Monster's Mercy

by William D. Arand

  Or that a back-handed attack could easily become a sweeping sword strike.

  Finishing up with his evening practice, he set out back to the main building. He didn’t feel as at ease as he’d been hoping for.

  Too many variables.

  It was still too early to turn in, but he knew he needed to be up early tomorrow.

  While there were fresh bounties, everyone felt like taking out a guild that’d just gotten a bounty on every member was the better option.

  Time waited for no one, and they were a full purse waiting to be taken.

  Turning the corner into the main courtyard, Rene stopped and viewed the situation before him critically.

  A large number of the older children were gathered in a circle discussing something.

  In hushed tones, and with furtive glances over shoulders.

  Crouching low, Rene crept over to the group. He felt silly sneaking up on children, but the way they were behaving put him ill at ease.

  “…don’t get it. Stupid,” hissed one of the children.

  “Yeah. Who cares about honor and what old man Metzger says? Stick the sword in the other guy, take his coins, and get out,” said another.

  “He doesn’t know what we’ve been through. Or what we’ve done. We’re already trash,” said a third.

  “Mister Rene would care. He doesn’t think we’re trash,” came back a soft voice.

  No one responded to that.

  They’re learning chivalry and Metzger’s code; a daunting prospect when the world has given you misfortune untold.

  Rene stood up slowly and willed himself visible.

  Nearly as one, the children’s heads whipped around and regarded him.

  None spoke, nor did they run or try to excuse themselves.

  Rene looked them over, one and all.

  Without a moral backing, or at least considering the implications of their actions, they’d end up being no better than Albert.

  “I understand,” Rene said after a few seconds. “It’s hard. You’ve seen the worst the world has to offer. Made it your own. That life isn’t over. It’ll never leave you.”

  His eyes moved from one child to the next as he spoke.

  “Metzger isn’t asking you to forget your past. Or to even ascribe to all his ideals, but that you know them. There will be times when you will lose nothing by holding to his tenants, and other times when you will actually gain.”

  Rene felt that wasn’t quite what he should have said, but he wasn’t good at this sort of thing.

  At sugar-coating the truth of the world.

  Grimacing, Rene thought on it for a brief moment.

  “I’m sure you’re all aware by now what Albert offered the Black Hood,” Rene said. He had no illusions that the children in the room hadn’t overheard what Albert had said and eventually relayed it back to the other children.

  He was only thankful that none had seen him in the black hood.

  “He rejected his offer. What Albert was doing was… evil. The Lieutenant would applaud the Black Hood’s actions. They were honorable in his eyes. They were honorable in my eyes, as well. And when the Black Hood brought you to me, I welcomed you with open arms.”

  “I would have done it, too!” said one of the boys.

  “I’m glad to hear that, but what would you have done after? Would you have resorted to your old ways to get by? Would you all have been able to survive together?”

  Many chins dropped in thought, as they turned their thoughts inward.

  “In the world you came from, that was all you could do. You knew the rules there, the way to act, who to intimidate, who to run from, and who to bribe. Lieutenant Metzger’s code is the same thing for the world you’re entering now.”

  A few heads nodded a bit at that.

  “In addition, that is only Lieutenant Metzger’s view. Lady Odelia has her own version of honor and decorum. I believe she’s begun teaching you those, as well.

  “Then there’s my own. I expect you all to use what you gain and learn here to better the world. My goal is to open the world to you. From an officer in the military, to a simple blacksmith. I would feel nothing but shame if the Black Hood ever had to come for any of you.”

  The thought of it actually made his teeth itch.

  “Why, though? It’s not like the gods actually care,” said a girl angrily. “We prayed enough. Lots. Why didn’t they do anything?”

  “I can’t answer that,” Rene said uneasily.

  He knew of a god. Would it be right, though? If memory served, the Watcher had told him he hadn’t been worshiped here in a long time.

  Which meant he had at some point.

  Rene’s mind didn’t want to consider the fact that technically the Watcher had moved him from one world to another.

  If they needed something to believe in, maybe he could provide that. He hoped his benefactor wouldn’t destroy him for it.

  Now came the question of how much exactly to reveal.

  Squatting down in front of the children he took in a slow breath. They shifted around to fan out in front of him, waiting.

  “I have a… benefactor. A god. He sent me here and provided me with power and gifts.”

  “What kind of gifts?” asked one of them.

  Rene thought about that, and then pulled his guitar out of his inventory screen. The instrument simply appeared in his hands to the children.

  Saying nothing to the shocked children, he put it back into his inventory. Then he did the same thing with his sword, then both the sword and the guitar at the same time.

  “I call him the Watcher. He watches everything and has provided me with guidance. He is not a merciful god though, and he expects me to be a good person. Should I fail him, he will cast me away like a boot with the heel torn off. That is my god. If he exists, others therefore must exist.”

  It wasn’t what they probably needed to hear, but it was all he could offer.

  He didn’t have a way with words. He lacked charm and poise.

  “Go. The day will come early tomorrow. Children need rest,” Rene said.

