… Cheyenne wore skimpy flannel tops, extremely short denim bottoms, and talked as if she were from the antebellum American South. Shang would also admit that she was attractive, which undoubtedly explained her choice of occupation.

“Yes, we did,” he replied as he took a sip from the flagon of ale. The stuff was bitter and grotesque, but like many things, Shang knew that appearances were important. He needed to look and act like he belonged to the everyman and that would be impossible if he didn’t drink their piss water at their grungy, partially clean establishments.

“That sounds dangerous,” the woman cooed as she leaned over the bar a little, subtly highlighting the fact that one could see more of her ample cleavage. Shang was no fairy, nor would he deny a chance to bed the woman. Even so, he had learned long ago to keep a lid on his sex drive. Men and women too often used the exchange of carnal pleasures to get things they wanted or advance their station, and the sorcerer knew that fact very well.

“Very dangerous.” A devious smirk spread across his visage as he leaned a little forward as well, putting himself within half a foot of the young woman’s face. Knowing the game he was playing, Cheyenne winked and walked off to ask another customer if they wanted a fresh drink.

As he reclined back onto his stool, Shang heard someone clear their throat behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he immediately noticed the garrison insignia that the young man had stitched to his leather shirt. “Shang Tsung?”

“Yes?” The sorcerer inquired as he took another long sip and set down the empty flagon. “Can I help you?”

“Your presence is required with your garrison. Your commander wants to meet with you immediately.”

What now? A quick glance told him that more than a few people were interested in the conversation. “No problem.” The sorcerer replied as he fished into his pocket for coins. “For you, Cheyenne,” he said, mimicking her wink as he set the stack of coins down next to his mug. As always, he tipped the woman more than was required, but that was because doing so was the natural way to fit in with the silly, chauvinistic dynamic of female server and male customer.

“Thanks, Darlin’,” Cheyenne said with a small wave as Shang allowed himself to be led out from the pub. They walked to Shang’s garrison in silence, and once they were upstairs, the boy gestured him into the office before excusing himself to other duties.

“There you are, Tsung,” the commander replied with a faint smile as he stood up out of his rickety wooden chair, rounded his table, and shook hands with the sorcerer. “I apologize that I pulled you out of leave a little early.”

“It’s no problem, Commander.”

“Good, because I think you’ll be pleased with what I brought you here for.”

“Oh?” Shang asked as his commander turned around and picked up a small wooden box from his desk. The man turned around and opened the box to reveal two small metal pins depicting the heraldric emblem of Darkshire.

“It may seem like very little, but this medal designates you as a full member of the Darkshire Garrison, with all the additional rights that militia members receive. If you so desire, you may go to the armory to receive new arms and armor as well.” With that said, the commander picked up one of the medals and set the box back on his desk. “When the Spartan returns, I ask that you send him to me. I was notified that he was under a great deal of duress.” Shang nodded his head as the commander pinned the medal to the front of his cloak.

“What now, Commander?” The sorcerer inquired.

“Work hard. Do good for our town. You’d be surprised at the turnover rate for our officers…” the commander trailed off as his eyes traveled to a map of the Moors on the wall. Shang glanced over and took a mental note of some of the landmarks before his superior’s eyes came back to him. “Anyway, you are dismissed. You may resume your leave until you hear back from me.”

“Thank you.”

With that, Shang slipped out of the office and back into the streets of Darkshire. Overhead, the sun was long gone, and the skies were slipping from gray to black. In an hour or so, he’d be free to go satisfy his hunger once again.

[Atelos]

A week had past and Atelos' wounds were beginning to heal. He had served for the Dwarves for a while, helping train their troops and doing whatever he possibly could to help the Dwarves. While his mind started to clear, due to Hades has been shutting up recently, he felt not at home. Borin and Atelos were in his lodgings, sharing a pint and talking like the always did. Atelos was deep in concentration, while Borin was going on his story.

"So then the troll came and I…"

Borin's voice trailed off and he began to peer at Atelos.

"Are you alright?"

Atelos snapped out of his trance of thought and looked up at Borin.

"Yes…yes I'm alright."

Borin got up and comically tried to pat Atelos on the shoulder, but the Spartan's shoulder was just out of reach. Atelos saw the Golden Beard's arm try to pat his shoulder and he pushed the hand away lazily. Borin almost seemed disappointed.

"Yes I'm alright. I just don't feel like I belong here."

Borin was just sitting back down on his seat and he seemed to nod his head in understanding.

"Well Spartan, I hope you know that you have paid your dues and we will always accept you as one of our one here."

Atelos was rubbing his hair and looked up at the Dwarf. There was a sincere look in his eyes.

"Thank you my friend."

Atelos got up and let out a laugh.

"I think I'll be going then. I have unfinished business elsewhere."

Atelos knelt down to give Borin a hug.

"I'll see you around."

The spartan released from his embrace and patted the Dwarf on his head. He let out a sigh and pushed the door open. He knew he had to return to Darkshire. He had a duty to serve.

The Spartan had treaded over the icy landscape that had almost killed him in the start of the quest. After a couple of hours he reached the portal to The Pale Moors. He looked at the mountain range that was behind him and left the Icy Kingdom for a Darker One.

Atelos was transported to Darkshire…and he felt the change from the frosty nipping of the air on his skin to the heavy darkness that tainted the air. He took a deep breathe of the musky air, Good Ol' Darkshire.

Why did you bring me back to this place of musk and taint? This is no place for a God, I CONTROL YOU!

The Spartan chucked.

You no longer scare me Hades. If you can control me, take control now.

Silence…

I will have control of this body. The voice grumbled and trailed off.

The Spartan was satisfied with his control over Hades, he just can't let his emotions get the better of him. He frowned, he knew thats when Hades could take control.

He headed back to his old Garrison, somewhere where he felt like he did something good. He headed inside the large building that was quite Familiar to him. He entered to the main room. New faces were around and Atelos figured this was the new batch of recruits. Most had heard of the feats that the Sorcerer and the Spartan did but none of the recruits even bothered to look up from the door, too enthralled with their own conversations.

The door opened from another room and a familiar face appeared. Shang Tsung appeared with a sly grin coming out of the room, touching the medal that ornated his uniform. Shang looked up to see the Spartan with a black Dragon's skull protruding from his right shoulder.

"Hello Shang it's been a while."

Atelos shook hands with Shang and noticed that the Sorcerer was making quick glances at his deformed shoulder. Atelos chucked.

"I'll be sure to tell you later."

"Alright, well the commander needs to see you. Nice having you back Spartan." His coy grin returned and he exited the building.

Don't know what that's about…

Atelos entered the next room with the commander looking at a map of The Pale Moors. He seemed startled by the sudden reappearance of another person.

"Oh hello Atelos. Nice to have you back. I heard you had some inner troubles, I hope you found the answers that you needed. Anyways I need to give you this."

The commander turned to his desk and opened a little wooden box. Inside was a single pin that looked identical to the one Shang was wearing.

"This is a symbol of your allegiance and service to Darkshire. It makes me proud that people like you serve and help us in this time of need. Thank you for your service."

The commander walked over to Atelos and pinned on the Darkshire pin. He patted Atelos on the shoulder and looked Atelos in the face.

"You are dismissed Atelos, you are free until I call for you again."

"Thank you sir! I will not let you down.

Atelos exited the room with his new pin. He was a contributor to this town and he genuinely wanted to make it a better place. He was ecstatic that he was able to do a good deed for this town and he would do anything to protect it.

He exited the garrison and took a deep breathe of fresh air. This is where he belonged.