by Samuel Small
Had Jake swung with full force, his blade would have knocked the petty defense away and carved right into the man, but since this was all a big show, he played along and moved his blade away from the cane as if it were knocked back by the force of the block. Allen Gray staggered, and the blow almost knocked the cane clear out of his hands. As he tried to stumble into a proper fighting position Jake again planted his sword down and leaned on it. Allen Gray fixed his hat, which wasn’t actually displaced and the act only did displace it, then glared at Jake.
“Kick his ass already!” someone yelled from behind. Jake casually turned his head toward them, confident that his opponent was too afraid to attack and saw that his whole team had gotten used to the shifting ground. They stepped in rhythm with its movements and smiled as if they were watching a sporting event. In the front, Bolt raised his arms and cheered.
Jake was happy to oblige. He turned to the man and flipped his sword, raising it to the sky in a triumphant display. Then he pointed it at the man’s quivering body. Jake smirked and darted at Allen Gray, his sword pulled back in an obvious display of his intent so that he would be able to dodge the lunge.
Allen Gray jumped backward from Jake’s slash in the least eloquent way possible and barely ducked under the follow-up swing. The sword cleaved his hat cleanly in two, and the man’s pathetic shape knelt down by Jake’s legs, quivering at the prospect of a final deadly attack. Jake turned his sword in his palms and pointed it downward, aiming to give one final thrust. Allen Gray looked up at him, his hair a mess and his eyes wide with fear, then shut them tightly. Jake held the sword above him for a few seconds, then tossed it aside. The sword made a rusting screech as it slid across the stone valley.
Allen Gray peeked out of one hesitant eye and saw Jake towering over him. He sprung up and readied himself into a fighting position, but Jake pulled his arm back for a large haymaker swing. Allen Gray placed his hands before his face and raised a knee for some reason, and Jake let the arm drop down by his side, grazing his jacket with a light tfft. Then he turned toward the audience in the tent and smiled.
A few men stood in the entryway, inspecting the events as they unfolded. When they saw Jake and the cowardly actions of their leader a few began to make their way outside, slowly at first. Others peeked out and saw that there was no harm, and soon as many as 30 men surrounded Jake and Allen Gray, all looking as confused as the next.
“He’s just a big chicken,” a familiar voice called out from behind, and when Jake turned the crowd of men was parting for his comrades’ entrance. All of them were smirking and had clearly enjoyed the show, including Lindsey. So Lindsey was in on it? Jake thought. He wondered how Bolt knew she’d play along.
Jake turned back toward Allen Gray, who made no attempt to conceal his true nature now. He looked at the ground, ready to receive his punishment. For a moment Jake felt pity and almost told the men to do him no harm, but one look at them showed that they would do nothing. The men who had worked for him looked on sadly, as if all the misdeeds he had done were forgiven by his own pathetic form.
Bolt elbowed Jake in the ribs. “Look at Mr. Tough Guy over here! Took out an entire unit all by himself!” he said, and the group laughed along with him. The Dragon Fang members stared at the lot of them, thoroughly confused and Jake couldn’t blame them. Still, he laughed with the group, the sound seeming stronger thanks to the echoes of the canyon until it died away and they were left with an eerie silence. Footfalls broke that silence, as Flint moved from the middle of the group to the front. He placed himself before Jake, and his men followed suit.
“You’ve done us a mighty favor, so we owe you one.”
Bolt opened his mouth to speak but Jake raised a hand. He figured he should be the one to talk, being that he ‘defeated an entire group by himself’ and all. “Don’t worry about it. We owed him payback anyway.”
Bolt jumped forward and latched onto Jake, slinging an arm around the boy’s shoulder. “We couldn’t have a wimp like him running things, could we Thun?”
“Certainly not.”
Flint opened his mouth to protest but shut it and smiled. He put a firm hand on Lindsey’s shoulder, who was trying to retreat to the back of the group but he pulled her to the front.
