by Drew Hayes
“Makes you wonder though, why do they need so many? They haven’t been going after princesses, or any royalty for that matter, and scooping up girls at random means they must not care about virgins.” Jack tapped his foot on the dew-laden grass as he scanned the trail ahead. “Five girls, counting Marie, snatched up in less than two weeks. To grab that many, and have no concerns about origin or magical potency, there aren’t a lot of explanations that bode well for that.”
Frank had evidently been harboring similar thoughts. “Either the girls are food, meant to be sold into slavery, or being used for a ritual that simply demands a vast amount of sacrifices. Though it is always possible for there to be another option we have not considered, those are by far the most likely explanations for such a series of crimes.”
“Thing is, in any of those situations, I’m not sure why the town would care if we bring the kidnappers back alive,” Jack said. “Why not just pay for their extermination and the return of all the girls who are still breathing?”
“Because in all of those cases, it speaks to the kidnappers likely being hired middlemen. The mayor probably wants to find out who paid for their services in the first place, to make sure they look elsewhere for their supplies next time. And, of course, it’s possible that he wants to make examples of these men, to discourage any who might entertain ideas of a similar enterprise.”
Jack thought back to the squirmy little man with the dark eyes, the mayor who had hired them. Frank was right; Jack could easily see that man using captured criminals as examples, letting horror stories of their fate spread through the land as a natural deterrent. If his town really was dealing in the sort of dark magic supplies Jack suspected, then he’d certainly have the resources to accomplish some hellish punishments.
“Maybe you’re right. The criminals had better hope we have to kill them.”
“Indeed, it might be the best outcome for all involved,” Frank agreed. He slipped the metal ball into his pocket and headed down the path once more. It would be rude to keep Marie waiting longer than necessary.
* * *
Jailer, as Marie had begun to think of him, stared into the cage for a moment, then went back to polishing his sword. He didn’t pay much attention to his captives, not unless they actually started getting near the cage’s door, which had left the women free to talk amongst themselves. Unfortunately, Marie had quickly realized that there wasn’t much she could get from the other captives. All three had been snatched from the street at night, but in the panic of it they hadn’t been able to absorb many details. The only one who seemed to have any presence of mind was Lily, a brunette in a torn green dress.
Lily was the one who confirmed Marie’s suspicions about the kidnappers, There were, in fact, only three that any of them had seen: Jailer, the one who was keeping watch over the girls; Sentry, the man who guarded the front with his bow; and Snatcher, the man who grabbed the girls and brought them in. Beyond that the girls knew almost nothing. Sometimes new women were brought in, sometimes one of them was taken away. The men never spoke to them, never did more than occasionally throw in some bread and water skins. Marie knew this tactic well; they were trying to break their captives down by placing them in a void. Without anything to grip onto, not even the changing of the days, mental deterioration was inevitable.
All of this swirled through Marie’s head as she rested against the back of the cage, eyes locked on Jailer. He was strong—the thick, knotted muscles in his arms spoke to that fact—and from the way he carried himself Marie wagered he’d seen a fair share of combat. None of that would matter once she got free, of course, but it could make breaking through the metal restraint more difficult. There was also the risk that, if he were smart, he’d try to grab one of the others as a hostage rather than fight her directly.
“Thinkin’ of trying to seduce him?” Lily sauntered over and plunked down next to Marie. She was far from a noble, speaking with the sort of habitual twang that spoke to a life amidst the farms and fields of the land. Probably new money, by Marie’s estimation; perhaps her beauty had caught the eye of a well-off merchant.
“Since I’m not shiny and made of metal, I doubt I’m his type.” Marie nodded to the impressive armory of weapons stored near Jailer, which he was carefully tending and polishing one by one.
