Second Hand Curses

by Drew Hayes

  “Truth be told, this is one of my favorite things Frank can make,” Jack whispered. “I’ve been hoping we’d have another job that needed them for the pure fun of it.”

  “Just don’t have so much fun you forget where you’re going. Don’t think I’ve forgotten that you nearly went into that thorn wall because you were having such a grand time playing around in the air.” Frank finished fastening the final piece of canvas onto his own back and surveyed the other two. “Everyone ready?”

  “And then some,” Jack replied.

  “I’m prepared to go whenever you give the word.” Marie liked to keep things somewhat professional during these parts of the job. It felt like a necessary contrast to the kind of work she’d be doing for the rest of the night.

  “Then remember to jump as far from the spire as possible. If the canvas catches, you aren’t going anywhere.” Frank took a few steps back, clearly readying himself for a running leap, a move that Jack and Marie both mirrored.

  Together, the three of them ran as one unit, bolting toward the edge of the spire and hurling themselves off with all their might. For a brief moment, Marie felt her stomach drop as the ground came rushing toward her. She could hear her blood pounding through her ears, and every instinct she had was screaming to transform in hopes that she’d be tough enough to survive the fall. With all the mental willpower she possessed, Marie pushed the beast away from her mind, refusing to give it control. Yet with each instant that passed, the monster in her grew louder, the demands more insistent, roaring that she would die without its power.

  And then she felt the sudden jerk along her body as Frank’s canvas sheet snapped open, slowing her fall substantially. She could barely see the other two floating along as well, drifting through the night air as they passed easily over the mansion’s wall. Tilting the joints on her shoulder as Frank had taught her, she directed her movement slightly to the left, putting her on a straight course with the mansion’s roof. The wind that she’d been cursing turned into an ally, moving them at a brisk pace over the heads of the patrolling guards. Marie allowed herself to look around on pretense of scanning to see if they were spotted, although, in truth, part of her was simply admiring the view.

  Jack was right, this was a splendid experience. She might have liked to try it when the risk of capture or death wasn’t hanging over their heads, but even with those in play there was still something marvelous and thrilling about flying through the sky. It was hard not to get lost in the sensation, which was, unfortunately, exactly what she did.

  It wasn’t until she was over the roof that Marie realized she hadn’t lost enough altitude. Jack and Frank were both turning in tight circles to lower themselves slowly onto the roof, while she was floating high in the sky. Marie was going to overshoot their target. Not by a lot, but by enough.

  Thinking fast, Marie mentally reached for the monster she’d inherited in her blood. Most of the panic was gone now, replaced by the wonder at her flight, but she had more than enough fear at the idea of overshooting to draw out some of her curse. As best she could manage, Marie allowed her body to grow slowly. The leather strapped around her made strained noises as it was stretched, barely holding together. Her increase in weight had the desired effect, though, sinking her at a faster rate. Just when it looked as if she’d land with room to spare, a rogue gust of wind pushed her slightly. Scrambling, Marie felt her hands turn to claws as she leaned down and reached for the edge of the roof. Her claws sank in at the last second, and she pulled herself back before the wind could carry her all the way over the edge. Landing as softly as she could manage, Marie focused on turning back to human form, trying to lessen her size so she wouldn’t stomp around the roof and alert everyone below. After a few seconds, her body was more or less back to normal, though her enchanted clothing was peeking out from the holes ripped in her dark robe by the shift.

  Allowing herself a few moments to catch her breath, Marie rose to her feet and began to unfasten the battered leather joints from her back and shoulders. Nearby, Frank and Jack were both finishing up the task. Once it was done, they piled the canvas and joints back into a bag slung over Frank’s back.

  They’d successfully made it onto the roof without being spotted. Now all that remained was to search a massive mansion for a heavily guarded contract before an alarm could be raised. Soaring through the sky didn’t seem quite so difficult by comparison.

