by Envy Mercury
I spoke to them. “I did what was needed for a better future.”
More shouts of some anger were heard. They didn’t understand and would maybe not understand. A dwarf came forward to rush me, precisely what I didn’t want to happen. Mew stepped out in front of me, so small, yet- so dangerous.
She pulled two daggers into her hands. “You will not touch Lord Rezner- back off!” This caused their expressions to change a bit, they turned to looks of more confusion. Then I heard a familiar voice in the crowd.
“Rezner?” Dulan asked as he stepped out of the crowd towards us. I put my hand on Mew’s shoulder.
“It’s ok, I know him,” I simply explained to her as she stepped back. “Hey there, Dulan, good to see you again.”
He came forward, his face full of curiosity. “I wondered that day when I met you… you looked like him. But Lord Rezner was gone. I figured you just resembled him.”
“I’m not one to just toss that around to just anyone,” I said.
“I could understand. I briefly saw you when we had our meeting years ago.”
“You were at a meeting with me, Dulan?”
“Yes, that meeting you had with a few of our kind that decided to back you, joining your cause for the kingdom. In the end, not everyone wanted to go. In fact, most were not happy we left. Dwarves just kind of stay out of things, you know.”
“I see.”
I am the reason they were banished.
“We arrived to join you but only found you had vanished. It was a bad situation indeed. We were taken in by the kingdom, and well, you know the rest, I am sure.” he said as he motioned his hand towards what surrounded us. “Why stir up this trouble? We have no issues with you.”
I looked at them all, then directed my attention to Dulan. “It is a means to an end. I did what I needed to do to reach the next stage of my agenda. I can’t allow people to be enslaved. I just can’t. After righting that, we are going to take back what is mine.”
To my surprise, he got down on one knee and looked up at me. “We aren’t much anymore; I don’t have much left to me. But- I just ask that you please allow me to serve under you and assist in any way I can. To right these wrongs would be a good start.”
I gave him a soft smile and rested my hand on his shoulder. “I can’t allow that. I cannot have you or others needlessly pulled into my troubles to only come to harm. I have already interrupted your lives here and caused you problems. Just get yourselves better.”
“We have only had problems that I know we are all sick of.” He looked back at everyone, “I think more than just me feel that way. If you change your mind, you know where to find us. We will be here.” He looked at a random dwarf in the crowd, “Go fetch what I made all those years ago!” The dwarf he ordered did as he directed and disappeared out of view.
“Thanks, Dulan,” I said. I turned towards Mew and pulled off my bag, opening it. She smiled at me before I returned my attention to him. “I will give you enough potions so that everyone here can get through the hard parts of what is to come for you. I can’t allow you all to be deathly ill.” I handed him a few potions and returned the bag to my shoulder.
“Thank you, my lord,” Dulan said. Then he spoke loudly to the others in a commanding tone. “Let Lord Rezner pass on his way! We have no right to stand in front of him!” They parted out of the way, some bowing their heads to me.
The runner returned with a long wrapped up blanket. It appeared to contain something in the middle, adding to its shape. Dulan took it and turned towards me. “This is one of the last things I made before we left our city in the mountains. I always kept it and maintained it. It was a gift I created custom for you. I am delighted that I can give it to you now. I believe you will find it very special.”
I took it, and I was surprised at how light it felt. I would have guessed a lot of weight for an item this large. I nodded, returning his smile.
“Thank you, I am sure we will meet again, Dulan,” I said. “Mew, let’s get going.”
“I am sure we will cross paths again, my lord, be safe on your journey.”
We left on our way to the soldier fort with more information than we had before and a new understanding of how things were connected. All roads seemed to lead to me, whatever choices I made earlier and all the dominoes that fell from me leaving. It made me wish more that I had my memories. Then I would know a lot more details of what happened and why.
Chapter Twelve
Once we had some distance from the city, I decided I wanted to look at what Dulan had created for me. I had no idea what it was. He said it was a gift… so it seemed it wasn’t something that I asked him to make for me.
I took the wrapped item and placed it gently on the ground, it was an old cloth that was worn, but it looked like it was wrapped up in care. I lifted one end and started to pull edges away, bringing out what was so carefully hidden in the care of the fabric. After manipulating it and slowly removing the wrapping, it was out in the open, resting on top of the material that just held it previously.
“It’s so beautiful,” Mew whispered softly, mostly to herself.
“Yeah, it is pretty amazing.”
It was a sword. A sizeable long sword that was exceptionally light. I could feel myself being lost into it, looking at the craftsmanship. Dulan sure knew his stuff. “Is this how all dwarf made weapons look, Mew?”
“Weapons and armor the dwarves create are always a step above other weapons, but that one is in a category all its own. It seems at one time he held a lot of belief in you to craft something that is most likely one of a kind and priceless.”
“I don’t fucking deserve this.”
“Honestly, I think if your heart is in the right place and you use that for good and helping people, there is no way you wouldn’t deserve it.”
“You think?”
“I do know. You were great before, and you will be great again. I am confident you will be even more powerful than you ever have been! So much so- that the sword will acquire a name and become a legend just as you already are.” She came over and gave me another hug.
