The Mercenary's Blade

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. There was also a time when the sky wouldn’t rumble with thunder and rain blood from the sky. When the sea wouldn’t burn a fire brighter than the sun on the hottest day. But, that’s what happens when a foolish king thinks that he can simply take and have anything he wants.

“Tell us a story, kind Ser”

I look over at the young and hopeful faces of one of the few children by the fire. The journey so far had been hard, and the kids had suffered the most. Forced to abandon their home and village. The only home they had ever known. But such was the times…

“Yeah, a story pleeeeease”

I chuckle quietly to myself as more of the kids look up to me with eager faces. I look across to their parents as they do their best to source some food to curb their growling hunger.

“Sure kids, gather around” I wait a moment as the kids rush over in the hopes of some entertainment on this dreary night. And if I can provide that for them, then even better. Maybe I can even add this to my bill.

“In a time before you all were born, there was a young boy. Kinda like you all. From a small village but always dreamed of being just like the heroes in the stories you all know and love. As soon as he turned sixteen. He left his home, his family and his friends. He left it all behind and travelled to the capitol. Eventually, he was accepted into the Kings Guard and worked his way up the ranks. Took on dangerous missions that took him away from the capitol and was sent to fight many vile creatures, bandits and deserters. Anyone that posed a threat to the kingdom. And he was damn good at it. He had achieved his dream, to become a hero that was known and loved”

The kids faces look on in adoration as the hang on every word that leaves my mouth. I look to the night sky above us. As I look at the stars dancing in the sky, an uneasy feeling crawls over me. As though the kids’ eyes aren’t the only ones that are fixated on me.

My hand makes its way slowly down to the hilt of my sword as my eyes move slowly through the coverage around us. Trying to locate an unseen enemy under the cover of both night and trees isn’t exactly easy but there’s a certain knack to it. I hold my finger to my lips in an effort to silence the camp as I rise to my feet, taking a step forward before I draw my short sword and hurl it into the tree line. It disappears from sight, but I hear it make an almighty thud as it hits home and sticks into the trunk of one of the trees.

After a few moments, a rather stunned young man stumbles into my line of sight. With quite a stunned and shocked look on his face. Almost in a daze, much to my amusement but instead of allowing myself to enjoy this moment and torture the poor kid further…

“And just what in the hell do you think you’re doing kid? Spying on an innocent band of travelers? Sneaking around in the dark like that? That’s a surefire way to meet your maker” I make sure to say this with my best possible growl for added effect. And sure enough, his face turns white, almost instantly and his knees begin to shake.

“N-No, pl-please. Y-You’ve g-got th-the wrong idea!” He managers to stutter out as he frantically waves his hands in front of his face, attempting to sow he means no harm. But I don’t think this kid would have it in him to kill a fly that was hovering a little too closely to his food.

But, that’s beside the point. I make sure to slowly walk towards him in the most menacing way possible. I think I can actually hear his teeth chattering as he does everything he possibly can to not soil himself as I stand and tower over him, my eyes locking with his.

A tense few moments pass before I eventually break my gaze and chuckle. The look of bewilderment on the kids face is my reward as I move past him and disappear into the trees to retrieve my sword. I chuckle quietly to myself at the amount of fear I put into this poor kid. As though I didn’t recognize he was from Angel Raid the moment I heard him rustling through the trees. Poorly trying to cover his tracks all day as he watched our journey.

I make my way back to the clearing and almost break character as I watch this kid try to compose himself. Maybe I went a little too far on this one. I place my hand on his shoulder and speak with a much softer voice this time. “Angel Raid didn’t say they were sending an escort, I was to deliver the villagers tomorrow by lunch. What changed?”

The kid gulps as he struggles to find his voice, and his balls. “W-Well, y-you see. Th-There’s a squad of K-Kings Guard.. A-And th-they’re h-heading this way! They’re al-almost upon you!”

A surge of fear and panic spreads through the camp the minute those words leave his mouth. Stupid bastard. Hasn’t quite learnt the art of discretion but it’s too late now. I can feel the tension in the air as the subdued movement of footsteps can be felt through the night air. My heart is starting to beat a little more lively now. It’s been a long while since my sword has had a challenge like this. The King’s Guard. The best swordsmen and warriors the Land of Aleria has to offer.

I draw my sword as I turn to the panicked villagers. “Remain calm. I’ll keep them busy as you follow…” I look over my shoulder at the kid. Realizing that I never asked for his name.

“Kaim, m-my names Kaim…” He manages to blurt out. At least his stutter seems to be a little more under control.

“Right. You’ll follow Kaim, he’ll lead you to the safe point, while I keep these bastards occupied” I call to the villagers before turning to face the growing threat that advances behind us. The tension in the air growing as the villagers scramble to collect the few possessions they were able to bring with them as the start to hurriedly move along the beaten path.

Kaim begins to follow them before turning to me once again, a genuine look of concern on his face as he moves towards me. I barely even notice his presence as my attention is all but focused on the good fight that is now coming my way until I feel his hand touch the back of my shoulder.

“A-Are you going to be okay? Th-The King’s G-Guard is the best there is. I-If y-you run now, you m-might make it…” His voice trails off as I shake my head.

“King’s Guard are trained beyond normal human abilities. Their strength and stamina far outlasts the average human, let alone villagers with no combat experience. If no one slows them down now, they’ll catch up before long regardless” I grip the handle of my sword a little more tightly. The excitement pulsating through my entire body at this point.

“B-but if th-that’s the case… Th-Then h-how are yo-” I cut Kaim off as he’s starting to waste precious moments.

“They didn’t tell you who I was, did they kid?”

Kaim shakes his head, slightly confused. “No, they just t-told me that a merc w-was es-escorting the villagers…”

I grin as I look over my shoulder before drawing my second blade. The whites of my eyes slowly turning black “The name’s Taror. Former Captain of the Kings Guard, also known as the Demon of the Dual Wield”