“Walter sends his regards” the swordsman said right as a small fireball exploded into his face.
Glen used the distraction to strip the sword away from the new attacker and chased after the man that stabbed Darius, catching him in the back with a slashing strike and causing the man to fall.
“Please don’t” was his last words as Glen stabbed into his throat then turned around quickly and caught the other man rushing in with a stab to the chest. Glen left them there and ran by Roamer who was looking at Glen with a shocked expression. Glen ran back inside, Darius was bleeding all over the place as Ruby rested his head in her lap.
“We need to get him to my father” Glen said. “He knows magic, let's hurry!”
Glen thought it was too late for Darius but didn’t want to say anything, he just kept his focus on the road and screamed a couple of times at the driver who picked this time to obey all rules of the road.
“Get Off” Glen said as he grabbed the reins.
“What do you mean get off?” the carriage driver said.
“Get off you are fired” Glen replied. “We have someone dying in there and you are driving these horses as slow as possible.”
“There are rules and he is just a whore!” the driver said as Glen kicked him in the hip and sent him crashing on the road below.
Glen was gone before the man could even retaliate and was happy his father had let him drive their carriage sometimes when they were out. Glen practically drove the wagon directly into his father’s house as he screamed for the man loudly. Glen opened up the carriage and looked at Ruby who looked white as a sheet.
“He is still breathing” Ruby said as she held the dagger in place.
“What is the meaning of” David said as he yanked opened the door.
“Father he needs your help” Glen said looking at his father.
“Out of the carriage and lay him flat on the porch” David said. “Glen go find one of the servants and tell them I need sheets and Darla.”
Glen picked up Darius, it was awkward doing it in the carriage and sat him down on the porch. Darla was already at the door looking shocked as she saw Darius and all the blood he had lost. Glen ran into the house and over to where he knew the sheets were kept, he grabbed a few and ignored Jeffries, the head servant who was screaming at him to stop or something. When Glen came back Darius’s robe was wide open and his chest was visible, the dagger was out of him and Ruby was holding pressure down as David and Darla poured their magic into his body. They were trying to use brute force to get through him, their magic would forcefully speed up the body to repair any damaged tissues. David chanted then sent a small tendril of his power into Darius, it wasn’t very strong but Glen could follow it into the wound and was amazed to find out the dagger went straight through the middle and had completely missed the heart and lungs. Glen couldn’t help but he could see his father and sister had stopped most of bleeding, Darius would live but he wouldn’t be in any shape to do much of anything. A wound like the one he had might even get him out of serving, at least for a while.
“You have a story to tell” David said as he got up. “I think you all do” David finished as he looked at Ruby then to an unconscious Darius.
“I know” Glen said looking down at Darius.
“He lost a lot of blood but he will be fine” David said. “He can stay in your old room out back until he recovers. Does the city watch know about this?”
“Not yet” Glen said. “But they will.”
“Well I will have some men bring him to your old room” David replied. “You and this girl is going to tell me everything before we get to reporting this.”
Glen told his father everything and could see his father change emotions from anger to disgust to rage. David let Glen finish the story inside of the carriage as David, Glen and Ruby all headed out to find the city watch.
“I honestly don’t know what to say” David growled. “I want to yell at you but I need to find this Walter and tear him from limb to limb. Glen why would you do this to yourself? I have money, you could have just stayed in the city somewhere if you wanted to get away.”
“Da why didn’t mother kill you?” Glen blurted out.
“What?” David asked confused. “We are talking about you.”
“Da when I am with women things happen that I do not think is normal” Glen replied. “I have read about sex, asked Darius and Ruby about sex and my experience differed from theirs.”
“How could it?” David said as he looked at Ruby. “None of you are Fae.”
“No” Ruby said. “We are only good looking and work hard to stay that way.”
“Your Mother didn’t kill me for the same reason she brought you back to me instead of just leaving you at the nearest human settlement” David said and sighed. “I was her prisoner, not the other way around.”
“What do you mean her prisoner?” Glen asked.
“I was surrounded and captured” David said. “Your mother and I had a deal, she wouldn’t attack and kill me if I gave my word I would do everything in my power to free the dark ones so they could retreat deeper into their lands.”
“Why would you agree to that?” Glen asked.
“Because your mother was almost like a drug” David replied. “Just touching her or having her touch me was enough to make me a drooling idiot. I was thinking with other parts of me at first, when I found out she had you inside of her I couldn’t stop her. I helped let a lot of her people go free or prevent them from being captured. As a reward she gave me a chest filled with gold, rubies, diamonds and other things her people had collected from killing various people. That was my initial fortune, it is what got me Martha as her family was losing money and her husband had been killed, a victim of a Fae lover he had taken instead of a goblin. When your mother brought you back to me she also brought another chest, I think she cared for me in her own way. I do not know if I did or if her body made me care for her. I was hoping whatever it is she had, you didn’t have.”
