Elf world the complete s.., p.130
Elf World : The Complete Series, page 130
My head swirled in a hundred different directions as I watched the man sobbing. The fairies surrounding him wore twisted expressions, a demented mix of hate and joy all rolled into one.
“I suppose you’re right,” I agreed. I drew in the power, allowing it to flow into me like a river. “There is nothing more to discuss, so I’m done talking.”
Bianca tried grabbing me by the wrist when I made my move, but I shook free and began pushing my way to the front. Two fairies were in the process of erecting the pole while two more were trying to get the man back to his feet. But he had gone limp and was just sort of hanging in their arms.
The power flowed through me, filling me with its life-giving sweetness. My vision sharpened, and the world around me came into sharp focus.
I could see and feel everything, right down to the smallest details I would have never noticed otherwise. A fly buzzed over my head, the movement of its tiny wings sending ripples through the air. Isolated blades of grass growing up through the dirt swayed ever so slightly, their tips twitching in the light breeze.
And unfortunately, the fairies’ expressions came into sharp focus as well, twisted with rage. It was disheartening to see all that hate in their eyes. Someone had to put a stop to this.
I burst through the front line, knocking several fairies aside in the process. The two holding the man down turned at the sudden commotion, but by then it was too late. With a full head of steam, I rammed my shoulder into the first one, sending the poor dude flying like a prop yanked off a stage on a wire. I hoped his landing wouldn’t be too rough, but I didn’t have time to see it all the way through.
The other one turned on me and made a move for his sword. I simply reached out and smacked my hand down on top of the pommel, shoving the blade back down into its sheath, pinning his hand in the process. I gave him a hard shove in the chest, sending him stumbling back into the crowd.
I wanted to avoid hurting any fairies if possible, and certainly wasn’t going to draw a weapon against any of them. But wrong was wrong, and I was ready to use as much force as necessary to defuse the situation that had already gone way too far.
“On your feet!” I ordered, yanking the poor guy up by his bound hands.
“Oh, praise the gods!” he wailed, cheeks streaked with tears. With his black, slicked-back, shoulder-length hair, he reminded me of Loki from the Avengers movies.
“The gods have nothing to do with it,” I said, quickly assessing the situation before eyeing a narrow escape path through the crowd. “This was all me, and I’m already second-guessing my choice. Now come on, this way!” Clutching a fistful of the guy’s shirt to keep him close by, I took off.
With his hands still bound, the man was constantly off-balance and wasn’t able to run all that well. But the crowd was so stunned that they didn’t even know how to react. Their temporary shock bought us just enough time to shove our way through and out the other side.
“It wasn’t me, I swear it!” he wailed, blubbering away when we cut down a side alley. “I didn’t bring any hardship to this village. Please, you have to believe—”
“Not the time, buddy!” I cut him off. I knew he was telling the truth, but we had bigger problems. Angry shouts closed in from behind, a clear sign that the stunned crowd must have recovered.
“Here, turn around,” I said, forcefully spinning him around so I could access his binds. Normally, I wouldn’t be wasting any precious seconds on something like this, but I needed him agile and better able to run. One slice of my dagger and the bonds fell loosely to the ground.
“Oh! Oh, thank you,” he said, rubbing his wrists. “Those binds were so tight and uncomfortable. Any longer and I thought I might never be able to—” His body lurched forward as I yanked him by the shirt yet again.
“Good God, would you shut up, man!” I shouted, practically having to drag him deeper into the alley. “You can tell me all about it after we’re out of this fucking mess. Cool?”
The back of the alley split in two directions. With no time to give it any thought, we dashed to the right just to keep moving. Our chosen path eventually turned left, but then that one led us right into a dead end.
“Fuck!” I shouted, punching the brick wall blocking us in. It wasn’t ridiculously high, and I thought I might be able to make the climb with a running head start. But as for this dude already puffing and wheezing like an old man, I wasn’t nearly as confident.
