by Aaron Oster
The entire scene took less than ten seconds to play out, but to Sarah, it had felt like an eternity. She let out a cheer when the silver-eyed boy stood up and realized she’d been holding her breath. The crowd, seeing that the fight was over, began to disperse, leaving Sarah to stare at the lone boy.
***
Arnold came to a stop as he reached a crossroad where the road split off in three directions. He shaded his eyes against the late afternoon sun, as he tried to figure out which one would take him to his objective.
They were close. He was only a day away from the border, which meant that this inn couldn’t be more than six hours away.
One of his men walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.
“What is it?” he asked, turning to face the man and his five companions.
“We’re tired, Sir,” the man said, “we’ve been going for over thirty hours straight. You might have the constitution to keep going, but none of us can keep it up for too much longer.”
Arnold was about to give a sharp retort when he noticed the state his men were in.
They were visibly flagging and if they didn’t get some rest soon, they would likely begin to drop. They would keep marching if he ordered them to, but their pace would be drastically slowed.
He contemplated for a moment as to what the best course of action could be. Finally, he made his decision.
“Very well. You men rest for an hour while I go on ahead. There’s an inn about six hours march from here. I expect you there no more than an hour after I arrive. Is that understood?”
The men saluted smartly and Arnold turned away. He took another moment to locate the correct road, then headed off at a swift trot.
He could hardly wait for this damn mission to be over and done with.
It took exactly five and a half hours for the inn to come into view. By then, the moon had already risen high into the sky, casting long shadows over the road before him. The inn was a small wooden structure that couldn’t have been more than two stories high.
Arnold came to a stop outside the inn and looked up at the line of windows dotting the second floor. He yawned widely, beginning to feel the effects of his forced march and lack of sleep.
They were here. He was sure of it. Once he’d gotten what he came for, he could get some sleep.
Arnold took a step toward the inn door when he got a sudden chill down his spine. He knew that feeling well and it could only mean one thing. Danger.
Not even taking the time to turn, he dove to his left, tucking into a tight roll as he did so. He heard a light whoosh, as something flew over his head and then he was back on his feet. His eyes quickly shifted around, counting eight men standing the road where none had previously stood.
They were all dressed in a similar fashion, with hoods pulled over their heads and masks across the faces.
Assassins! He knew he had a lot of enemies, but there were very few who could afford to hire the Guild. Of those people, there was only one likely culprit.
Arnold’s eyes flicked towards the inn and sure enough, three black-clad figures were climbing up to the second floor.
Simon. Of course, that bastard would be the one to send them after him.
Arnold grinned, reaching behind his back and feeling for his sword. His hand closed on empty air and he grimaced.
He’d left the sword back at the academy, as it would have been too conspicuous. Oh well, he thought, guess I’ll be doing this the old fashioned way.
***
Morgan let out a contented sigh as he hopped out of bed and walked around the room.
“Looks like it worked then,” Sarah said, looking up from a book she’d been reading.
“Yup,” he said with a grin, jumping up and down a few times just to be sure.
His recovery trait was unbelievable. Just a minute ago, he’d been lying in bed with two useless, swollen lumps for legs. Now he was on his feet, good as new.
Sarah closed her book then and stowed it away in the small spatial bag she kept tucked inside her shirt.
“Great. Now that you can walk; go take a bath and change. You’re filthy and those clothes are completely destroyed.”
Morgan looked down sadly at his shredded uniform.
He’d really been hoping that they wouldn’t be too bad, but he hadn’t been able to get a proper look since he’d been in bed all day. Now he could see that they were so torn and tattered, that it was a wonder they hadn’t already fallen off.
He looked up as Sarah handed him a new uniform and a small key.
“The bath is down the hall. I’ve already had them fill it, so you won’t have to wait.”
Morgan took the clothes and the key and placed a hand on her shoulder, meeting her eyes. “Thank you for taking care of me today.”
Sarah looked down, tucking her hair behind one ear and going slightly pink. She could feel her heart rate increase as she became more flustered.
“Oh, it was no problem…” The sound of a door closing made Sarah look up in surprise and stare at a now empty room.
Of course.
7
It was nearly a half hour later by the time Morgan finished bathing and returned to the room. Opening the door, he saw Sarah sitting at a small table laden with food. It hadn’t been there when he’d left, so Morgan had to assume that she’d had it brought up while he was bathing. He also noticed that there was a small basin filled with steaming water and a small bar of soap sitting on the floor next to it.
“Good, you’re back,” Sarah said, snapping her book shut and putting it away.
He’d never noticed how much she read before now. How interesting could staring at some pages with words on them be? Morgan wondered, closing the door behind him.
She stood from her seat and pointed to a chair. “Sit.”
“Why?” Morgan asked.
Sarah rolled her eyes. “Just do it.
Morgan shrugged and did as she asked, walking over to the chair and taking a seat.
Sarah came up behind him and began running her fingers through his still slightly damp hair.
