by Envy Mercury
Some mages were examining their different staff types, apparently, some needed them, or maybe it just boosted their magic. They could also be useful in hand-to-hand combat, I figured. I didn’t know much about it, but understanding didn’t really affect me. I just had to do me. There were guild members that didn’t have magic. They were sorting different types of arrows and checking over their bows. I saw a variety of bows among them. I wasn’t sure if this was styling or if it affected how they worked.
There was a loud klack of Yumi’s sword as she got everyone's attention in the building. She stood on the bar, looking strong and fierce. The most determination that I had seen her showcase so far. She looked around at everyone and then began to speak.
“Hello, everyone, and welcome. Everyone here knows the plans for tonight, and I see you are doing well to get ready.” Everyone was silent, listening to her words. “Tonight, we go forth to retrieve my home from those evil brutes, we go to make things right, and we go to seek revenge for some among us, including myself,” she spoke loudly as a tear streamed down one side of her face. “My home will be your home as well. It is time to take back our rights and what is ours. It is time to uplift this area and not live-in poverty!” There were some cheers from the groups of the guild members. “I asked for your help as members of my guild and also because you are my friends. It will be a battle, and it will not be easy. Not all of us will make it. But… I promise you that we will win. Let us go forth- and bring them the destruction they have so earned over these past years! It is time!”
An enormous cheer from the crowd and words of support for Yumi were shouted out to reach the goal of taking back what they all had lost. Then one voice piped up from the back when the cheering lessened.
“After we reclaim this place, what about Victor and his forces? I want this as well, but they can come to wipe us out! There is no way we can take him on, even if we win this battle. What of the future battles?”
Yumi stood firm at this legit question. She looked at the man in the back and then looked at everyone else. Then her gaze landed on Mecci and me. She slowly lifted her hand up and pointed right at me.
“Many of you have seen our guests here, but none of you know who they are,” she said as she paused for dramatic effect. I really didn’t like all the attention on me. Mecci just smiled and grabbed my hand.
“With what will happen, I will no longer keep their identities a big secret. Here assisting us, as he has returned, is Lord Rezner!” There was complete silence, and some gasps could be heard. Then there was light chatter of, how could this be? Is that really him? We will be unstoppable. I had my flaws and didn’t like feeling like I was their hope. I have always let people down all my life. I knew that I was needed, though, if anything for morale before we left.
“Is it really him!?” A man shouted.
The man that made the depressing statement about Victor's forces also spoke up. “Yeah, is he Lord Rezner?”
I gulped and took a deep breath. I then pushed out some of my mana to add some dramatic effect to the area around us. It sent out chills and power. Some stumbled a little, I heard more gasps. I slowly turned around to face everyone. I had to do my part.
“I am. I am Lord Rezner. I have come to take back what is yours and also to take back what is mine from Victor Mccann.”
I eased back on my mana, and there was silence. Mecci tugged on my sleeve and gave a look of approval to me. Then the men cheered, and all the chatter was upbeat. It was the boost that was apparently needed. I felt a wave of positivity and relief. Everyone seemed more relaxed and ready to go. I didn’t think I would have that much of a morale boost to everyone, then I noticed Yumi’s eyes lightly glowing, then they faded out to her, usually green eyes.
“That is her power, Master,” Mecci whispered to me. “Besides being a warrior, she can telepath out feelings. It may not seem like an effective skill, but in battle, it can raise the morale of troops to bring victory or be used to make enemies feel hopeless.”
“That is a game-changer for sure,” I said. I sure felt like I could accomplish anything and defeat all those in my path. Even if she didn’t do it the whole time, just the mood swing kept my spirits feeling better. I couldn’t wait to get to it- time to kick some dicklord ass.
In the cover of the night, all of us set out towards Yumi’s manor. Everyone was quiet and focused. We all knew what had to be done. Yumi, Mecci, and I were up in the front. Mew took up the rear behind us, and although I had a focus for the mission at hand, I still silently wondered about Mew’s feelings towards me. I felt like she hated me. Glancing back at her without her noticing, she seemed focused as well. Maybe it wouldn’t be an issue.