“I don’t feel any pleasure from it” Glen said. “It feels weird, like my body is robbing them of their energy. None of them can control themselves unless I break the connection myself, by then my customers don’t look in the mood for anything but sleep. If I wanted to, I am sure I could over power them even if I was five summers old.”
“Well I don’t know who this Mother is but I don’t want you going back there” David said. “That is not the kind of life for you.”
“I like it there though Da” Glen said. “I have friends, I have another family, a real family.”
“I am your real family” David said.
“You are Da” David replied. “And so are they, I have real people to talk to now. I hate to admit it, but I was born for this kind of work. Martha was right all along as much as I can't stand her.”
“What about when you want to start a family Glen?” David asked. “What then? Your secret is bound to get out to the mage community.”
“And you think after everything that has happened, that I care about what they think?” Glen said. “I already have a decent amount of money and I would never be accepted there anyway.”
“You sure you want this?” David asked as the carriage stopped. “This just doesn’t feel right, Fae or not. Not judging you Ruby, you are a grown woman. You do what you want. This Mother person though is taking advantage of young people.”
“I would have been in a skin house if Mother hadn’t found me” Ruby said. “If we want to quit we can.”
“What is the big difference?” David replied. “You are still doing the same job.”
“I am not servicing customer after customer” Ruby replied. “When I finally leave I will leave with enough money to buy me an okay sized home and live there comfortably for the rest of my life. I know how to read and write and no matter my profession I am sure I can find me someone. If not here than a few towns over. How many little girls do you know came from nothing with no skills other than being pretty can say th
at? You see some of the boys out on the street? Begging and stealing and getting whipped. Girls being found dead in some alley somewhere, that doesn’t happen with Mother. She makes money and we get prepared to be adults with a bank full of money and one of the best educations money can buy.”
“Maybe you are right” David said. “Well let's give your story, this Roamer and whoever else was out on the street can collaborate it.”
CHAPTER 8
“Be careful out there” Samuel said. “Walter is pissed. Him being caught up in that plot to hurt you and the rest of your whores cost him a lot of money to get out of it.”
“One hundred gold to Ruby, one hundred gold to me and five hundred gold to Darius” Glen said. “I just wish the news hadn’t gotten out though. Ruby and Darius are still anonymous but a plot to kill the son of one of the few male mages in the city has garnered a lot of attention. My stepmother knows, my sister knows, everyone knows.”
“No time to feel sorry for yourself now” Samuel said. “Roberts is on a kill mission, you are seeing him at his best.”
“I am not worried” Glen replied. “He is seeing me at my best too.”
“I just hope this works” Samuel replied. “He make think it is weird you are wearing gloves.”
“This staff irritates me a little” Glen said. “Do you think he can tell?”
“No” Samuel replied. “The paint is a good color match. Twelve gold they are giving you for this match and that is without all of the betting. Almost everyone is here to see it, the cheap seats went for five silver a piece. Nothing brings out people like murder and a good old fashioned revenge story. Make sure you are ready, Walter is trying to unnerve you by spreading all the secrets you wish hidden to any and everyone.”
“I am ready” Glen replied. “The entire hundred gold Walter gave me I bet on myself.”
“You are the favorite now though” Samuel replied. “Two to one odds, fifty gold aint a bad haul at all though.”
“Every mage in the city is here” Glen said looking around.
“Well they won't have a long time to admire you” Samuel said. “Most of them have three weeks remaining and then it is over, a lot of these duelists will be gone as well. If Walter wasn’t such a dumbass you and your friend would be looking at leaving as well. Oh well here we go, your old man looks nervous.”
Glen got into position as Samuel walked off to the side, Roberts looked as ready as Glen had ever seen the man. When the signal was given Glen charged, he had the reach so he might as well get on the offensive. Roberts blocked him a lot better this time, the combination of the heavier staff and an alert Roberts made a huge difference. What also made this fight different was that Glen was aggressively going after the lower body, the sound of steel on steel let Roberts know what he was working with. Glen battered his legs whenever he got a shot but otherwise stayed on the move and made Roberts come out for him. This fight Glen made boring, Roberts was accurate in all of his strikes and had hit Glen’s staff three times, once he did it after trapping it with foot. The staff held up well though as the crowd began to jeer, Glen stayed on the outside and for the most part gave small jabs and kept backing up, his better strikes he only took when they were guaranteed. Once Glen could tell Roberts began to slow though he stayed on him, he couldn’t afford to give the man any rest as the jeering stopped somewhat. Roberts fought in spurts, just enough to keep Glen off of him but not enough to do any damage. Glen dodged a heavy blow then went for broke, Glen dropped his staff and grabbed just under the head of the mace and yanked hard, using his feet on Roberts chest to pull with all his weight. Roberts was not ready for the maneuver and fell over with Glen, when Glen got up he had the mace now and went after Roberts who did not have enough time to grab the staff. The mace was very heavy and compact, murmurs went through the crowd as Glen connected to Roberts arm. Glen discovered the armor was made for staves, swords and weapons like that, maces crushed the thin metal easily. Roberts backed up and favored his arm a little as Glen swept his feet out from under him, Glen straddled Roberts and laid the mace on his helm.