“And what do we say?”
Lindsey’s eyes flicked toward Jake. “Er, Th-thanks.”
“And next time you try to seduce him, maybe follow through on it!” Thun yelled and they all bellowed laughter. Lindsey’s face flushed and she shook her head, as if the motion could do anything about the embarrassment. Jake sat upright from his hunched over position and wiped a tear from his eye caused by his laughter. He walked over to his sword and sheathed it then turned toward his companions, smiling.
“Well then, shall we go?”
“Already?” Lindsey said.
“Come on,” Flint said, “you could at least stay the night at my place. It’s the least we could do.”
Bolt turned toward the group of men who were climbing the planks, raising his voice so they could hear. “That depends if some assholes are gonna keep blocking off the path.” The group stopped, turned to him, and a few shrugged. Jake supposed they got their answer.
“Sure thing, we could all use a break after all!”
***
“Sorry I couldn’t accommodate you better.”
Jake didn’t know what Flint was talking about, the straw beneath him felt very comfortable. Then he realized that normal people slept in beds. “Last night I slept in a cave. Trust me, this is a welcomed change,” Jake said, and Flint smiled.
“Still, wish I had more beds for yuh. Sucks that you gotta be the only one in the barn.”
“It’s no problem at all, really. I could use a break from those two anyway.”
“Right, I hear you,” Flint said, and stepped away. Jake waited until his footfalls faded completely before he left out a belated sigh. He’d been busting his ass killing Malice and fighting off criminal enterprises, and this little break was long overdue. Even if his bed was straw – he was just happy to have one to lie in. Sure, it felt lumpy and uneven, and rustled whenever he moved, but it beat stone any day.
Jake had never slept in a barn before and he found the structure oddly comforting. It was fragile and used much less foundation than a house, but it had a novelty that was all its own. Although it was obvious that this one had seen better days. There were several holes in the ceiling through which moonlight shone.
From above, there was a slight sound of movement.
No, there better not be anybody causing him trouble. He’d been working hard for about a week now, and he just wanted a few hours of rest.
A head peaked out from a rafter above him. Jake grimaced, not wanting to be bothered while he lazed about before sleep, and certainly not wanting to be alone in a barn at this hour with her.
Still, the girl must have not been able to see Jake’s twisted features within the shadows of the barn as she climbed down from the rafters, allowing her legs to momentarily dangle, before letting go and landing in a pile of hay with a muffled thud. Jake turned away and let out one last sigh before sitting upright.
“What do you want?”
Lindsey dusted some straw off of her clothes and stood up at Jake’s words. She must have not been expecting to be addressed that directly, as she looked around bashfully before approaching the bale of straw where Jake had just a few moments before been trying to sleep.
“May I?” she said, gesturing toward the pile of straw. Jake shrugged and she climbed on top, taking a seat next to him. He stared at her, an eyebrow raised, wondering why the hell she was there. She’d already thanked him despite his insistence that it was no big deal – they had to get through Deathridge one way or another, after all.
Across from him, the girl looked down and played with her fingers as if gathering her thoughts. She’s had the whole time she was waiting for Flint to leave to do that, Jake thought, then turned from her, annoyed.
He h
eard the straw beneath her shift restlessly, as if she was making exaggerated motions, then a wistful sigh. Jake turned to her and she finally looked at him dead on.
“I just don’t get you,” she said finally.
Don’t get? What’s not to get? Jake thought, and almost began to say as much before she continued.
“You come here looking like a fish out of water. You’re all goofy and awkward and it was super easy to get the information I wanted out of you. Then all of sudden you’re some heroic badass who manages to tangle with Flint and live to tell about it, capture me, and take out all those guards and even Allen Gray himself. I’ve been racking my brain over it, but I just can’t reach any kind of conclusion.”
“There isn’t much to get. My team, well, you know Bolt and Thun. I’m used to working with people who are… less than easy to deal with. So when you came along acting all normal, it threw me for a loop.”