  He stood up and dismissed them with a hand wave.

  Unspeaking, the children hurried from the courtyard.

  Rene looked at his log, then the alignment bar. Nothing had changed.

  Lowering his eyes to the grass below his feet, he sighed. He took a slow breath and then put words to the fear in his heart.

  “They needed something. I’m not sure if I gave them anything. Watch over them, Watcher,” Rene muttered.

  Please.

  ***

  Rene sat impassively at the table. He’d gone to the meeting ahead of time to tidy up a bit and put everything to rights.

  The timing of the get-together had been deliberately set up so Lori couldn’t attend.

  This would be where they discussed what to do. If possible, even deciding on a course of action.

  Children didn’t need to be a part of what they were planning. It had been a mistake to include her up to this point already. She simply knew too much for one so young.

  In return, he had promised Lori she could host a tea party for them tomorrow.

  The door clicked and opened, and in came Alana. She entered by herself and took a seat directly to his right. Her large eyes snared him and pinned him in place.

  “Decide on an answer to what I am yet?” Rene asked. He would never be the smooth talker others could be, and just about the only tool in his toolbox was direct, blunt-force honesty.

  “No. I will continue to watch and learn. Though I’ve decided you’re not of this world,” the Elf said, tilting her head slightly to the side. “At times, you say things that don’t quite make sense. Like colloquialisms from another place. Or time.”

  Rene nodded to that and didn’t answer her. He didn’t doubt she’d get close to the truth eventually. He wouldn’t care that much if she did.

  The door opened once more and Odelia stepped in, followed by Bill.

  Moving to take a
seat across from Rene, she nodded at him. Bill took the seat to Rene’s left.

  Before the door could shut, Caleb slouched through the doorway and flung himself into the couch along the wall.

  “Brothels. Lots of brothels,” he said, leaning his head back against the wall.

  “Glad to hear you’re spending your coin on local businesses, but I doubt it’s relevant to this discussion,” Alana chided him.

  “No. Brothels are what the Jackals use to get their money. Surprisingly, they’re probably the third strongest guild in the city. Though I admit I did scout out the premises,” Caleb said with a smirk. “I might have sampled their wares. They even had an Elf. I can take you by later, Alan, if you wanted a taste of home.”

  Rene considered that.

  The best way to win a war was to attack the enemy’s ability to make war. In this case, crippling their finances would do perfectly. It’d force them into a position of weakness. Where he could attack them far more directly.

  That or he could do both at the same time.

  Take out the leadership and then immediately claim their assets. That’d be the end of it, wouldn’t it?

  Maybe.

  “Good. What’s the second highest earning site they have?” Rene asked, his eyes digging into Caleb.

  The bard’s shoulders turned inward a fraction. “I ’unno.”

  “Merchant quarter, Tramp’s Tail,” Odelia said, wrinkling her nose. “Their biggest earner is actually sponsored by a noble house and run out of the noble quarter.”

  “Would they involve themselves?” Bill asked.

  “No. They’d close the building down if they had to,” Odelia offered up after a second of thought. “They’d rather make money though, of course.”

  Alana had been digging around in a satchel at her side. Wrestling with whatever was inside, she eventually pulled out a blank piece of paper and a charcoal stick.

  Laying the paper on the desk, Alana began to quickly sketch out what looked like a floor plan.

  Rene left her to it and turned to Caleb. “Numbers?”

  “Something like ninety? They have a lot of coin, so they can pay for a lot of members. They’ve got the prostitution angle pretty much to themselves. Anyone who tries to compete gets killed. No warnings, nothing.”

  Can’t fight them all, hoss; let’s just kill the boss.

  And remember, theatrics!

  Disgusted with the idea and yet agreeing with it, Rene nodded to himself. He’d gotten good at acting when a job called for it.

  It wouldn’t be very fun, or something he wanted to do, but it would be the best course of action.

  On top of that, he’d need to keep this entire operation separate from his team. They wouldn’t understand, and likely wouldn’t agree.

  Which meant he’d have to come back with a few bounties, and claim he’d been able to take out the leadership itself.

  It felt like the best course of action he could plan for.

  At that moment, Alana slid the paper in front of him. It was indeed a floor plan, and it was well-detailed as to the layout of walls, rooms, and windows.

  Rene glanced over it quickly and then looked at Bill.

  I’ll need a sword. Black hilt, black cross guard. Dark as we can get the blade without any cost to its effectiveness. Unpolished.

  Also several throwing knives.

  Similar in look.

  Damn. Wish I could have had Bill do it.

  Rene picked up the map and then stood up. There was nothing else to discuss. “Thank you, everyone. See you at the Moon workshop later.”

  ***

  Rene looked down on the Tramp’s Tail. He’d dressed himself in one of the black sets of leather and cloth he’d stolen from his kidnappers. It wasn’t something he could wear on the street without drawing attention.

  Which was the last thing he wanted.

  But for here and now, the theatricality of it would serve perfectly.