A young man returned that was sent out as a scout earlier before we arrived, out of breath from running back.
“Everything seems in order from what we discussed earlier, Lady Yumi. We are good to move forward. They only have a few scouts in the perimeter as was predicted,” the scout said.
Yumi turned to address everyone with confidence and fury in her eyes. “You all know what you are suppose to do, stick to the plan, bring your best, and most importantly, don’t die.” She waved forward, “It is time for revenge and taking back what was stolen. It is time for the beginning of their end.”
The guild members with long-range attack prowess were split up into two groups that were going to flank each side. These two groups consisted of half bowman and half mages. They were the best of the best that Yumi had in her ranks. All of us were in darker clothing, some having coverage like ninjas, which was pretty awesome looking. My clothes were dark, as that was what I preferred. Luckily, I didn’t have to create more clothing. Which was a plus allowing me to save my mana.
I felt much more confident from practicing earlier in the day, only ending my training to be sure I had mana built back up. There was nervousness in the pit of my stomach that spread throughout my body. I did another dose of my bog marrow before we left in the secrecy of my room, as I needed to keep my issues on the down-low. I didn’t want morale to drop if people knew I wasn’t top par. My skills didn’t worry me so much as the killing. I would actually have to probably kill some people. I really didn’t know how I felt about that. Taking a life, no matter what the person was like, was a big deal. Maybe they were terrible people, but some thought I was the same. They would want to end me as well. The strength and confidence the bog marrow gave me helped push those thoughts deeper into my subconscious. I had to be ready. The time for me to be a failure was over.
The two teams that were flanking the manor set out on their way into the woods, splitting off. They were pretty professional, moving silently through the brush and trees. We had a little way to go ourselves. The strike team that consisted of Yumi, Mecci, Mew, and myself went forward. All the women had outfits that would break the hearts of any men that I ever knew. I would have been distracted myself if I hadn’t been busy attempting to put my insecurities to rest.
Yumi’s outfit had the smooth appeal of something like a superhero would wear. You could see every curve of her body. It perfectly fit her form, which by the way, was perfect as well. She looked like a goddess of the night, her sword at her side, resonating its appeal and love for death.
Mecci was similar in her choice of clothing. She had no weapons on hand, but I knew that she was mostly a mage. I wondered if she ever used weapons. I was sure she knew how. Maybe she just didn’t prefer them. I had anticipation wondering how she would deliver death when I saw her brow furrowed with focus and contempt. She saw me looking at her and lightly tapped my arm with a punch.
“I will stick by you, Master, and not leave your side. I am your protector after all,” she told me. I could tell she was smiling by how her eyes looked at me. “Try to stay out of trouble, ok? Please do not take any unnecessary risks.” Her demeanor changed back into the serious, let's kick some ass persona as she returned her focus to the task at hand. I just nodded in return, mostly to myself.
Mew looked like a
classic ninja, all-black fabric, and a little baggy in areas. Her hooded cowl had small bumps that gave room for her ears. Only her eyes were visible, and I noticed they had some sheen in the dark. Seemed she had some night vision like a cat. She had dark makeup on as well, blending her face even more in the shadows. She had some small weapons on her, a dagger, and what appeared to be throwing knives. Even with her small size, she appeared as a dangerous opponent. An enemy might only see glowing eyes in their last seconds in the world if they even had a chance to see that. Mew’s look whispered of silent, deadly stealth.
She noticed me looking at her, and even with her face covered, I could tell she shot a dirty look my way, her body language giving away displeasure of me as she turned her focus back to the upcoming fight. I thought about how I needed to fix whatever bothered her about me, only to shake my head to get back into the thoughts that mattered at the moment. Kill or be killed.