The mob didn’t know exactly where we were, but the large number of angry shouts echoing down the alley promised that it wouldn’t be much longer before they found us.
I dropped to one knee near the base of the wall, cupped my hands, and laced my fingers together. “Come on,” I said, shaking my hands. It was the only thing I could think of. “Get a running head start and I’ll flip you over.”
“W-what?” With the look of horror that flashed across his face, one might think I just asked him to eat a kitten. “But I—” His gaze roamed up to the top of the wall and then flowed back down to my waiting hands. “But...what if I don’t make it? And even if I do, I don’t know what’s on the other side.”
“That’s right, we don’t know what’s on the other side,” I acknowledged, slapping the back of my hand into my palm several times before lacing my fingers again. “But we sure the fuck know what’s coming from that direction!” I pointed with my chin toward the angry shouts that were definitely getting closer. “Now quit stalling and let’s go!”
He still didn’t look confident, but at least my point was not completely lost on him. Spurred on by the angry shouts and the very real threat of being recaptured and executed, he lowered his head and began his plodding run toward me.
He was only a few steps into it, and I was already cringing. It was a slow-motion train wreck right out of the gate, and to my eyes, his fumbling half-jog was like watching a newborn giraffe taking its very first steps.
When he finally stumbled up on me, he basically just stomped down into my hands with practically no built-up momentum to speak of. I had to use all my strength to hoist him up, but after a successful heave and launch, the guy cleared the top in one go. “Ah!” he cried out, his scream immediately followed by a series of drawn-out crackling crunches, causing me to wince.
“Shit,” I muttered, wondering if there might have been a better way to approach that. “Hey, you all right over there?” I waited a moment before calling out again. “Seriously, are you okay?” I asked, louder that time.
“Yes, but there are filthy bags everywhere,” the dude complained, as if landing on soft bags were the worst thing that could have happened. “It’s disgusting.”
“Ugh...” I groaned, backing away from the wall to make some room. I made a short run at it, and the gritty brick was able to hold my jump pretty well. With my foot fixed against the gripping surface, it was an easy push to get my other foot over the top. I looked down from my perch and saw the man still struggling his way out of what looked like a stack of grain bags.
After I jumped down and yanked him from the pile, we were on the move once again.
This alley was narrower than the others, but aside from some scattered crates and sacks, it was easy enough to traverse. I planted my foot and hung a quick left, but then came skidding to a sudden halt. The dude almost raced right past me, but I managed to snatch him by the collar and slam him up against the wall beside me.
When he jerked his head toward me, I quickly raised a finger to my lips. Once I was sure I had his silence, I pointed up with the same finger.
Fairy patrols roamed the sky above us, no doubt scanning the alleys and streets for the two escaped humans. They flew in slow, hovering circles, their buzzing wings working hard to keep them aloft. I knew from experience that they couldn’t keep it up for long, so if we could just stay hidden long enough and wait them out...
A hand flashed around my face from behind, clasping over my mouth before I could make a sound. My head jerked sideways, and I found myself looking into a pair of ice-blue eyes. Treva was staring a hole straight through me, and needless to say, she did not look happy.
“We will discuss this little stunt you pulled later,” she hissed in my face. With my face caught in her surprisingly strong grip, I rolled my eyes to the man next to me. His situation was no better than mine, head pushed back against the stone with Bianca’s hand clutched to his mouth. “But as of now, your actions have drawn far too many eyes. I fear stealth is no longer an option.”
“Wait, I thought you two were like ninjas or something,” I said after she finally withdrew her hand. “Are you seriously saying we can’t find a way to sneak out of this town without being noticed?”
“Oh, we can,” Bianca said, dropping her hand away from the guy’s face too. His eyes were wide with alarm, but he seemed to understand that these dominatrix-looking fairies were with me. “But not while dragging two clumsy humans along with us. We’ll have to find another way.”