  Adjusting the mask with his fingers, he worked himself into the place he needed to be for this character. A mask to wear beneath the mask he was putting on to hide his face.

  Which thankfully fit his face and his needs rather well. In the end, he had definitely thought long and hard on what kind of mask to get. One that would make an impression on others.

  The mask he’d gotten for himself was half black and half white. It was a mask devoid of details and features. The eyes were merely holes and the mouth was nothing more than a horizontal slit. A line down the nose divided the mask in half, and that was it.

  It lacked anything that could be called human or emotion. It felt less like a mask, and more like the way he had felt in his previous life.

  As the last vestiges of light fled the sky, Rene shook himself from his deep thoughts. The time to strike would be now. When things were slowing down for the day, and men would go out seeking the attentions of others.

  When a brothel would truly open and their business had just barely started.

  Rene stepped off the roof and dropped to the street below.

  Your skill in Safe Fall has increased (5)

  Chapter 17

  With a thump, his boots hit the paving stones and he stood up, adjusting his clothes as he stepped forward.

  Determinedly, Rene began his march on the brothel. Pushing the door open with his forearm, he scanned the crowd immediately. He targeted and Analyzed every person he could see.

  All around him, people began whispering about him. He had no doubt his appearance would cause a stir even before he did anything.

  Which honestly, served him well. Half of this takeover would need to be based on performance, and the other half brutality.

  He’d need to display the futility in challenging him, that to do so was as insane as he was. That working for him was much better than being killed by him.

  The two men’s titles were “Brothel Manager” and “Guard,” and they were in a corner talking to each other. There was no one else in the brothel he could find that concerned him in any way.

  Rene flowed through the people around him straight to his targets.

  Looking at the manager, Rene placed his hand on his cheek and tilted his head to one side.

  “Do be so kind and go get your boss for me, I need to speak with him about the ownership of his guild. I’d like to offer him his life in exchange for one hundred percent ownership. Personally, I think it’s a fair deal,” Rene said. “A real steal, you could say.”

  The guard next to the manager stood up and drew his weapon in a flash.

  Unsheathing his sword with his left hand, Rene leapt forward. He skewered the guard through the chest. The blade went through the man’s heart, and out his back.

  With a smooth hissing noise of steel, he withdrew the black blade from the man. With a flick of his wrist, he spun the blade to the side, and blood splattered the ground.

  That was when the yelling started. Screams and shouts flooded the room. Cries of murderer and to fetch the guards.

  The manager scrambled out of his chair and was off running for the door. Rene let the man flee. He wanted him to come back with reinforcements and hopefully his boss.

  If he could do that, he’d maybe even let the man live. Give him the position of a courier.

  Slumping to his knees, the guard groaned. He pressed a hand to the hole in his chest as if the pressure would help him. His eyes watched Rene as his blood pumped out with each heartbeat.

  “Sorry,” Rene said with a shrug of his shoulders. In truth, he hadn’t wanted to kill the guard. Spending alignment like that felt like a waste.

  It only took half a minute for the guard to fall over, his heart giving up the fight after having been decimated by the single thrust.

  Rene immediately looted the man without stripping him of his clothes. Then he dragged the now dead man to the middle of the entry room. Where everyone would see it.

  Propping the man up like some sort of morbid chair, with his knees and legs forming the back, and his spine
the seat, Rene sat down on him. He crossed one leg over the other and sat there watching the door, waiting.

  All around him people kept their distance, trying their best not to look important enough to bother with, but wanting very much to watch the drama that was unfolding.

  Rene sighed, annoyed at having to act this way and the lack of professionalism in it. Holding up the new blade, he Analyzed it.

  Your skill in Analyze has increased (19)

  Item Name: The Black Blade

  Description: A deadly and formidable tool. A weapon designed to inspire fear and take lives. The mere sight of this blade will bode an uneasiness in people. Like hearing the high-pitched whine of a dentist’s drill.

  Or when you asked a girl out. You got friend-zoned faster than a twenty-first century rom-com hero.

  Damage: 15-34

  Functions-

  None.

  Attributes-

  Fear: inspire fear in those who view this weapon

  Ass. Dick punching. Dick-punching-bag.

  Repeated dick punching till it falls off.

  Rene nodded.

  “He really is an ass,” he muttered.

  Sitting there, Rene heard only the sounds of people moving as little as possible and the occasional noise from outside.

  Twice customers came in, saw him sitting there on a corpse, and left immediately.

  Then several men burst through the door at the same time. All had weapons out and looked ready to use them.

  One was labeled as “Guild Lieutenant” and the other two as “Enforcers.”

  All three looked at him, sitting on the corpse of someone they knew. Or so Rene supposed.

  Maybe they thought the mask was silly and that was why they hesitated.

  The lieutenant was a big man. Huge, really. Real ogre of a guy. The two enforcers were also fairly beefy.

  Damn, now it’ll take longer to finish this. Here’s to blood, blood, blood.

  Rene stood up and in one smooth motion buried his sword in the lieutenant’s stomach, punching straight through the abdominal aorta with the blade.