“What are you doing?” Morgan asked, trying to turn his head to look back at her.
“Keep your head straight,” she said, grabbing his head and turning it back. “Your hair is getting out of hand, so I’m giving you a haircut.”
“But I can cut it myself.”
Sarah let out a long sigh, before trying a different approach.
“Have you ever had someone else cut your hair for you?”
“No; why? Is that something people do?”
“Yes. Most people have someone else cut their hair,” Sarah said, running her fingers through the tangle of knots and gently working them out.
“You wouldn’t know this, because you’ve never had anyone do it for you, but having someone else cut your hair can be a very relaxing experience.”
“But I don’t need to relax. I’ve been lying in bed all day.”
He felt her yank his hair then and winced as his head was pulled roughly to the side. A gleaming knife appeared at his throat and he stared into Sarah’s angry eyes.
“Is this a good enough reason for you?” she hissed.
Morgan swallowed hard as he felt the knife press into his skin. He nodded fractionally and Sarah’s scowl instantly vanished, replaced instead by a bright smile.
“Great! Now I don’t want to hear any more complaints until I’m finished,” she said in a cheery voice.
Morgan winced, feeling at his sore scalp as she walked over to fetch the bowl of water and soap.
Why was she being so mean? Hadn’t he already been injured enough for one day?!
Sarah walked back over to him and pushed his head back until it was resting on the edge of the chair.
“Now stay still until I tell you that you can move.”
Morgan let out a sigh but did as he was told. He heard the light sloshing of water from behind him, then felt a trickle of warm water run over his scalp as Sarah began
running her fingers through his hair, making sure to get it nice and wet.
Morgan inwardly lamented when he felt this.
He’d only just finished drying it.
With his hair now soaking wet, Morgan expected her to begin cutting it, but what she did next surprised him. He heard the sound of sloshing water again, then Sarah’s fingers were back in his hair, but something was different this time. It took him a moment to figure out before he finally recognized the sensation.
Soap? Why was she putting soap into his hair? He’d washed it not ten minutes ago! Did she think he didn’t know how clean himself?
His thoughts came to a screaming halt when she began to slowly massage the soap into his hair. Strong fingers ran over his scalp, digging into it and pressing in all the right places.
Morgan hadn’t even been aware that something could feel this good. His eyes closed and his body slumped into the chair, relaxing in a way he hadn’t even know to be possible.
It felt so… nice. He’d never felt anything like it before.
Sarah’s smooth fingers began pressing into his scalp, pushing down in one spot and gliding lightly over another. She worked slowly, using the tips of her fingers, her nails and even her knuckles in a few areas. Her nails then began lightly scratching over his scalp, sending shivers down his spine and making him slump even further into the chair.
He actually let out a disappointed sigh when she stopped the massage and began snipping away at his hair with the knife. After a few more minutes of snipping, he felt Sarah’s smooth fingers running through his hair again. She teased his hair first one way, then the other. He heard the snip of the knife a few more times, then felt a warm sensation as the last of the soap was washed away. He then felt a towel land on his head, and Sarah began roughly drying it, digging her fingernails in all the while.
At last, the towel was removed and Sarah began running her fingers through his hair, arranging it in the way she liked.
“Alright, stand up and turn around so I can get a good look at you.”
Morgan opened his eyes when he heard this and stood from his chair with a groan. He turned to see Sarah, drying her hands with the towel; a small smirk twisting her lips as she looked him over.
“Can I assume you enjoyed that?”
Morgan nodded, his eyes still half lidded in relaxation.
He didn’t know why, but he felt extremely tired. All he wanted to do right now was curl up in bed and go to sleep.
A flat sheet of ice materialized in front of his face, and he was able to get a good look at Sarah’s work. His hair had been cut in a way as to frame his face, and somehow enhance his features. He moved his head from side to side, noting that while his hair was still long enough to sway with the movement, it would never obscure his vision.
“It looks good,” Morgan admitted as the mirror vanished.
Sarah’s smirk grew even more self-satisfied as she reached up and brushed an errant lock of hair into place.
“Then I’ll just assume that the next time I ask you to do something, you won’t ask a thousand stupid questions.”
Morgan was about to agree wholeheartedly when he caught a slight movement from the window behind her. Looking over Sarah’s shoulder, his eyes widened a touch as three men dressed in black slipped into the room.
He could have kicked himself for being so careless. Both he and Sarah had been facing away from the window for over half an hour. If any of these men had slipped in before now, they would both have been finished. As it was, they were outnumbered and completely off guard.
All these thoughts passed through Morgan’s mind in an instant; then he acted. Grabbing Sarah by the arm, he pulled her forward, dropping onto his back as well. It was good that he reacted when he did, as something flashed over the area they’d just occupied.
Sarah, caught completely off guard, went flying across the room and landed on the bed. Morgan dodged to the side as one of the men motioned at him and he heard a loud thunk as something buried itself in the wall behind him.
His eyes darted around the room, swiftly assessing the situation as he decided on the best course of action.