  * * *

  Getting in proved easy. There was so much attention focused on protecting the ground level that no one seemed to consider the possibility of invaders entering through the roof. After Jack picked a lock leading down to the top floor of the mansion, they encountered only a single guard in the first hallway. Frank knocked him out quickly, taking care not to do lasting damage. While the team often found themselves in situations that demanded killing, when the chance to avoid needless murder arose they tried to make a point of taking it. They stripped the guard of his keys and weapons, then set about searching their surroundings.

  Although they’d been braced to fight their way down, past each floor and into the basement dungeon, it didn’t take long for them to realize that they’d miscalculated. Turning down a few hallways, they soon found themselves looking at a massive metal door protected by no fewer than ten guards. It was only fortune and Jack’s quick reflexes that allowed them to duck back out of sight before being spotted.

  The three exchanged confused glances. Surely this had to be a decoy. Then, Marie thumped herself gently on the forehead as realization finally hit. Pulling the others in, she whispered as loudly as she dared.

  “This whole place is built assuming someone will come in from the ground, so why would they store the contract in a dungeon that’s easy to get to from the first floor? The shoemaker went with the ‘tallest tower’ approach.”

  Both men nodded in agreement. Sticking a valuable object in the highest room of the tallest tower was indeed a classic strategy, although more often used with prisoners. If that was the case, then they’d already reached their target. On the other hand, if this was a decoy, they were going to have to reveal themselves much sooner than planned and fight their way down. Plus, it would only be a matter of time before reinforcements arrived.

  “Marie, you and I will charge. Frank, blow the stairs so their companions can’t come help.”

  Digging into his bag, Frank produced a small pouch with a wick poking out the top, as well as a handheld tool he’d designed for smashing flint and steel together. For her part, Marie allowed the beast that was already barely contained to make its way out, the hallway quickly growing cramped as her body expanded. Jack merely drew his sword and gave it a swing to test his range in the enclosed space.

  There was nothing else that needed saying, so they didn’t waste the words. Instead, Marie waited until Jack and Frank were directly behind her, making certain she’d shield them from any bolts or arrows, then hunkered down into a crouch. She felt a gentle tap on each of her feet, signaling that the men were ready. That was her cue, and she didn’t dawdle. Letting out the beast brought along its temper, bloodlust, and desire to cause destruction. All she needed was something to channel those instincts toward, something like a squad of guards at the end of the hall.

  Marie kicked off so hard that boards snapped under her heavy, clawed feet, tearing around the corner on all fours to get as much speed as possible. When she made the turn, she could see the confusion and terror suddenly fall upon the guards like a collapsing sky. They’d been relaxing, having a chat, sure that if trouble came they would have ample time to prepare themselves. Now, without warning, a massive creature had appeared before them and was charging fast. A few managed to keep their heads, grabbing the crossbows slung across their hips and trying to take aim in spite of their shaking hands. Marie was ready for this, roaring at the top of her lungs to surprise and disorient them. It didn’t buy her much time, perhaps a few more seconds, but it was enough to let her get within claw’s reach of the first guard and that
was all she needed.

  Her initial attack didn’t even try to scratch the guard, instead she merely smacked him away, into and over the railing of the nearby stairs, sending him tumbling out to fall through the several stories of open air to the ground floor below. A crossbow bolt slammed into her shoulder, barely piercing her thick hide enough to stick in the flesh. She repaid the attacker by slamming him into the metal door so hard that she could hear bones crack. Gentle tactics might be preferable when they had the time, but in a real battle there was rarely a chance for such niceties.

  From the corner of her eye, she could make out Jack whipping around, his thin blade moving too quickly for her eyes to track. Not every blow left a corpse behind, but the strikes severed tendons and muscles. That made the cleanup all the easier for Marie, who was careful to bring down the guards before they could recover. It was such frantic, fast-paced work that she lost track of Frank, which made the sudden explosion of his powder such a shock. She jerked in surprise, accidentally tossing another guard over the railing with what was meant to be a simple punch. Below, the middle of the stairway was in smoldering ruins. It could be crossed, if one was determined and an incredible jumper, but not easily. Hopefully, the obstacle would buy them enough time.

