“Why would you tell me all this?” Zoey was genuinely surprised.
“Well… you said you are here to spy on us. We will be going to a village soon, which is a good opportunity for you to end the mission. You have seen how we operate, you have witnessed what we are capable of and with this, there really isn’t much you don’t know about us. That should be a successful end to your mission, so you can go back to your life and leave us to our twisted existences,” Raven smiled warmly.
“You are way too kind for this world,” Zoey smiled sadly.
“Sorry,” Raven blushed.
“It’s a good thing. Thank you… thought I’m afraid it isn’t enough to get rid of me just yet,” Zoey kept the smile.
“Hmmm?”
“I need to know what he’s up to. And not the part you know, I need the part you don’t know. This isn’t your plan, it’s his and I really need to know where exactly do my people stand in it,” Zoey revealed.
“Well… good luck with that. Lucas is a lot of things, but talkative about the long-term plan is not among them. It took me two years to get something out of him and believe me, I tried. But I don’t think it involves anything bad for you and your sisters,” Raven replied.
“Even if we end up helping the demons? The very demons you are killing?” Zoey pressed.
“Why would you do that? Why would you even think of helping the demons?” Raven was actually confused. This didn’t make sense to him.
“I don’t know. I don’t understand it fully myself, but the matrons seem to be terrified of what might come to the point of seeking insurances from any side they can get them... not that I can do much about it though,” Zoey smirked grimly.
“Fear causes doubt, doubt turns into weakness, weakness leads to ruin,” Lucas breathed.
“Weren’t you supposed to be sleeping?” she turned to him sharply.
Lucas just sat there motionless. Zoey went to him and opened his eyelid. His eyes were midnight black. He was clearly unconscious.
“The hell was that?” she turned to Raven.
“Probably nothing,” Raven evaluated.
“It really didn’t sound like nothing.”
“Seriously guys, we CANNOT go to a city like this!” Zoey protested vehemently.
We aren’t planning to, but it’s fun to see if you would go along with it.
“We can wash once we are in there,” Lucas refused. “Plus, it’s a village, not a city.”
“Yea, but this isn’t something that you can scrub off in a night. We need to be marinated in the soap for a month to get this stench off. A little pre-wash really wouldn’t hurt and there is a river literally under us,” Zoey pushed and spread her hands to remind them of the fact they are standing on a bridge.
“Well… it might be true that our hygienic standards have gotten a bit lower over the past couple of years. But be careful what you wish for, Zoey, it might turn out differently than you had expected,” Lucas mused.
“We got those? Didn’t notice,” Raven smirked.
“To the river, now!” Zoey ordered and pointed toward the water.
“Ah well, I tried to warn you,” Lucas dropped his backpack and stood at the edge of the bridge. Slowly, he fell backward into the river.
Raven shook his head and followed him, falling into the water like a rock.
“These guys…” Zoey went to the edge of the bridge and leaped down into the river in an elegant arrow-like movement.
The water was cold, especially once the current started scraping off the dried blood and slime. It felt like shedding a cocoon. Zoey swam up and enjoyed floating on the water for a long while.
“Meh, can’t get the stuff from under the armor,” Raven complained as he got to the river bank.
“My bandages are stuck,” Lucas concurred.
“Don’t be shy to take stuff off, you won’t be the first men I’ve seen and I promise I won’t laugh at you… too much,” Zoey shouted from the river.
“Got a sharp dagger?” Raven turned to Lucas. Lucas took out a few daggers from under his tunic and handed a couple to Raven. Raven put one aside and went on to start scraping the dried blood and slime from under the armor. After half an hour of work, he managed to take the armor off.
“Was afraid it grew into my skin,” he smirked.
Lucas was cutting up his tunic because it was stuck to him to the point of being irremovable.
“Zoey must be really desperate to stick with us for this long,” he smiled.
“I heard that!” she shouted.
“Gonna tell her anything?” Raven whispered low enough for Zoey to not hear.