“Smart call. Shayana already gave it a try on the first day,” Lily said. Off in the corner, Shayana turned away from her conversation with Rohesia at the sound of her name. She was quite a beauty, with cinnamon-colored skin and a bust that her dress could scarcely contain. If she hadn’t made any headway with seduction, it was safe to assume that Jailer wasn’t so easily swayed. Lily gave her fellow captive a small wave, and the other two resumed their hushed discussion. “Only thing that gets a reaction from him is makin’ a run for it. Had a girl try that when she first got here; wasn’t pretty. He stabbed her leg, then the others came for her not long after. She never stopped cryin’ long enough for us to even get her name.”
“And you have no idea where they took her to?”
“Like I told you earlier, they aren’t exactly forthcomin’ with any information. Lucky to get a snort out of any of them on the best day.”
Much as she disliked these men and what they were doing, Marie had to admit they behaved like professionals. The guard, the silence, the cage, even the kidnappings; all of it was handled with exceptional proficiency. And yet…something was still off to her. The men had this intelligent system set up, yet Snatcher had still been dumb enough to fall for her little act. Jailer seemed more than aloof; she got the sense that he was not even interested in them as living beings. Perhaps Sentry was the mastermind behind it all, but if so then why give himself the worst job of the lot? It was as if they were all following instructions, which meant there had to be someone who gave those instructions in the first place.
“If you don’t mind my sayin’ so, you’re taking all of this awfully well. Most of the others were inconsolable. Cryin’ and carryin’ on for the first few hours, if not days. You seem more put out than scared, and bit miffed about it at that.”
“My kingdom was not a peaceful one,” Marie lied. Save only for skirmishes and long-standing animosity with a neighboring land, her kingdom had been, and she dearly hoped still was, one of the safest, most peaceful kingdoms in all the lands. “While I may not have been in this precise situation before, I have dealt with enough trouble to know the wisdom in keeping my wits about me. What about you? Those two could barely muster up more than a few words, but you’ve been downright coherent.”
Lily lifted her arms, taking a long stretch before answering. “Similar thing, I suppose. Grew up in a farmin’ village. Had a witch near our town border, not a powerful one, mind you, but she was strong enough all the same. Anyway, we let her be and she sometimes sold us a few potions if the need was great. ‘Course, you can’t have a witch without her attractin’ a few goblins and trolls, not to mention the odd knight bent on slayin’ her. Made for a pretty chaotic village, so I’m not so unfamiliar with dangerous trouble.”
“What brought you from there to this city?” Marie asked. It was the first thing she’d said to Lily that hadn’t been based around gathering information for the job. Marie couldn’t help it though; she’d taken a shine to Lily. The woman’s simple but sturdy philosophy was endearing, plus it was nice to have someone to pass the time with.
“Believe it or not, I was runnin’ an errand for that very witch. She needed some specific supplies they sell around here and she hates leaving her cottage, so I was chosen to be her helper this year. Isn’t a bad job, really, she’s nice as long I’m respectful, plus she provided me with some fancy duds. Says no servant of hers can be seen in a state of disrepair.” Lily looked down at the ripped and dirty dress. “Imagine she’ll be bothered by the state of it when I finally get back home. Not to mention the fact that I lost her supplies. Maybe I’d best hope they sell me off after all. Last thing I need is to run afoul of a witch.”
M
arie’s head jerked up halfway through Lily’s story, her eyes straining as she cocked her head to the side. By the time Lily was done speaking, a wide smile had crossed Marie’s face. She rose from her perch, then offered a hand to help up her fellow captive.
“Sorry to break it to you, but I’m afraid you’ll just have to go home safely and explain things to her. Now get behind me, things are about to get interesting.”
* * *
Frank lowered the small silver object from his mouth, then stowed it in a pocket sown onto his robe. “If she heard it, then she knows to start a ruckus in two minutes.”
“And if she didn’t hear it, then you and I are about to charge an empty cave like a couple of fools,” Jack pointed out.
The two of them were tucked behind the last of the large tree trunks before the path opened up into a wide, unobstructed walk to the cave’s entrance. Gleaming in the light of the setting sun, only a few feet from them, was one of the silver spheres Marie had dropped. If Frank had doubted his tracking skills, that alone would have confirmed they were on the right track.