Two of the men were moving for Sarah, who seemed to be a bit dazed by his throw.
Oops.
The other man was reaching for something at his belt and staring straight at him, so he was the biggest threat at the moment.
Morgan gritted his teeth in annoyance.
This was not good. The room was too small and fighting in these cramped confines, he and Sarah wouldn’t be able to use their skills for fear of hitting one another. They had to take this fight outside.
His eyes flicked to the table laden with food and he sighed with regret.
He hoped the innkeeper wouldn’t be too mad for what he was about to do.
Morgan rolled to the side as the man sent a spray of projectiles flying his way. Coming out of the roll near the table, Morgan activated heavy impact and gale force, then spun on the spot, lashing out with a powerful kick. The table went flying across the room and impacted against the man’s chest with a loud splintering crack. The man was hurled back, smashing into the wall with a bone-shattering thud.
Both of the men who had been moving to Sarah turned at the sudden crashing sound. This gave Sarah all the time that she needed to recover. Face twisted in rage, she used her condense water skill, sending both men into the back wall near their friend and freezing them in place.
“Who the hell are these people?!” Sarah demanded, turning to Morgan.
“No idea,” Morgan said with a shrug.
They both whirled back around when a loud crack echoed through the room. All three men were struggling against the ice and Morgan could see that they would be free within a few seconds.
They all seemed to be completely uninjured, which meant that his attack on the man earlier likely hadn’t been nearly as devastating as he’d thought. This could only mean one thing- these men were highly ranked and very dangerous. They needed to get out and they needed to do it now.
“Stay behind me!” he yelled, then sprinted forward, hoping Sarah would do as he said.
With his gale-force skill activated, Morgan covered the distance between him and their attackers in just over a second, but in that short amount of time, one of them had managed to free themselves.
He grinned, then used his flight skill and launched into the air. Using the momentum of his forward charge, as well as his increased strength from his heavy impact, Morgan spun and lashed out with a spinning side kick.
What transpired next seemed to happen in slow motion. Morgan’s leg connected with the assassin’s nose with a sickening crunch, but Morgan’s momentum kept him moving forward even as his attack landed. The assassin’s head impacted with the wall and Morgan’s foot crushed it to a bloody pulp just a second later.
Then time abruptly sped up again. Morgan stuck his other leg out and landed on the wall feet first. His knees flexed as they absorbed the impact, then he pushed back with a grunt of effort, deactivating his flight skill in the process.
If his calculations were correct, that should do it.
Just a moment later, there was a loud splintering crack and a massive portion of the wall was completely blown out. Morgan performed a perfect backflip as the wall was sent careening outward, and landed lightly on his feet.
He turned back to Sarah with a wide grin, expecting some kind of praise, but all he saw was a look of horror.
“What is it?” he asked, instantly on guard.
Sarah didn’t answer, instead pointing a shaky finger behind him, face white with fear.
Morgan whirled on the spot, raising his arms in preparation for a fight. But no one was there. He was confused for a few seconds, before a loud sound from the street below caught his attention. Looking down, Morgan felt his blood run cold.
A very familiar and unwelcome guest was standing on the road below.
Just what the hell was Arnold doing here, and why were those black-clad me
n attacking him as well!?
***
Six years ago…
“Sarah! You shouldn’t run off like that!” Hint admonished when he was finally able to reach her.
Sarah looked up, face flushed with excitement.
“Did you see that?” she asked in a hushed tone, as the silver-eyed boy bent to retrieve something from one of the boy’s pockets.
“Yes, I saw,” Hint replied, “fights happen sometimes. People don’t always agree.”
“But where are those boy’s parents? Shouldn’t they have stopped their fighting? And why didn’t anyone in the crowd try and stop them?”
Hint’s face clouded in sadness.
“They’re orphans, Sarah. They have no family and no one was going to stop them when they provide such great entertainment.”
Sarah was horrified and saddened at the same time.
The boys had no family? It must be so… lonely.
The boy straightened then, and Sarah could finally see what he’d been searching for. He was clutching a half molded piece of bread. She wrinkled her nose in disgust, but the boy seemed quite pleased with it.
Pocketing the bread, he turned to go, but Sarah called out after him.
“Wait! Don’t go!”
The boy flinched, then slowly turned as Sarah ran over to him. His shoulders were hunched inward, as if afraid of another attack, but when he saw who it was, he relaxed just a bit.
“What do you want?” he asked as Sarah skidded to a halt just feet away from him.
Sarah was slightly taken aback by his tone of voice. It was flat and lacked any sort of emotion whatsoever. His eyes were different now as well. Gone was the burning exuberance, and the joy of being alive. Now, his eyes were dull and lifeless, and she imagined that she could feel an immense sense of loss in them.
She wasn’t about to be put off, however.
“My name is Sarah. What’s yours?” she asked, plastering a smile on her face.
“Why do you care?” he asked, eyes flicking upward as Hint came to stand behind her.
