Mercenary Little Death Bringer

by Banks, Catherine

  “Do you take pleasure in killing ogres?” he asked me, cutting me off.

  “Yes, but I have never killed an ogre who did not attack me first,” I said defensively.

  “But you wish you could, don’t you? You wish you could obliterate every single ogre off of the face of the planet, right?”

  How could I respond to that? “I’m not evil,” I said softly.

  He smiled. “Of course you’re not. I never suspected you were. I’m just trying to get you to understand yourself.”

  “What is your end goal?” I asked him.

  “To help you unlock your true destiny and for you to realize that you cannot continue as a mercenary.”

  “I am a mercenary,” I said angrily, “I will complete the training. I will become one.”

  He stood up, flinging his chair backwards and stood in front of my face. “You are not capable of being a mercenary. Mercenaries are men. You are a woman.”

  “Is that the real reason you kidnapped me? Because you don’t want a woman to become a mercenary?”

  “Once the other women hear of this there will be more and they will want to train to be a mercenary like you. Then the world will be overrun by second rate mercenaries who constantly fail their missions and end up getting others killed simply because they didn’t know when to stop playing dress up and keep their dresses and corsets on!”

  “I am aware that the life of a mercenary is not for women in general, but I am not an average woman. I am just as capable as any man.”

  “You are an abomination!” he screamed and then walked to his chair, righted it and sat down. He took several deep breaths to calm himself and then met my eyes. “You don’t even know what you are, do you?”

  “I’m abnormal, I’m aware of that,” I said sadly, “I am much more skilled in manly arts than I am womanly arts. I’m faster than a lot of other humans, but I believe that is simply because I train extremely hard and force myself to keep up with the elves. I am strong, but not abnormally strong.”

  “Lie,” he said, “You are abnormally strong. You just fail to understand how to unleash it.”

  “I have troubles lifting the feed sacks. How can you define that as abnormally strong?”

  “You simply fail to understand how to unleash your true powers.”

  “You’re crazy,” I said seriously.

  “I witnessed your attack on the ogres at the Elven Kingdom. You sliced through them like they were made of butter. No human is that strong.”

  “Are you trying to tell me that I’m not human?” I asked disbelievingly. This guy must be crazy.

  “Not fully human,” he said with a smirk.

  “I bleed red. I faint when choked. I have stupid girly emotions. I trip and fall and scrap my knees. It took practice and training for me to gain muscle and be able to lift feed sacks. I can barely swing a mace. My parents were both human. I am human,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “You are part human,” he agreed, “And those weren’t your real parents.” I couldn’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t piss him off so I just held my tongue. “If you were human this medallion wouldn’t work on you,” he said as he wiggled it.

  “If you know so much then why don’t you tell me what I am?” I asked mockingly.

  “I will not educate you so that you can unlock your true powers. I only want you to understand what you are and that you cannot be a mercenary and you most certainly cannot become a Protector. Helping you unlock your true powers would be suicide on my part.”

  “Kidnapping me was suicide on your part. The Elves will hunt you down and slice you up into little tiny bits for kidnapping me. Unless I don’t do it first that is.”

  He smiled. “I like your spunk, but your anger is misguided. I will release you as soon as you make a blood oath to stop pursuing the life of a mercenary and agree to live as a lady in the Elven Kingdom.”

  I leapt to my feet and jerked on the chains, stretching to the end of them and pulling as hard as I could. “Never,” I said as my blood began to boil. “I am a mercenary and I always will be.”

  He shook his head and pushed the medallion against my arm. “Maybe after a few days without water or food you’ll change your mind.”

  I wanted to curse at him. I wanted to slit his throat, but the damn medallion only forced me unconscious again.

  * * *

  “How are you today?” Lawrence asked, “Any change of heart?”

  “Screw you,” I mumbled as I woke up. “You might as well kill me.”

  “I have no intention of killing you, but if you refuse to see things my way I may be forced to.”

  “I’ll never see things your way. Just kill me or put the medallion against my skin. I am a mercenary.”

  “See this is part of the problem. Could you imagine if every woman thought it was okay to talk to men like this?”

  “You aren’t a man. You are a slimy, cold hearted snake.”

  “I think more time unconscious will cure you.”

  “I think cutting off your head is the only way to cure you,” I said angrily.

  He pushed the medallion against my skin. “You have spirit, but I will break that soon.”

  * * *

  “Feel like being a lady today?” he asked as I woke up again.

  “What day is it?” I asked him.

  “You sleep for one day every time the medallion touches you. This is your fourth day at my castle. Plus the medallion saps your strength.” No wonder my throat was on fire for water and my stomach felt so empty. “So, do you feel like changing jobs yet?”

  “I am a mercenary,” I whispered, “And once I get free I will kill you.”

  “You sadden me, Marin. Truly you sadden me. If you go more than another day like this you will die.”

  “Then slit my throat now and put me out of my misery. My answer will not change.”

  “We shall see tomorrow,” he said and tied the medallion around my neck. “Sweet dreams.”

  He left the cell and headed out of the dungeon area. I waited as long as I could and then whispered, “Fira.”