“It’s definitely not empty.” Frank was peering carefully from around the trunk, analyzing everything his gaze fell upon. “There’s someone at the front of the cave, crouched down and not moving. A guard is my guess, probably with a bow from the way his arms are positioned.” Frank’s left eye, the one that could never be mistaken for human, glowed slightly as he stared across the wide space and peered into the cave’s depths. Jack didn’t particular understand how the dragon’s eye allowed Frank to see the heat put off by people, nor did he care to. He just knew that it came in awfully handy in moments like these.
“Right, then, archer guarding the front. Assume there are more on the inside, but that one will be our first obstacle. Think you can hit him?”
Frank shook his head. He reached down and pulled out of his small, slender, dangerously sharp daggers. “Too far away and they are mostly concealed. My chances of success are practically non-existent unless they’re drawn out.”
“Which means I’m up.” Jack checked his boots, pants, and shirt to make sure everything was tied and tight, then took a good grip on the rapier strapped to his hip. The last thing he needed was it swaying about and knocking him off-balance at a critical moment. “If they’re any good with that thing, I won’t be able to get too close, so don’t hesitate if you get the shot.”
“Do I ever?”
It was a fair point, so instead of replying Jack merely took a deep breath and stretched his legs a few times. When all of his stalling tactics were officially exhausted, and he realized Marie would be starting up her own jailbreak soon, Jack sprang into action.
He leapt out from behind the tree and dashed forward immediately. As he ran, he kept his eyes trained on the mouth of the cave, scanning for any hint of movement that might offer a half-second’s extra warning. With every step, he calculated, imagining being the person with the bow, seeing a stranger leap out and make a charge. First there would be surprise, but it would quickly fade. After that it was a matter of drawing the bowstring tight, taking aim, and—
Fwip! The sound of the arrow whistled past Jack’s ear as he jerked to the left just in time. It was a quick reaction, faster than he’d expected. That meant he was dealing with someone skilled, and it would only get more difficult the closer he drew.
Jack’s boots danced across the rough path as he surged forward, zigging and zagging at just the right moments to avoid being impaled. The second and third shots came quickly, but Jack was still able to move completely out of their way. The fourth arrow came only after he’d crossed the halfway point in his charge, and sliced a hole in his shirt as it narrowly missed his flesh.
The world seemed to grow silent as Jack continued forward. He could just make out the silhouette of the person firing at him, his bow pulled taut as he tried to get a bead on Jack. There was no more time for calculations or planning. From here on, it would be a battle of pure speed. Either Jack’s reactions or the archer’s attacks would prove to be the faster.
Shot number five came so close to Jack that he felt the wind ruffle his hair. Number six took him in the edge of his shoulder, spilling a trickle of blood that oozed down his arm. The seventh shot would have taken Jack in the center of his gut, but he twisted to the side at the last moment and let it sail past. Unfortunately, this move slowed him down, and meant that arrow number eight would almost certainly hit its mark.
As Jack wheeled about to try to regain his speed, he noticed that the archer was no longer perched in a perfect position, but was now slumped over. From the tip of his forehead, a single gleam of metal jutted out.
“Got him.” Frank was standing several feet behind Jack, his other blades still clutched in his hands. “Nice job, decoy.”
“One day,” Jack grumbled as he checked the wound on his shoulder. “One day, someone else is going to be put on drawing fire duty. I can’t be the only one who does this job.”
“But you’re so good at it,” Frank replied, giving his a friend a smile that would have sent other men cowering in fear, but only told Jack that the quip was meant in good spirits. Despite his visage, Frank was easily the kindest of the three. “Besides, we all know you live for that sort of thing.”
“True, but that doesn’t mean I also want to die for it. Not unless the payout is worth it. Now let’s hurry up. That took longer than I thought. I’d hate for Marie to gut the rest. We’re already one down.”
Frank nodded, and the two hurried toward the mouth of the cave. Jack’s concern was a perfectly reasonable one. They’d given Marie the signal to go wild. If they didn’t arrive to coordinate her aggression then it was quite possible that not a single kidnapper would remain when she was done.