At that moment, I felt like crying as I looked at the sword. This was the most real support I had ever received, and it was touching for sure. The sword before me was art. The handle was gold, with designs and inscriptions masterfully etched into it. I didn’t understand the words on it, but I could feel they had a strong meaning. The blade was a brilliant blue-hued metal with a decorative shield on the blade's hilt side. A bird on the shield resembled an eagle, and a couple of birds were perched on its shoulders. The smaller birds reminded me of owls. The image spoke of strength and wisdom.
I wiped my eyes to hide my tears and saw that Mew was watching me with a smile. “The sun is reflecting off this blade because it’s just so smooth and shiny. The light reflection is making my eyes water, you know?”
“Yeah, I know,” she replied, still smiling.
I touched the hilt with my hand, and I felt it start to hum when I made contact, which made me jump, yanking my hand away from it. Mew squatted down and touched it, nothing happened. “I heard it hum at you. This was made especially for you. It doesn’t do anything when I touch it. The sword only speaks to you, it seems. This is beyond priceless. It will serve you well and your legend,” she said, standing back up. “It is enormous to carry though, I might have to carry it for you, or we will have to figure something out.”
“I think I have an idea Mew, that I want to try out. I hope it works because my mana sword will be no more. I have a question first. I want to be sure of something before I start.”
“What are you wondering?”
“Mana can be used to power machines and make things work with magic, correct?”
“Yes.”
“A mana sword stores energy in that same way?”
“They do.”
“Perfect.”
I detached my mana sword from my waist and removed it from its sheath, and set them both on the ground before m
e. I thought about the intention of what I wanted to accomplish, then examined my new sword. I knew I could make this work, so I began. I focused on both the new blade and the mana sword, concentrating on what I wanted. The mana sword began to glow and change its shape entirely, the black metal stretching and reforming into what I desired, the hilt changing into the parts I wanted.
I saw that I was finished with an exhale of breath, and it turned into precisely what I wanted it to be. It now was no longer a sword; it was now a futuristic-looking black shiny scabbard. Some triangles folded flat down it, they repeated across its length interlocking to hold something in place. The hilt was now changed into a metal plate that sat between it and the wearer, allowing a harness to be attached to it to hold the sword secure in place.
I looked at the scabbard made for the mana sword, I focused on it and changed it into the harness that would connect the new mana scabbard to my back. I combined the two pieces together, and it looked perfect.
“Mew, can you help me put this on?”
“Sure,” she said as she walked over towards me. “It doesn’t have an opening at the top though, how can it hold it, and if it did, you still wouldn’t be able to remove it fast?”
“You’ll see, just help me get it on, and I will show you.”
She held my scabbard in place in the middle of my back at a slight angle and helped me by handing me the straps that I could buckle together on my chest. Once it was on me and secure, I went over to the sword with slight hesitation. I reached down and grabbed my new sword, feeling its humming vibrations through my arm. I sensed my mana scabbard and willed it to do what I wished. The little triangles opened up outward as if waiting to grab something. I lifted the sword over my head and back towards it. When the sword was close to my newly created scabbard, it was slightly pulled in like a magnet, securing the blade entirely in its open cradle, the triangles clicked as they closed around it. It was held in place, and the enormous lightweight sword hung from my back.
“What do you think?”
She had her hand over her mouth with surprise. “It’s amazing Rezzy, you can use that by yourself without having to anticipate getting into a fight ahead of time. I love it, and it is perfect.” She thought for a bit as she examined my cloak I dropped on the ground. “You won’t be able to put a cloak over it though, it’s kind of big.”
“I think we are past the point of cloaks now. I’m done with all the hiding. I am sure we are spoken of enough that we won’t easily hide anymore anyway. So, fuck it.”
Mew tossed off her cloak as well and looked over at me, still smiling. “I can’t wait to see what that sword is capable of here in a bit. It might just turn me on.”
My face turned crimson.
She blushed and fidgeted.
“Ok, let’s go see if we can make some bad guys shit themselves,” I said.
We walked a while longer, and then a fort did come into view. It wasn’t overly large, and also, like the dead shopkeeper informed us, it wasn’t heavily guarded. Some guards were in the area. There were around ten of them that I could see standing around. Then some men that looked like merchants of sorts. They were joking and making conversation. It looked like they were making a deal of the wrong variety.
“Slavers,” Mew said with a light growl. “That’s them. I know their kind anywhere.”
My eyes investigated the area. There was the main building, then another lesser build off to the left with a giant door. Then an even smaller one than that over to our right. There was a rustle of noise as the main building’s door opened, and a group of women came out. They were chained, very unhappy, and it really pissed me off. They were being directed towards a wagon that was mostly covered. It had bars on the inside that I noticed when the flap was lifted. One by one, they were loaded into the wagon, multiple races made up the would-be slaves.
I felt Mew tensing up like she was ready to strike at any moment. I reached over, touching her, and gave her a whisper. “Just wait, we can’t go in too early. We can wait until they are inside the wagon. At least then they will be out of the way, I don’t want them in any crossfire.”
“Ok- yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” Mew said as she calmed down a little.