Yumi’s hand tightened on her hilt. It was so quiet around us that you heard the leather bunch under her hand. “It’s time, let's go,” she said softly as she moved forward. Mew stepped up in the lead, pulling her dagger free as quietly as a mouse, which I would have laughed thinking about it if we were not in this situation. Yumi pulled her elegant sword, which in turn reminded me to draw mine out. I was careful to not bump my sword against anything as we moved. I felt I wasn’t as silent as they were. Finally, we reached the edge of the clearing, and we waited. I let out a breath I felt I had been holding.
We did not have to wait long until we saw a patrol heading along the edge of the clearing towards our hiding area. There were three walking in this enemy patrol, in their cloaks walking and examining the site- two figures in the front, one a few paces behind them. We were a bit further back, hidden in the brush, hopefully out of their sight. Being discovered could put an end to our plan before it even really got started.
Mew pulled a second dagger as she whispered to us, “I will take the first two. You can handle the rest.” There were nods of understanding as Mew silently went up a tree by us.
“I will take the last,” Yumi said as she moved to the right of us.
The two figures in front of their group were almost on top of us, and I was holding my breath, waiting to see what would transpire.
Like a ghostly shadow of the night, Mew dropped down from the tree right in the front two figures' path. Her dual daggers shot out stabbing them both in the throats in a flash of speed, silencing them with only gurgles. Before the figure that was following them could do anything, Yumi was behind him with her sword stabbing through the back of his neck. It stuck out from the front of his throat. He gurgled and spit blood. The last thing he witnessed was Yumi’s blade sticking through his neck in front of him. Yumi withdrew her sword in a smooth motion, they all dropped to the ground.
Yumi glanced around, making sure we hadn’t been spotted by any other enemy patrols. “Come on, grab their bodies and move them into the brush, and get their cloaks.”
We did just that.
We only had three cloaks to put to use, but Mew was too small to blend in wearing one, so a fourth cloak was not needed. The rest of us removed a cloak and donned it over what we were already wearing. It took some effort to manipulate the dispatched to remove the cloak. I lifted the slain person's body to a sitting position, unclasping and sliding my disguise from them. It felt strange putting it on. I could smell the person it was taken from. I looked at the previous owner's body lying on the ground. I wasn’t sure if they deserved death. Sure, they may have made bad choices, but receiving an instant death penalty, just felt harsh. I guess this really was war, and in war, death is expected. It occurred to me, my missing memory details would touch on a lot more death. My hands were, in most likelihood, going to be very stained with blood.
Yumi tossed hers on with much less hesitation. She had been down this road before. The funny thing was, I had been down that road as well. I just didn’t remember any of it. Mecci had her hood up, and I noticed she didn’t have horns poking up. Looked like she could make them come and go at will, something I would have to ask her about later when it was more appropriate.
“You all go. I will stay behind here, keeping a lookout. I will make my way inside when it is time,” Mew said.
“Be safe, Mew, and please catch up as soon as you can,” Yumi said softly as we all looked towards Mew. She gave everyone a nod, then, of course, the dirty look I was becoming all familiar with was her goodbye to me.
“Yes, Lady Yumi,” Mew bowed to Yumi slightly. “You all be safe… and Rezner,” she said, looking towards me, her tone darkening a little, “Don’t get anyone killed.” Some are born cheerleaders, and some are not. At that moment, I felt that Mew was definitely not a cheerleader, well, at least not a cheerleader on my team. Way to boost my confidence, small one.
After disguising ourselves, we made our way up towards the entryway of the manor. We crossed the open field. I glanced at our surroundings, not seeing any of the flanking groups. I knew I wouldn’t be able to see them, or there would be no point in the plan whatsoever. I did wonder if they were in place and ready. Walking towards the closed gate, I glanced with my eyes to see what we were in for. There were a couple sentries up top above us on the wall looking out, watching their surroundings. There were a few windows, I noticed another sentry peering from its dark gloom like they were judging us. For a brief second, I stressed that maybe they knew we were imposters. We made our way further towards our destination. I relaxed more as nothing happened. Their gaze went from examining us back towards the manor’s surroundings.