“Can’t. Not yet at least,” Lucas refused.
“I don’t think she will leave without getting the answers she wants,” Raven evaluated.
“Not just answers.”
“Hmm?”
“She isn’t here to find information about us. She did that in the first two days. She is here to make sure we aren’t a threat to her people and if we are, which we are, to become friends so she can later ask us or trade with us for help. The demons will betray them eventually and whoever sent her wants to make sure they have someone to help them out when they do,” Lucas revealed.
“That would be troublesome, at best.”
“Exactly, when it comes to it, there are two teams. Team demons and team rest-of-the-world. Once you start helping one team, it’s hard to go to the other one,” Lucas confirmed. “On the plus side, Zoey looks like she will be fun because we won’t be able to get rid of her anytime soon.”
“You’ve got a wife and a mistress already… are you trying to add a second mistress to the list?” Raven pierced Lucas with a stare.
“Perhaps.”
“That mysterious prophecy of ruin from two nights ago, was that a trick how to push her out of her comfort zone to have an easier time getting into her pants?”
“I see you are starting to learn,” Lucas grinned viciously.
Raven rubbed his own face with a palm, “I will pretend I know nothing… who do you think she is?”
“Mostly who she said. She is high enough in the Faye hierarchy to know their general situation, but also low enough to be easily discarded should she be called a traitor or a failure,” Lucas evaluated.
“What happens to someone called a traitor or a failure?”
“That someone would be tortured to death as a warning to others. Faye aren’t very forgiving.”
“I don’t like this. Either we help them, which is a problem if they are helping demons or we sentence Zoey to death. I don’t like this at all,” Raven conceded.
“Tell me about it,” Lucas smirked, tore off the rest of his tunic and went to the river. The bandages wrapped around his body were stuck together, making him look like a mummy covered in dried honey. Raven had no illusion about looking much better himself.
“I thought you would be afraid of water… are you coming out of it today?” Zoey asked poisonously from the river bank. She was long washed and dried. Lucas and Raven were still in the river, scrubbing off the mess while staying mostly under the water.
“Might as well do it properly,” Raven shouted back.
“Should I feel flattered?”
“Not really. The mess made us anonymous, which is over now so we might as well look ourselves,” Raven revealed.
“The prince doesn’t want to embarrass himself,” Lucas added sneakily.
“The prince?” Zoey looked surprised.
“Since you seem to intend to keep traveling with us, we might as well do the proper introductions,” Lucas stated calmly while shaving himself.
“Can’t be helped, I guess,” Raven sighed and stepped out of the water. Zoey stared breathlessly as she witnessed the unreal beauty of Raven’s face.
“Prince Raven, ruler of Illysaeas and all its holdings,” Raven said with a soft smile. Zoey just stared with her mouth wide open.
“Told you she didn’t know,” Lucas smirked as he got out of the water as we
ll. Zoey turned to him and flinched as she saw the amulet on his chest. Above the bandages shone a large golden symbol of Palai inlaid with rubies. Lots of large rubies.
“Agent Lucas, 1st Legion of the Holy Order of Palai,” Lucas introduced himself properly. Even Zoey knew that the first legion was the most infamous army the Palai order had. Known for ruthlessness, brutality and winning even the most impossible battles. She gave herself a minute to recompose herself and rethink her plan.
“Are you sure you want to do this? Coming with us is not going to be exactly safe… especially not since we are about to start the second phase of the plan, which is way more dangerous than the first one,” Lucas asked her in a dead-serious tone.
“I am Faye. I can handle whatever you guys can. I just need you to not ditch me in the first town,” Zoey turned serious as well.
“We will let you tag along if you agree to a certain set of rules,” Lucas started.
“I’m listening.”