“It pisses me off too. No one should have to live like that. We will make sure that in the future, no one will have to deal with that anymore. Never again.”
We watched the victims slowly pile into the wagon, loaded up one at a time. They were not guided in a kind fashion either. The chains that bound them together seemed challenging to move with, causing them issues as they climbed up. Many of the girls had a hard time moving at all. Kingdom soldiers stood guard around them, making lewd comments. A soldier by the wagon was roughing them up a bit, moving them with a heavy hand if they were not moving as fast as he deemed they should be. Some of the women were crying in desperation at the situation they were stolen into.
They were almost loaded up, with only a few left waiting their turn, the line suddenly stopped moving. There was a redhead who was to be loaded. Next, she was shaking her head to them, not wishing to get in. The soldier closest to her struck her in the back of the thigh with a kick, dropping her to the ground. He proceeded to grab her by the hair, forcefully yanking her up inside while she screamed, which in turn created more cries to sound out from within the prison wagon.
The next in line of the remaining two turned towards the soldier, a look of fury on her face. She got up in the soldier’s face, lecturing him in a commanding tone. There was laughter from all the soldiers. She was backhanded, hard enough that I heard the contact of his hand to her face, and she dropped to the ground, her hood falling from her head.
She was beautiful, and she also had pointed ears.
“Holy shit, is that an elf, Mew?”
“It appears so, which is strange.”
“Why, are they rare?”
“She is a high elf. A high elf is typically a noble or royalty. It’s their bloodlines. The king, as an example, King Maethon, is a high elf. They live a long time, so they have had time to build up wealth and power.”
“So, that’s why I haven’t seen any walking around.”
“They have servants, or if they are in public, they are normally in a carriage, traveling with guards. That’s why it's strange she is here; she would not be an easy grab.”
No wonder she was so defiant. She stood back up with the help of the girl following behind her. She never cried out. Rebellious to the end, it seemed. She must have come from somewhere important to give her that kind of pride and will. I was angry that she was abused in such a manner, but I was impressed by seeing how she handled it. Hopefully, she wasn’t an asshole when we saved her. Seemed entitled people could be that way from my experiences.
They were loaded up, and a soldier closed the door behind them, locking them away. An exchange of money was taking place.
Dicks.
“So, do we rush out there, or what is the plan?” Mew asked me.
“Well, I am pretty furious at the moment, so that makes me want to rush in. Although, I want to cause a scene. I want the slavers to know what fear is.”
Mew nodded. “I will follow you then. You lead the way.”
We stepped out of our cover and into the open. We were noticed right away. We took a few paces towards them, Mew following behind me a rate, to my right side. We stopped and stared at them, them staring back at us. Then they started to form up in formations. I guess they are stronger as a group. Only two soldiers didn’t join them, the one by the wagon and one stationed by the building to our left with the large door.
There was a soldier in the middle of the group facing us, he was a bit larger than the others, and I understood he was in charge when he decided to address us. “Look what we have here, boys, literally the cat dragged someone in with her,” the larger soldier said, looking at the other men with him, the rest joining in on his laughter. “Or did you bring the little girl here as a gift, to be taught the ways of simple pleasu
res?”
“Rezzy, I get to kill him. He is mine,” Mew muttered at me. I was okay with it.
I stood casual, indifferent. I didn’t care what this wannabe frat douchebag said, but why not fuck with them?
“I came here to see who was trespassing and stinking up my place,” I said to them. The girls were peaking out of the wagon at the scene. Some wore expressions of hope, some of distress. I was sure they were wondering what the hell was taking place.
“Your place?” More laughter from the group of douches. “I will gut you and put your head on a stick as an ugly decoration to keep the flies away from us,” the large soldier bellowed.
I smirked at them while I gestured to everything around us. “Yes, all of this belongs to me. Including everything in the building, and naturally, the women in the wagon. You are trespassing, and I am sorry to say that your penalty will be death. I cannot allow ugly simps that lack so much charm that they can’t even pull off the simple feat of acquiring a lady's attention with her own free will to be here. I beg to say your game with the ladies is impossibly low. It’s sad, really. Just. Really. Fucking. Sad.”
He drew his sword and began his way towards us. A big grin, which I imagined- as it was so horrible- that his mother never smothered him as a child. Mew stepped in front of me, always the go-getter that she was, she was ready to complete the statement she expressed to me earlier.
“You are a waste of Lord Rezner’s precious time, which you have already wasted. I will not allow him to deal with a small rat such as you!” Mew shouted as she drew her daggers slowly from the uncanny places that she stashed them.
I might have to ask her where she hides them sometime.
At the sound of my name hitting their ears, they all faltered. The laughing ceased to exist, just as if I accidentally walked into the women’s locker room. Which I had never done on purpose.
His moment of hesitation was his end as Mew flew at him in a race of a streak. It was only a few steps, but the speed she possessed would always amaze me. She sprang into the air, her feet landing on his chest, bloodthirsty malice on her face overriding any arrogance the guard once possessed, him falling back as two daggers sank greedily into his throat, his last expression one of a lord, a simp lord that is.