She smacked Jake on the back, laughing, and he almost fell sideways. She lifted her head up and cackled.
“Bullshit!” she screeched. “Tripped up by someone talking normal? Come on! Just be honest!”
“Be honest about what? It threw me off, that’s all.”
“Or maybe it’s because I’m a girl?” Lindsey leaned back and posed like a model, motioning with her hand toward her leg. Then she sat upright and laughed, taking Jake in with the cool eyes of a predator.
“Absolutely ridiculous! I’ve had girls on my team before and got along with them just fine!” Jake retorted, crossing his arms and turning away. Almost as soon as he took on the harsh gesture his heart softened. Hadn’t he had a similar experience before?
“I see, then it can’t just be because I’m a girl, can it? Maybe I remind you of someone?”
A girl with exceptional combat ability who played the role of an ordinary citizen. They weren’t exactly the same, sure. Lindsey was bubbly while Elizabeth was stone cold, but the fact was that when Jake first met them he was taken with their appearance and the fact that they both tried to kill him remained the same. And in the end hadn’t his relationship with both of them improved? At least with Elizabeth he hoped so.
“I see,” she said. He forgot that he was in the middle of a conversation. When he took in her shape she was already lowering herself from the straw and onto the floor below. “I guess that answers my question.”
Jake winced. He didn’t like where this was going.
“You’re actually a seasoned warrior, one who’s had many hard-fought battles and is currently working with the Lightning Gang. You’re a little shy and awkward, but that doesn’t prevent you from getting the job done – at least not most of the time. If someone comes around that reminds you of certain girl, one that you love perhaps, you clam up and get super awkward.” She leaned forward and began tapping her head with her fist. “Glad I got that worked out, it would’ve drove me crazy otherwise!” she said, then ran out of the barn before Jake could deny any of it.
He wished she’d stayed so that he could tell her how stupid she was being. He wasn’t a seasoned warrior, he’d only been on a handful of missions and of those he’d only been useful on a few. And he wasn’t shy, he was, well, stoic was the word he preferred. And finally, that last comment was totally untrue. He wished she had stayed so he could tell her that and sort it out. Now it was going to bug him, cycling through his mind with no intention of stopping. Rather than sleep like he intended, he’d have to stay up worrying about this strange feeling pulsing in his chest.
***
In the morning the three boys headed out. They said a final goodbye to Flint and Lindsey, and in return she gave Jake a knowing wink that he had to advert his eyes from. If Bolt or Thun found out what happened they were going to roast him worse than any fire user ever could. Luckily they seemed preoccupied with reaching their destination, their thoughts focused on Deathridge and the glowing horizon beyond it. Jake followed their gaze, his initial embarrassment from Lindsey’s wink now just a fading memory. He nodded and allowed his feet to carry him onward.
All the villagers and former Dragon Fang members stopped in the streets and parted ways for the three boys as if they were some unstoppable force of nature who’s path they dare not hinder. They made it to Deathridge and slowly walked down the planks they stormed the night before. Jake gave one final look back at the old stone village, really a marvel from a distance, then set off with his companions.
***
Jake coughed. White dust floated in the air, a cloud of smoke courtesy of the house the Malice so casually destroyed. He could barely open his eyes through its thickness, and due to the limited visibility he could only make out the misty form of the creature as it turned toward him, slowly, as if it knew he was trapped.
The lumbering creature was human in appearance, although it sported a lanky body and a small head. It stood about ten feet tall. What it lacked in its torso it more than made up for with its arms. They were huge and bulging, even wider than the body of the creature.
It walked toward Jake, dragging the great arms along the ground. The dust and smoke was clearing now, carried away by a chill wind that seemed to go right through him.