“First, you will wear armor and be armed. All the time. I will get you the equipment in the next town, starting from there, you take the armor off only when we sleep at a safe location. Second, in terms of combat, you do what you are told. Stand where I tell you to, charge when I tell you to, run when I tell you to. Third, don’t try to be a hero. That’s Raven’s job. My job is to clean up and your job will be to survive while we do our thing. I know it isn’t too glamorous, but such is life. Fourth, if you betray us, make sure to not do it in our face. I know it’s tempting, but don’t think I will not kill you on the spot. He wouldn’t, but I will. I have killed my share of innocent women, burned children alive and done other things no man should. I don’t care how many more I add to the list. Understand?” Lucas finished his speech.
“I agree. Do I get to add some rules of my own?” Zoey replied.
She agreed to this way, way, way too fast. We might be seriously underestimating her.
“No, but I allow you to amuse me,” Lucas narrowed his eyes.
“First. We get soap, shampoo and you guys use it, daily. I have survived the first couple of weeks with you two smelling like a walking slaughterhouse, but I’ve had enough. Second, I get to fight. I’m not gonna stand behind and pick my nose when you guys are having fun. I am Faye, I was born to kill and I’m willing to get rusty. Third, I like my alter ego. Don’t ask me who I am, don’t try to spy on anything about me and especially, do not use Dream World to find information about me. Any information. Ever. Understand?” Zoey announced calmly.
“You’re really going to be a pain in the ass, aren’t you?” Lucas returned in an annoyed voice.
“Reminds me… I wanted to check something,” Zoey mused as she caught Lucas with her hands.
“What’re you doing?”
Zoey pushed herself onto Lucas, kissed his neck and moaned into his ear “Nnnnhhhhh”. Before he caught it, she slid her hand down by his body “Unnnnnnhhhhhh”, all the way to the crotch, “Aaaahhhh… really? Rock hard in five seconds? That was too easy,” she chuckled as she detached as suddenly as she caught him.
He has a weakness for women, doesn’t he?
Lucas covered his crotch.
“You aren’t so small you would need to cover it… you aren’t my type though,” she added as she caught his head by the sides. She moved her hands through his hair.
“Your hair’s too long and could use some color, like hay blond. Some real clothes wouldn’t hurt either; leather armor’s for kids.”
Lucas waited for her to detach again before reaching into his dream pocket to pull out a new leather tunic and pants.
“The fuck was that? Did you just teleport a physical item out of the Dream World while being awake? Are you fucking kidding me?” Zoey exclaimed.
“The stealthy part of our adventure is over, which means we start using magic more freely,” Lucas grinned. “By the way, care to dry me up?” he tossed toward Raven.
“Sure,” Raven smirked and all water on Lucas instantly turned into steam. Lucas stepped forward and the steam turned back to water and splashed on the ground where he stood a second ago. Lucas was dry.
“Trying to impress me?” Zoey pried with narrowed eyes.
“You need to get the basic feeling of our powers, so you don’t freak out and lose concentration,” Lucas explained calmly. “And yes, we are heading for a big fight.”
16
Lucas
“Hmmm… the palisade’s taller than expected,” Lucas evaluated. He, Raven and Zoey were hiding in the bushes, observing their target. The village was surprisingly well fortified. Probably because it was a town, rather than a village.
“That’s a wall, not a palisade,” Zoey observed.
“Why don’t we just charge in?” Raven tossed up.
“We want to have a plan first. There is a demonic champion inside the village, we don’t wanna go in blind,” Lucas revealed.
“What’re its abilities?” Raven pried.
“Strong, fast, tough, spit acid, has acidic blood and can reattach lost limbs,” Lucas laid out.
“How the hell do you know all that?” Zoey exclaimed.
“Dream World,” Lucas confirmed.
“You guys and your bullshit abilities,” Zoey breathed, exasperated.
“It’s not bullshit when it works,” Lucas smirked.
“Whatever,” Zoey ended the topic.