* * *
“When you say interestin’, do you perchance mean that you’re contemplatin’ a jailbreak?” Lily asked, whispering as she pulled herself up from the floor.
“That’s exactly what I mean. But it’s going to be…chaotic, so try to stay back. I don’t want any of you to get hurt.” Marie reached down in herself as she spoke, easily finding the presence that dwelled below the surface. At the merest brush, her inner beast roared with excitement, and Marie felt her skin tingle in a mix of anticipation and magical metamorphosis.
Lily looked her new friend up and down, then glanced at the cage door where Jailer was sharpening a wicked-looking set of daggers. “Suppose, just suppose, that the door was unlocked when you did whatever you were thinkin’ of doin’. Would that be helpful?”
Marie turned her attention from the door to Lily, who met Marie’s gaze with a coy grin. “I might not have been totally forthcomin’ about my relationship to that witch. It’s possible that she’s taught me a trick or two along the way.”
A grin that exposed her now sharp, large teeth spread across Marie’s face. If Lily was an apprentice witch, that would make things go much more smoothly on their end. Not to mention it explained her unusually calm demeanor. Frank and Jack wouldn’t like it; they generally avoided dealing with or going against witches, but they weren’t the ones in the cage. Marie had a bit more of an open mind, at least where witches were concerned.
“That would help quite a bit. If you could also make sure the other girls don’t get too near Jailer before I’m done, I’d be very grateful.”
“Pretty sure I can manage that,” Lily replied. She turned toward the door and began muttering a series of syllables beneath her breath. Marie could hear the words just fine, but they were utter gibberish to her, falling out of her head only moments after entering her ears. When the muttering finally stopped, Lily looked to Marie and gave a small nod.
It was still risky to trust a witch, apprentice or otherwise, since, if Lily was lying, Marie would be caught off guard. Of course, since her original plan had been to slam into the gate at full speed, nothing would be terribly changed if the door turned out to still be locked. It would just slow her down, but with someone as combat-savvy as Jailer seemed, that
loss of speed, especially if unexpected, might prove dangerous. There was nothing to be done for it, though. Whether Lily was honest or not, Marie had to break through that door. Her friends would be arriving any minute, and she wasn’t going to let them hog all the fun.
Her first steps were light and dainty, as Marie’s frame was smaller than her personality implied. As she gained speed, she also gained size, not to mention fur, teeth, and claws. In the short span of time it took to race from the back of the cage to the metal door, Marie the woman vanished and Marie the lumbering monster took her place, its tremendous stomps echoing throughout the cavern and down the winding tunnel. Jailer looked up in time to leap to his feet and put his blades at the ready. That was all he managed before Marie lowered her head and charged through the door, which flung open and slammed to the side. It was a tight squeeze, even with her head down, and Marie warped the edges of the cage as she barreled through.
Jailer wasted no time, coming at Marie with a flurry of slices that very nearly took a chunk out of her leg. She wheeled back, getting her bearings after the charge. Jailer pushed forward, determined not to let her recover. Marie’s assessment had been spot on; Jailer was indeed a skilled combatant. He practically danced through the air with his blade, spinning and slicing like a top gone mad. The man was undeniably fast.
Unfortunately for him, compared to Jack, Jailer might as well have been standing still. Marie’s eyes easily tracked his movements, sliding her bulk to the side with more grace than a creature her size should possess, rapidly learning his attack pattern in the span of seconds. As Jailer pushed forward with another series of slices, Marie saw her opportunity and struck without hesitation.
A single punch into his ribs sent Jailer hurtling through the air and smashing into the cavern’s wall. Only Marie could hear the sounds of his various bones snapping, but even so she didn’t relent. Jailer had scarcely hit the ground before Marie was quite literally on top of him. She crushed his legs with a single mighty stomp, and was rearing back to deal the killing blow when she remembered that they were going to be paid more if the men were captured alive. Carefully lifting her foot off the shattered remains of what had once been Jailer’s legs, Marie held up a claw and motioned to Lily.