  The necklace Maddock had given me flared and the strap holding the medallion around my neck began sizzling. I took deep breaths and kept my eyes open to keep myself from passing out and finally the medallion fell to the ground and I was conscious. I was going to owe Maddock for his gift. I moved backwards to get away from the medallion and took inventory of my body. Half of my strength had been sapped by the medallion’s contact, but I was pretty sure he wouldn’t come back until the next day since he’d put the medallion on.

  I had to escape. There had to be someway to get out. I leaned against the wall and looked around the cell. The only thing in the cell was the chair and that couldn’t help me get out of the chains. I rubbed my neck and then a crazy idea crossed my mind. Could the necklace burn through the chains? There was only one way to find out so I held the chain up to my neck, leaned forward in case it got so hot it melted and the metal dripped and whispered, “Fira.”

  Bright light blinded me and I was forced to close my eyes and endure the heat as the necklace went to work. I dropped to my knees due to my weakness and when the metal shackle dropped to the floor I bit my lip to keep from screaming in joy. I put the second one up and it too melted off. I relaxed against the wall a moment to conserve my strength and then went to the cell door and pushed it, sadly it was locked. I wondered if my necklace had a limit to how much it could be used and prayed silently that it would work at least long enough to get me out of the cell.

  I pressed my neck against the side of the lock and whispered, “Fira,” and then smiled when I heard it begin to sizzle. Footsteps clopped down the hallway above me and I knew my time was running out. The door swung open to my cell and I ran out to the side of the wall, which would hide me when Lawrence came downstairs. Why was he here already? Didn’t he say I was out for an entire day each time he used the medallion? Why would he be back so soon?

  The dungeon door opened
and his boots clopped down the stairs in a giddy-like step. He walked down the steps and took four steps into the dungeon when he realized that my cell door was open and I wasn’t in my restraints anymore. He ran into the cell, grabbing the medallion off of the floor and I ran up the stairs as fast as I could, shutting the dungeon door and trying to lock it.

  “Get back here!” he screamed. I ignored him, stop trying to lock the door since I couldn’t and ran out the way the mercenaries had brought me in, taking two steps out into the sunlight when Lawrence tackled me. I head butted him and rolled away, trying to run again with what little energy I had left.

  He had the medallion in his hand and I knew if he used that I would be done for and he would probably kill me. I ran out of the castle courtyard only to come up against a wall I didn’t remember coming through. Why was my memory fragmented when I’d been awake?

  “You have no where to run to and no one to help you,” he said as he faced me. “I am very impressed that you got out. How did you do it?”

  I ignored him as I surveyed my surroundings and searched for an escape option. I darted left, but apparently he had been prepared for that and snatched me up, trying to place the medallion against my chest. I bit into his arm as hard as I could, piercing the skin and tasting blood. I ground my teeth together and he yelled in pain, dropping the medallion on the ground and losing his grip on the right side of my body. I tried to run, but he still had a hold of my left arm. I kicked him in the stomach as hard as I could, but he was prepared for that and flexed his stomach to take the impact.

  He punched me in the face before I could block him and I dropped to my knees from the pain. It wasn’t as hard as Favian’s had been, but it was still a hell of a punch. I knew it was cruel and if my life hadn’t been on the line I never would have done it, but I punched him in his family jewels and ran like hell. I made it to the gate and had just started to pull it open when he grabbed my hair and slammed my face into the iron gate. “That hurt,” he said angrily as he smashed my face against the gate again.

  I elbowed him in the side, but it seemed I had pissed him off so much that pain wasn’t an issue at the moment. He threw me to the ground and kicked me in the ribs. “You are a woman and it seems you need to be reminded of your place in the world of men.” He grabbed my shirt and ripped it open, exposing my upper body and stomach. I tried to get away from him, but I barely had any strength and I couldn’t escape him. He pulled down my pants and I kicked him in the nose as hard as I could when he let up on my legs. He growled angrily and punched me in the face, making me gasp in pain and making my head spin. He pulled his twig out and started to move towards me and I did the only thing I could think of in the situation. I brought my knees together, trapping his twig between my knee caps and squeezed and moved them side to side as hard as I could.

  He screamed in pain and punched me in the face again, this time clearly as hard as he could. “That was dirty and you know it,” he growled as he pulled his twig back into his pants, “Now I’m going to make you pay.” He straddled my hips and wrapped his hands around my throat, choking me.

  I clawed at his hands and punched him in the sides and arms, but he held on, refusing to let me go. My vision started to blur and my ears began to ring as I lost consciousness for the last time.

  “Marin!” I heard Favian yell.

  I closed my eyes and prayed that he was okay. I hadn’t wanted to die, but hallucinating hearing the sound of his voice was at least a small and strange happiness.

  The man’s hands were removed from my throat and I was able to gasp in some air. I took in large, burning gulps of air and opened my eyes to find the cloaked man fighting with Lawrence. Why was the cloaked man fighting him? I didn’t need to stick around to find out. I stood up and limped as quickly as I could out the gate and started down the road. I glanced back to see the cloaked man fighting hand to hand with Lawrence and starting to lose.