  All at once, Marie realized there were no more targets to strike. The guards were all either dead, down, or tossed out of the fight, leaving the trio a clear path to the door. Not wasting a moment, Jack dropped to his knees to examine the lock, set of picks already in hand. No sooner had his hand grasped the lock than he dropped it, though, cursing under his breath.

  “Enchanted. Guess we should have expected that.” He began looking over the downed guards, nudging them slightly to see their possessions. “Might be too much to hope that one of these idiots would be trusted with a magical key.”

  “We don’t need it,” While Jack was working on the lock, Frank had slipped around to his side. “The lock is the only part that’s enchanted, not the door. If Marie can smash though this section of the wall, I should be able to pop the hinges off in under a minute.”

  From below, they could hear commands being yelled forcefully along with the stamping of feet. Many, many feet. If that force made it past the ruined staircase, they were going to have to retreat. Without the element of surprise, there was little chance an attack like this would work a second time.

  Marie didn’t waste seconds they couldn’t spare, driving her claws into the wall around the door, tearing away at the wood and bits of metal that were reinforcing it. Frank yanked out tools from his bag and swiftly banged on the hinges with expert precision.

  The first one was off by the time they heard guards running directly below them. Frank popped the second hinge just as the first group of guards tried racing up the final part of the stairs, only to find a huge section conspicuously missing. Quickly, Marie swung around, tucking her head and putting her back between the guards and Frank. He couldn’t afford distractions, not when they were so close. Crossbow bolts slammed into her back, most failing to pierce her hide but a few sticking painfully deep. She made no noise though. Frank was already doing his best; he didn’t need her pain for motivation.

  Finally, the last hinge popped off and Frank roughly shoved the door forward. It was barely enough for him to slip by, yet he did all the same, with Jack following quickly behind. Marie was the last one in, violently wrenching the door out so she could shove her massive frame through. A few rogue bolts slammed into the steel door as she darted past, blows she was glad to have missed. Her back already hurt like hell, and pulling out those bolts wasn’t going to be much fun.

  Past the door, they found themselves in a lovely white chamber, filled with flickering candles and trimmed with gold along the ceiling. There, in the center of the room, was a large cage over a marble podium. Resting atop the podium was a golden piece of parchment, rolled tightly and sealed with an emblem that quite resembled a shoe. They already suspected this cage was enchanted as well; it was clear from the slight glow gleaming in its polished surface. Thankfully, this much they’d expected.

  “Frank, you may want to hurry.” Jack was peering out through the hole in the wall that had once been a door. “I think there were more stairs leading up here, because it sounds like the guards are on our floor.”

  “Moving as quickly as I can.” Frank had produced another pouch with a wick, and was measuring it against the gaps in the cage’s bars. Reaching the parchment was impossible; it was too far away even if the gaps had been large enough for a hand to slip past. But Acorn hadn’t hired them merely to take the parchment. He wanted it destroyed, and that was a much simpler task to accomplish. Frank poured some of the powder from the sack into another bag, shrinking the size of the first pouch. He gave it a test shove and found it able to pass through a gap in the bars, then motioned for Marie. “If you don’t mind, I’ll need a boost.”

  Keenly aware of the sound of approaching guards, Marie leapt over, picking up Frank by the waist and holding him directly over the top of the cage. Frank angled the pouch carefully, moving slowly even as he held his flint and steel device near the wick. One spark, and the wick was burning. With a few minor adjustments, Frank let go of the pouch, which fell cleanly through the bars and landed with a satisfying plop onto the podium, directly next to the parchment.