The creature shifted its whole body to the side and the arms dragged across the ground at Jake. The boy leaped over one arm, tucked and rolled on the ground, then sprung up and leapt over the second. He landed on his feet, slamming them against the ground and planting them hard, then lunged at the creature’s back, right where the spine would be if it had any bones. The creature let out a roar of sharp pain as Jake twisted his blade and removed it. Then he was running again.
This creature had great range thanks to its arms, and Jake knew that all too well. Generally, he was taught to close the distance and jam his opponent up, but that wouldn’t work on this creature due to its size. Seriously, if Jake tried to pressure this thing it would knock him away with a swipe of the hand. Instead Jake played a patient game. He let it make fierce attacks, and while it reeled from those he came in and dealt his blows. It was a dangerous strategy – one slip up and the creature would have him, but this was also a dangerous opponent. One that he shouldn’t really be fighting one on one.
“Are you guys done yet?” he yelled as the creature swatted its large arm toward him.
“We don’t exactly have it easy here either!” Thun yelled from somewhere behind him, followed by a few pops from his gun. Jake scoffed and shouted “whatever,” then charged at the creature once more.
Again, he aimed at the creatures back, this time digging his sword into the hole he had already made, and without stopping he ran to the left of the creature, raking his sword along its back. The creature’s gooey flesh tore with a loud and wet ripping sound, and Jake’s blade came tearing through the other side of its torso. The patch of flesh that left the creature in one piece only stayed upright for a moment then snapped, and the top half of its body came crashing to the ground. Jake strode away from it, sheathing his sword, and did not turn to watch the monster’s final death throes.
“I just took out a big one! How about you guys?”
Thun jumped back from the claws of one of the creatures, jammed his gun into its face, and pulled the trigger. The creature’s head exploded and its body fell limp to the ground. Thun turned toward Jake and jerked a hand outward.
“Well excuse me! We don’t have giant swords that cut through these things like butter! All we’ve got are these crappy bullets!” he shouted, then kicked at a tiny monster that tried to bite at his ankles. He turned toward Jake and extended both his arms out. “You can help anytime you know!”
Jake leaned back and folded his arms behind his head. “Yeah, I’m not sure I like that attitude. How about a please?”
“Fuck you!” Thun said, and began shooting at the creatures once more.
“You know you’ve gotten real cocky ever since you dicked on that pimp guy,” Bolt said. When Jake turned toward him he was firing a few rounds at several human-sized Malice that swatted at him. He kept them at
bay with several shots, then fired a blank. He looked at Jake, shrugged, then tossed the gun to the ground. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade, which he tossed playfully from one hand to another as the creatures closed in on him. “In fact, I kinda like it!” he laughed.
One of the creatures scratched at him but Bolt bounced away then let out several rapid stabs into its torso. It hunched over and he followed it up by cutting the creature’s throat. Dark liquid jetted out and he moved on to the next, slicing and cutting through the creatures with ease. Each one took him several hits to kill, but with how quickly he attacked the overall time he spent on each individual creature couldn’t have amounted to more than a few seconds.
The last of them fell, and the village was entirely clear of Malice. Bolt closed the switchblade and tucked it into his pocket, then walked over to his gun and holstered it. Jake walked along the uneven ground toward the safe zone they’d designated for the villagers to stay in, thinking about the strange nature of this area of the realm.
This part of the world had more unique Malice than anywhere else. Previously he had only really fought a few variants, such as the large brutish types, the mini snapping creatures, and a few regular humanoid ones. All of these except the brutes were dealt with relatively quickly. Here, it seemed there was no end to the large and difficult variants, and any village they went to was bound to have a number of them. Perhaps it was because this area was neglected for so long, except that wasn’t quite true…
Up ahead were the villagers, an eerie silhouette backlit by the setting sun. To Jake, they looked like a group of Malice, if only for a second, although the posture that wasn’t slumping and malignant brought his mind back to the reality of the situation. At the front of the pack stood a young woman who Jake knew to be the village elder.
“Thank you,” she said. “We’d tried our best to fight back, but it took all we had just to keep them at bay.”