  “Come back here!” Lawrence yelled and then started running from the cloaked man after me. The cloaked man was dripping blood down his left arm to the ground, but he used his right arm and threw a dagger into Lawrence’s back. Lawrence staggered forward and then fell to the ground, dead. I turned back around and ran as fast as I could to get away from the cloaked man. I didn’t know who he was or why he suddenly decided to kill Lawrence, but I couldn’t stay around to find out if he wanted me dead or alive.

  I had to slow due to my wounds and the cloaked man appeared in front of me. I stepped up to him and grabbed his money pouch. He stayed perfectly still and watched as I opened it and pulled out my bracelet. “This is mine,” I said with as much steel in my voice as I could.

  “I know,” said Favian’s voice.

  I looked around, searching for him and then the cloaked man took off his hood and I stared in utter disbelief at the face of my best friend. “You? You’re the cloaked man?”

  He started to put the cloak around me, but I shied away from him. He frowned at me. “Marin, I had to play the part so I could find out where they were bringing you. If I hadn’t gone along with the plan I wouldn’t have known where to find you.”

  “You left me down in that dungeon for four days!” I screamed at him. “I haven’t had any food or water and I was almost raped and murdered!”

  “Put on the cloak,” Favian said. I was still pissed at him, but I took it and put it on, wrapping it around my body to cover myself. Favian said, “It’s still the first day. I only pretended to leave the castle so he wouldn’t expect me to come back and save you. That medallion only knocks you out for an hour at a time.”

  “Why did you take the bracelet?”

  “I didn’t want one of the other mercenaries to take it. I took it for safe keeping.”

  Tears streamed down my face and I asked, “Why didn’t you just kill them?”

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered as he grabbed me in a hug. “I am so sorry he hurt you. I couldn’t kill the three of them. If I could have I would have, I swear it. I am so sorry I failed you and allowed you to get hurt.”

  I pulled back from him, locking the emotions down to get back to what mattered. I saw blood on his arm and frowned. “You’re injured.”

  He shrugged. “I have medicine in my saddle bags. You are the worst of us. We need to get you to a healer right away.”

  He put his arm around my waist and we walked slowly down the road. “You weren’t supposed to come. You were supposed to stay back at the Academy and regroup,” I whispered.

  “If I had done that I never would have found you. This castle is hidden very well and is over fifty miles from home.”

  “How did we travel that far if I was only knocked out for one hour each time the medallion was pressed on me? I don’t remember fainting that much.”

  “They used it on you as soon as you started to stir so you wouldn’t even have been conscious yet,” he said. He stopped and whistled loudly, calling for the horses. “I wanted to slit their throats every night, but the one with the scar was the only one who knew the way and he refused to tell us. I had to keep quiet.”

  “Why did you tackle me that day I tried to get away?” I asked softly.

  “They were ready to kill you then. I had to neutralize the situation and tackling you and knocking you out was the only way to keep you alive.”

  Fire and Ice trotted up to us and Fire whinnied happily when she smelled me. I rubbed her nose and smiled. “Hey girl.” Favian released me, making sure I was leaning on Fire and then got his medicines and bandages from the saddle bags. “Let me help,” I said as I sat down next to him on the road and helped him wrap the wound on his upper arm.

  He sat still until I finished and then demanded to inspect me for injuries. I couldn’t help the blush on my cheeks as I was forced to expose my naked body to him, but he was fast and it was over quickly. “You have bruises where he kicked and punched you, but nothing serious.”

  “I could have told you that,” I said as I wrapped the cloak around myself again.

/>   “I have extra clothes,” he said as he reached inside the saddle bags on Fire and handed me a set of clothes. “I figured yours would be dirty and you would want a change.”

  “How did you get both horses here? You weren’t riding either of them.”

  “I had them following behind us in the forest where they wouldn’t be seen.”

  “When did you train them to be able to do that?” I asked in shock.

  He shrugged. “A little hwile ago.”

  He turned around and I quickly changed into my clothes, grunting with the movements, but happy not to be naked anymore. “Done.”

  Favian turned around and said, “We should get mounted and start home. I’m sure you want to get back as soon as possible.” I nodded my head and tried to mount Fire, but was in too much pain. Favian pulled me backwards gently and tapped the center of the saddle. “Fire, lower please.”

  Fire dropped her front legs and then her back until she was lying down on the ground. “I didn’t know she could do that either,” I said in shock.

  “I taught her that last spring when you hurt your back, but you were too stubborn to let me show you.”

  I climbed onto her back and clucked. She stood up and started walking. Favian mounted Ice and we headed South at an incredibly slow walk. Unfortunately that was the fastest I could go with bruised ribs and even at a slow walk my ribs hurt with every step.

  We rode until the sun set and then made camp in the woods a mile from the road. I didn’t have my sleeping bag so I was forced to share Favian’s, but with the last few days I’d had, I was more than happy to.

  He wrapped his arms around me, being sure to avoid my bruised parts and sang an Elvish lullaby to me, one which mother used to sing to us. I sighed deeply when he finished and whispered, “Thank you.”

  “For singing?”

  “For coming for me.”

  “I told you I would.”