“So… about charging in…” Raven returned to his original suggestion, “I mean, they have guards evenly spread around the city and the demons are mostly hidden beneath the ground or buildings. The champion is by the center to work as the bait, while the rest of them are positioned to converge on whoever approaches him. With this in mind, the best strategy is to bite the bait and devour it. I charge in and tie up the champion, while you go pick off the archers and then help me finish him once you are done. Zoey can guard the gate since they will likely use it to escape once we start winning plus it shall make it look like we have a small army and have them surrounded. While we do take the most harm in this way, it is the safest for the villagers who are being held hostage since they won’t bother to use them for extortion if they believe we fell into their trap and are pressured by the illusion of being surrounded.”
“Let me find myself a rock first,” Lucas conceded.
“Wait, I need a weapon,” Zoey interrupted them as they started crawling back.
“Dagger’s not good enough?” Lucas raised his eyebrow.
“I said a weapon, not something to shave my legs with,” Zoey shook her head.
“Got some practice swords, longswords, a crossbow and a dozen spears,” Lucas revealed.
“Swords are for little girls, crossbows for kids to practice aim before they learn with the bow… gimme a spear,” Zoey evaluated.
Lucas pulled a spear from his dream pocket and handed it over to Zoey.
“I said a spear, not a toothpick,” Zoey smirked and broke it in half over her knee.
Lucas pulled the largest military spear he had. Zoey weighted it in her hand.
“Hmph, I guess this will have to do,” she made a sour face and joined Raven.
Raven was already back behind the bushes, flexing. Lucas disappeared.
“Where’d he go?” Zoey asked.
“Said he needs a rock. Don’t ask me for what,” Raven raised his shoulders.
“Gonna be some more bullshit,” Zoey guessed.
“Totally.”
Lucas reappeared soon. Before they managed to ask anything, a huge boulder appeared next to him. “Meet Rocky, the rock.”
Zoey and Raven just shook their heads in disbelief.
“Let’s roll. We go with Raven’s plan; I go in first to eliminate the archers. Raven ties up the champion; I will come assist when I’m done. Zoey, try to not die. I know you aren’t going to do what I tell you to do, but it would be smart to stay hidden till I kill the archers since you don’t have a shield in the first place,” Lucas laid out the plan.
“Got it,” Raven nodded and
went to the road toward the town so he could be seen.
Zoey just sighed. The stone next to Lucas disappeared and appeared high above the closest guard tower. Men shouted and sounded the alarm. The falling rock silenced their screams. The rock squashed the guard tower like an insect. Lucas smirked and disappeared. The alarm rang from the rest of the town and men started shouting. Zoey could see Lucas kill them one by one on the walls while teleporting the boulder around to destroy the remaining watchtowers. In the meantime, Raven calmly walked to the gate. A splash of green liquid flew where Lucas stood a moment ago. Raven drew his sword and charged, shield first. In a split second, he covered the distance to the gate.
*BOOOM!*
The gate flew apart as Raven ran through it. His target was in the courtyard. The demonic champion was eight feet tall, wore plate armor and held a shield and a massive flail. He stepped toward Raven and swung his shield. Raven blocked with his shield. Another boom echoed through the air and Raven flew sideways, crashing into a wooden house.
Why does nobody ever listen to me? Perhaps I should lie less… nah. Lucas pondered as he kept his focus on the archers.
I’m about halfway done… hope Raven doesn’t kick the bucket in the meantime because I can’t believe how rusty I got myself. To fight the same type of opponent over and over again really dumbs down the knack to improvise.
Raven leaped off the wall. The massive maul grazed his pauldron. He spun and swung his sword at the champion’s leg. The champion stepped back to avoid and flung his flails downwards. Raven dodged into a roll and swung his shield. Their shields crashed again. The champion’s shield shattered into thousand splinters. Heavy iron boot hit Raven in the body. He tried to withstand it, but it sent him flying through a wall. The champion spat acid straight into the hole. Lucas teleported his stone to block it.
Legacy of Death_Revenge Page 14