“But I can’t let them catch me again,” the man moaned, his head jerking about with every shout. “I can’t go back. I can’t! What do we do?”
Treva flashed us a toothy grin, and my heart started to sink. I had seen that look from my wood elf friends before, and already knew we were in trouble. “I suppose we have no choice but to drag two clumsy humans along with us.”
Bianca’s grin was no less chilling as she lifted a bit of rope from her pack. She held it in front of her face and gave it a hard snap.
When the dude glanced over at me and swallowed hard, I’m sure my return shrug was less than reassuring. He seemed to be having second thoughts about the direction of this rescue attempt, as was I.
Damn, why does this shit always happen to me?
Shoved hard from behind, I came stumbling out of the alley. Unable to break my fall due to having my hands tied behind my back, all I could do was turn my head at the last second to keep my face from eating the brunt of the impact. The side of my head bounced once off the street before a snapping kick to the ribs had me curling up in a ball.
Damn, I knew the twins were trying to make it look real, but I got the feeling they were enjoying this way too much. And something told me it wasn’t going to get any easier from here.
“On your feet, worm!” Treva kicked me in the ribs a second time just as the guy came stumbling out of the alley, landing right beside me. I know we were supposed to play along, but that girlish yelp he let out sounded pretty authentic to me. But that was nothing compared to the absolute shriek he made after a follow-up kick caught him in the side.
I didn’t know if this guy was one hell of an actor or if he was seriously about to start crying.
The crowd cheered the recapture of the insolent humans, and now it looked like they might be tossing two on the barbeque this evening.
Treva yanked me back up by my collar. “Just keep walking,” she whispered in my ear. I did as she said, but it didn’t stop her from slapping me in the back of the head a few extra times for good measure. And it wasn’t just me being abused—my new friend was tasting his share of backhands too.
Yeah, this was more than a show. They were getting off on this shit.
Heads turned, and the fairies began separating to make room for the woman making her way through the mob. She was short, even by fairy standards, so I couldn’t get a good look at her until she was right on top of us.
She wore a monocle that sat over one eye, and had a long, baggy trench coat that looked way too big on her. Her short hair was light blue, dyed, I assumed, considering I had never seen any other fairies with hair that color.
“Well done. Well done,” she said, clapping in a slow, steady rhythm as she approached us. She stepped up to the man first, reached up, and gave his cheek a harsh pinch. “Thought you were going to escape justice, did you?”
“N-no, ma’am,” he whimpered, wincing from her unrelenting pinch. “I was only trying to— Ow!” A sharp kick to his side from Bianca doubled him right over.
“I thought I told you to shut up!” Bianca hovered over him, glaring down like a hawk.
“The Razor twins, I presume,” the woman acknowledged, planting her fists on her hips.
“That is correct,” Treva said, her hand still clutching the back of my collar like she was still concerned about me trying to make a run for it.
The short woman dropped into a low, elaborate bow. The gesture looked so exaggerated that I wondered if she might be mocking them. “Queen Luna’s renowned assassins. I must say, you two are just about the last folk I expected to come wandering into my humble town this evening. Your reputations precede you.”
“As does yours, Grenda,” Bianca replied, an unmistakable tone of wariness in her voice. Okay, so they all seemed to know of each other, at least by reputation. I assumed this woman had to be the mayor of this town, or whatever the fairy equivalent of that might be.
“And from what I’ve seen so far, it appears that your reputation is well earned,” Treva added, looking around at the gathered crowed. “Hoverstine remains a bustling trade hub as always. That is good to see.”
“Yes, business is good,” Grenda said, her sharp eyes flicking back to the man on the ground. “It would have better if not for this serpent from the shadows. But fear not, I’m certain things will improve the moment he takes his last breath.” The man dropped his head and let out a sorrowful whimper. “And of course, his accomplice here shall also meet the same fate,” she went on, that time looking at me.