  Marie didn’t bother to set Frank down. She ran to the corner of the room still holding him by the waist. When the explosion came moments later, she’d pulled him in close and once more put her back between Frank and danger. The few marble shards that were sent flying missed her, though a couple did leave dents in a nearby wall. Turning around, she found the cage looking largely untouched despite the fractured podium and burning remains of the parchment within. That was the trouble with going for ambiance over functionality; a sturdy lock-box with the same enchantment would have provided a far greater challenge.

  The guards were nearly there; footsteps seemed to be thundering all around them. Then, Marie realized she could hear another sound, louder than the guards’. Cheering, crying, shouts of joy, these noises were rising up from all through the mansion. Throughout the town, actually. All of the captured tinker elves were suddenly discovering that their bonds were cut. The contract was destroyed, and with it their servitude.

  A slight pop drew her attention as Acorn appeared in front of Frank, far less wary than he had been at their first meeting. “Did it! You did it!” Acorn waved his arm around, showing the absence of the golden circle. “Elves free! Thank you, scary man. Thank you!”

  “Of course. We always uphold our bargains,” Frank replied. “Speaking of, I believe you and I have another.” From his robe, Frank produced a single gold coin, which he tossed to Acorn. “Payment upon request, as agreed. I assume our terms are still amenable?”

  “Far less than we’d normally charge for such a task. Far less.” Acorn held the piece of gold in his small hands briefly before it vanished from sight. “But pleasure, oh such pleasure, we shall take, that makes up for the cost.” Like the gold before, Acorn vanished.

  Marie could still hear him though, he and the other tinker elves laughing and cheering mirthfully from out in the halls. As their joy came, so too did myriad sounds from the guards. Cries of confusion and shock, along with the sound of rivets being torn out, strings being snapped, and seams getting ripped. By the time she managed to look out the door, quite a sight was waiting for her.

  To a man, the guards’ equipment had been completely broken apart. Armor, weapons, even all but the most essential of clothing had been scattered to pieces along the ground. The charging warriors were suddenly stripped near naked, a revelation made all the more terrifying as Jack, Frank, and Marie stepped out from the chamber, weapons perfectly intact.

  A few brave souls raised their fists and put on looks of grim determination, but Frank stepped forward before they could do anything truly foolish. “Gentlemen, as you have just seen, the tinker elves are now free. On top of that, they are going to tear this entire m
ansion apart just as they have your gear. You currently have two options: stay, fight us, and die, or run for all you’re worth before the building comes down.”

  At Frank’s words, the roof began to groan, and several walls let out snapping cracks that in no way boded well for the structural integrity of the mansion. Between getting stripped of their weapons, seeing three armed opponents, and the sounds of snapping wood, the guards all decided that their pay wasn’t nearly enough for this level of risk. The first one broke into a run, back down the hall toward whatever set of stairs they’d taken up, and that was all it took for the rest to follow.

  Marie didn’t give chase. Instead she tucked Frank under one arm and Jack beneath the other, then took a ferocious leap across the wrecked section of stairs. She cleared it easily, slamming hard into the wall on the other side and leaving a sizable dent in the wood. They didn’t pause to admire her handiwork; instead, she set her friends down and together the three raced as fast as they could down the remaining floors.

  Occasionally, they would see more guards, also surrounded by broken equipment, though none bothered to challenge them. Dust rained from the ceilings and cracks were crawling up the walls; it was plain for anyone to see that escape was the top priority of those who wished to live.

  They soon reached the bottom floor, where Marie was surprised to notice that the tinker elves had even taken apart the equipment on the corpses she’d knocked over the railing. Credit to them, they were nothing if not thorough. Together, the trio joined the exodus of guards running for their lives, bolting through the front entrance into the lovely cloudless night they’d left behind.

  What awaited them was so surprising that Marie almost slowed for a moment. The wall around the mansion, much like the guards’ equipment, had been taken apart at impossible speeds. What was more striking, however, was the shoe shop/museum they’d climbed less than an hour ago. That building was not in pieces; instead it had been engulfed in flames. The whole structure was burning fiercely, lighting up the night like a fiery beacon.