Glen dropped the mace and got up quickly, he grabbed his staff and left immediately like Samuel wanted him to if he won the match. The crowd was in silence then cheered but Glen didn’t hear any of it. Glen hurriedly grabbed his winnings along with Samuel then left as the crowds recognized him and tried talking to him. Samuel had his wagon ready to go and Glen left, he could meet up with everyone else later. Walter was most likely beside himself and probably would get himself in trouble, big trouble if he attacked Glen with David in the stands.
“Well I am letting you off here” Samuel said. “I have a lot of young men to train, first time I have ever had a bunch that actually wanted to learn to fight. Could do with the fact the next send off is coming soon and they want to learn to fight before then. Everyone has heard the story of the young duelist who made a big fortune in a short amount of time, now they all want to be you.”
“Well I am hiding out at Mother’s” Glen said. “The less the public sees of me the better. Here, you can take my staff with you.”
“Well here is your purse for the fight and your cut of the bets being made” Samuel said. “You done good by me kid, real good. I have enough to hire an assistant trainer now and maybe I can upgrade this place.”
Glen took his winnings and would stop by and hide it in the place he had been using. Glen had bought an old house that had a living area that doubled as a kitchen and two rooms off from that that he turned into sleeping quarters. The place didn’t cost much at all and Glen had steadily had the place upgraded but had to do some of the work on his own, like the part of the floor that came up to reveal a big metal lockbox that held his winnings. The latches to lift the floor up could not be pulled from the outside, Glen used his magic to lift them. After Glen put his money up he quickly left the place, he had a sizable amount there and it would hold him over well. The trip to Mother’s house took him a while since he traveled by foot, when he got there he was not too surprised to see his father’s carriage outside. Glen walked passed the new muscle Mother had to hire and into the front room where his father and Mother were having a conversation.
“Glen” David said looking at his son.
“Hello Da” Glen replied.
“Relax, I am not here to start any trouble” David said. “Good fight out there, way to stay on the outside.”
“He was tough but was wearing too much armor” Glen said. “I think with everything going on though that I won't be fighting for a while. The money has to be real good to get me out there again. I will still train and everything but I really don’t want to been seen in public for a while.”
“That bad?” David asked.
“Whispers and finger pointing follows me everywhere I go” Glen replied. “I don’t want to go out with anyone around me, if I am recognized then everyone will be.”
“And women curse your name in the street then arrange for you to meet them somewhere” Mother replied. “I told you it is all an act. No one here hates you for it, if anything the rumors spreading about everyone here being Fae has boosted business. If I could I would go and get myself pregnant by some Fae lover.”
“You can take Glen with you” David replied. “This war is getting worse and worse. The Salsians have taken heavy losses but their plan has recently became clear. There were too many people in their empire sucking up resources, they are trying to thin the herd by sending wave after wave. They don’t really want a victory, they want to thin their numbers out so their people won't starve. Too many mouths not enough food and resources. Their worse slaves were on the front lines followed by poor men. They will end the war when they have lost enough people and no time sooner. I have heard about many mages being killed from here just by the sheer numbers the enemy can throw at you. I think this next call up is going to be sooner than three weeks and people are looking to leave here sooner rather than later. Only place to go though is where the dark ones are, we are boxed in. No
way the war ends before the Salsians get here, we are just too close to the border.”
“What are you going to do father?” Glen replied.
“My exit strategy is already being enacted” David replied. “I have gathered most of my money and I bought a little nothing house. If the worse comes only the big beautiful homes are going to be sacked and those valuables taken. My little home will be a good place for me and your sister to hide out in.”
“I need something like that” Mother replied. “But I do not think any of the Salsians would want to shut this place down if they do come. I still need a plan to send my children elsewhere,
~
“Mother there are people here!” Karen said as she ran into the house.
“What?” Mother replied.
“It looks like enemy soldiers, they are coming this way” Karen cried out.
“Put that down” Mother said looking at Glen who grabbed a broom and snapped the head off of it. “If that is the Salsians then the only thing you can do is get yourself killed.”
“How are they here already Mother?” Glen asked.
“I don’t know but they are” Mother replied. “Here comes your greatest performance children get yourselves ready.”
“Open up!” came a rough voice followed by the sounds of someone kicking the door.
“May I help you?” Mother said as she pulled open the door. A Salsian soldier came running through and pushed her onto the floor. He took one look at Ruby and Karen and Glen could see the lust in his eyes. Another man came in right after him, this man was also a soldier but his uniform was neater, he was clean shaven and his skin was a lot cleaner.
“Look what I found, I want that one” the first soldier said pointing at Ruby.
“Excuse me” Mother said looking at the well-dressed Soldier. “Is this man with you?”
“He is with me, and you are?” the Soldier said.
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