Suddenly, her dark demeanor changed in a flash, and in the blink of an eye she was all sunshine, rainbows, and puppy dogs. “I thank you both for capturing him, as well as the traitor who aided his escape. I will be sure to send word to Orladrin of your heroic deeds; no doubt the queen will reward you accordingly. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a pair of executions I must see to.”
“The human is with us,” Treva said, giving my collar a harsh tug in a show of possession as I stumbled up against her chest. “And he is no traitor. A fool, perhaps.” I could feel her glare but chose not to meet her eyes. “But that is the extent of it.”
“Now that is certainly an interesting position,” Grenda said, her sunshine and rainbows demeanor long gone at this point. “Maybe when you arrive back in Orladrin” —her eyes narrowed into slits— “a region where your authority is recognized, then perhaps Queen Luna might be patient enough to define what a traitor is to you. However, I, on the other hand, simply do not have the time.”
She perked up a little bit, forcing a plastic smile. “Very well, then, take the traitor with you if you must, but the other one stays here. Again, I thank you for your assistance, but my men will take it from here. Have a safe journey back to the kingdom. I bid you farewell.”
Okay, this was getting bad. The power struggle appeared to have resulted in a stalemate. The Razor twins may have been well-known assassins, but other than that, they held no official rank, particularly here in Hoverstine. And yes, I was essentially the property of the queen and couldn’t be touched, but it wasn’t going to help the other guy I had worked so hard to save.
“Yours is an interesting position as well,” Treva said. Both fairies kept a tight hold of their prisoners, neither willing to budge just yet. “There has not been a public execution in Orladrin for hundreds of years. And even when those barbaric practices were still in play, an actual trial was required before they could proceed.”
“Serpent from the shadows, isn’t that what you said?” Bianca asked, slapping the dude in the back of the head with an audible pop. “I hardly think this worm of a man fits that colorful description. And yet, even a worm would have been given a fair trial in Orladrin. Does this law not apply in Hoverstine, I wonder? Or is it just too inconvenient?”
Bianca made a series of tsk sounds, shaking her head before continuing. “To be clear, no one is questioning your authority, Grenda. But since you are about to carry out an execution based entirely on hearsay and superstition...”
“We’ll have no choice but to report this to the queen,” Treva finished for her. “As it stands now, Grenda, you have a reputation for being a shrewd and successful businesswoman. But I’m afraid that once word of this barbaric behavior gets out, you will be viewed in a vastly different light.”
Grenda’s lips clamped down into a thin line. She probably wasn’t used to being threatened, and struggled to hide her mounting frustration. Having this discussion in a back room somewhere was one thing, but this was happening in front of everyone. Practically the whole town was watching.
“But why allow any of this to fall on your shoulders?” Treva asked, offering her a back door, a way to save face while not appearing weak in the eyes of her fellow townsmen. I could see that this must have been the plan the whole time. “Please, allow us to escort both humans back to Orladrin to be dealt with by the courts. After all, you’re a busy woman. Your precious time should not be wasted on such trivial things.”
As Grenda’s eyes bounced back and forth between the man and me, I wilted under her gaze so as to come across as weak and intimidated. That might help feed her ego a little.
“Very well,” she agreed, faking reluctance even though she was probably relieved. “As you say, that’s one less thing I’ll have to worry about. After all, there is no profit to be had in executions. Now get these two out of my sight before I change my mind.”
“At once,” Bianca said, bowing her head in a submissive gesture. “We bid you good day.” Grenda’s return goodbye was nothing more than a dismissive wave in our general direction before she melted back into the crowd.
The twins moved us roughly through the hostile crowd, shoving and smacking us all through the streets as a way to offer the angry fairies a last bit of satisfaction.
It was the next best thing to roasting us alive.
Chapter 12
Even after we were well outside the town’s boundaries, the ladies still kept a pretty good grip on us. Either they just weren’t looking to take any chances in case someone was still watching us, or they were actually really pissed. I was sort of suspecting the latter when...