We were almost there, arriving in a bottleneck of sorts. There were stone walls to our right and left, keeping us together. I could see this as a small defense if a siege was ever laid upon it. Keeping groups stuck together by the gate would make the unwanted guests easier to dispatch. Up above, I could see guards peering over the edges down at us. A shiver ran up my spine as I considered the different directions this whole thing could go. People were going to die, just hopefully not us. I hadn’t had time to satisfy my needs with more bog marrow. I was doing ok… it just really helped take that edge off, though. Confidence is a hell of a thing. It can make, and it can break.
When we stepped close to the gate, there was a guard keeping watch. He looked bored out of his mind, which probably helped us. When someone doesn’t care about their job, they just don’t pay as much attention anymore. That’s how it works for me anyway, except the difference I did that with everything. I was a failure.
I couldn’t be one now.
The guard briefly looked towards us and then started to open the gate. I felt so much tension. We were literally walking into the middle of the enemy and having them surround us. I wondered if my plan was a bad idea. I have had many wrong views in my life. Would this be another notch in the belt? Fuck, I hoped not.
We crept by the guard, and I glanced around inside. The area wasn’t populated with as many of Victor’s people as I would have thought initially. The manor apparently wasn’t something that he needed to keep no matter the costs.
The gate guard spoke to us just as we passed, “Back a little bit early, aren’t ya?” We kept walking, and he let out a grumble of discontentment. Apparently, he didn’t enjoy being ignored. Yumi suddenly stopped walking, and I turned to see the cause. The guard had gripped onto the back of her cloak with his hand, pulling her back a few paces. “Now listen here, you are back a bit early, and you best be answering what…”
He never got to finish. Currently, blood was spraying from his throat and pouring out of his mouth. Yumi was standing there, pivoted around, her sword stabbed through his throat. She stared at the now dying man as he slowly lowered to the ground. Earlier, I thought about how I could or could not kill a person, even if it was justified. The killing was killing. All there was to it.
Another figure came around the corner right next to Yumi. She was still withdrawing her sword from the now dead guard on the ground. Everything was in slow motion; I s
aw this man going full speed towards Yumi. She would never block his sword in time. There was no possible way for her to turn around and meet his weapon. I realized an interesting fact about my pondering about my level of commitment to slaying people left and right. I discovered an easy way to make up my mind to do it. When someone I cared about was in trouble, I could not live with losing my friends life in a life and death situation.
The man will lose his life instead.
Quick as an arrow shot from a bow, I took a wide stance, as I turned, which flared my cloak up around me as it spread out in the air, alive like it was reaching out, seeking to assist my sword with dispensing death. It made the opening my sword needed to change this man’s fate. My sword pulled from the sheath, crying out- a sharp howling. It sang an old song, a song about riddles and steel, my arm was the conductor. My cloak was released away from me and settled on the ground like it was trying to escape the blood payment that painted a portrait of this man’s death. Blood sprayed following my sword into the air, the man falling away, his face cut in half.
Shouts reverberated in the air as guards started falling from the wall above us. Some pierced with arrows, some lit a flame- some blown to bits from magical attacks that created explosions that rumbled above us. We fanned out, my muscles and mind remembering my training. Mecci charged mana into flames, burning enemies with white-hot fire. So hot, the heat made me sweat even though it was not very near me.
I sprinted towards two men. They had heavy maces in hand. The one on the right raised his weapon up to bash me, but he moved wrong when I changed direction, causing him to miss. I didn’t miss. My sword bit through his insides as it cut him in half, spilling out his life force in a messy explosion of blood and guts. Keeping my form, I continued my cut, circling back towards where I started. The other man began raising his instrument of death only to have his face covered with my hand. Gripping his face tight, my mana coursed out in a small ball of power. It was tiny for sure, but it also created a point-blank range attack, a reply to his angry face. I cured his face of its anger when his head exploded out behind him, his body dropping limply to the bloody ground.
