The man scurried further, unknowingly backing himself into a corner, his whimpers and pleas filling the empty void of the cluttered storage house. The chase had been remedial, the victim's efforts wasted on fruitless retaliation. Certainly not a weakling human, but the ice giant was as unintelligent as one. A black market dealer pawning off demon weaponry to anyone who could pay the right price... many items of which were fake; hence the henchmen that now littered the floor in their blood and remains. Playing cat and mouse had been entertaining, but the lack of a challenge finally brought the masked man back to the reason for which he was terrorizing a helpless creature.
"You've got three seconds to tell me the location of the Crossbow." Summoning his weapon from the pits of darkness, he held the edge of the blade to the tip of the man's nose. "One-"
"I don't know, I swear!"
"Two-"
"Jesus Christ, have mercy!"
"Three-"
"Wait!"
The mercenary froze in an attack position, ready to strike, noting how the man's eyes flickered to a specific spot before returning his sights back to him. His own eyes found off in the distance a rectangular crate, clearly unopened and untouched by the look of the dust it had been collecting. It could've been a ploy, an attempt to elongate his life by pointing him in the wrong direction, but a man under pressure hardly ever lied when survival instincts kicked in. Regardless, the signature of the aura emitting from its depths confirmed its contents. And here the masked man had been looking forward to a long night of endless torture to reveal the weapon's location. Guess he'd have to opt for the next best thing.
Lowering his weapon, he walked over to the crate and cut open the top with one flourish of his blade. He levitated the cover off, hearing off in the distance the labored breaths of the ice giant as he attempted to gather his wits. The gravel shifted as the giant carefully stepped away from the corner as he silenced his breathing, calculating how quickly he could get away before the masked man noticed. Yes, thought the mercenary... Feel that spark of hope, that possibility of survival, as it drives you to your ultimate demise... The footsteps increased as the giant sprinted, his breaths heavy and fearful. Predictable.
The plank flew, a strangled "No!" echoed, as the board was sent straight through the giant's neck, severing his head. The body crumpled lamely to the floor, the blood pouring in rivers from both the head and the base of the neck from the body as the blood evaporated. The masked man turned his sights to the crossbow and clutched it in his grasp before pointing his weapon at a mass of crates several feet away. Instantly, they disintegrated in dark flames, revealing the source of the shout of mercy moments before. Well, well... quite the unlikely reunion this would be.
"I already warned you to stay away," the masked man reminded. Liora's eyes, having been drawn to the mutilated giant, shifted cautiously to him, small traces of fear and amazement reflected on their surface. "I might not be so lenient this time."
"Oh? But," She stood from her spot, her heart speeding up as her gaze met with the mask he wore, "would you attack a innocent girl who followed you for the simple reason of knowing your name?" Alright, so. . . she wanted him to laugh. She figured she could get him to laugh. It came so naturally to him before, perhaps he would do it again?
ReplyDeleteBut it was never that simple was it? He stood there, unfazed by her failed attempt at humor.
"Obviously, your sense of danger has been seriously obscured to come after me. Go home now, I have little patience to spare with you." Well. . . how commanding, its a good thing Liora was used to defying authority. Being the youngest of a large family such as hers had prepared her well for this moment it seems.
She stood her ground and planted her feet firmly apart, with a sort of devious smile she said, "Make. Me." The adrenaline rushing in her veins had pushed aside any fear she had felt earlier, now she stood before a man who, surely could kill her within a heart beat. . . but he didn't, did he?
A resounding silence stretched between them making the situation all the more tense. What could he be thinking behind the mask? Why did he wear a mask? And suddenly she had to find out.
"Why do you wear that mask? Is it because you're ugly?" Hmm... perhaps insulting him was not the best way to get him to laugh that wonderfully rich laugh she had somehow become addicted to. Change tactics.
"Or perhaps you are so beautiful that your face alone can bring girls to their knees?" She locked her hands behind her back, stepping over (once again) the dead bodies. He didn't move, his head pointed slightly to the ground. Oh, she knew, without a doubt he was tracking her ever move. If she so much as breathed the wrong way he wouldn't hesitate to end her life. So, she moved carefully, slowly, being sure not to make any sudden movements.
"Do you not have anything better to do than throw away your life?" His voice sent shivers through her body.
"Yes, I could be enjoying that wonderful laugh of yours."
Still no reaction. What did she expect from a mercenary? Of course he was cool, calm, and collected, he wouldn't show a shred of reaction to anything she said no matter the level of annoyance, so , she decided to intrigue him with information.
"So, you are looking for those weapons? What makes them so special? Hmm?" She turned, retracing her steps back to her original spot, always staying in his line of view.
The crossbow began to glow, humming silently at her proximity. Her eyes locked onto the inscription that ran along its length. It was a language she knew she didnt understand. . . and yet she read it perfectly as if she knew the writings all her life. 'Bellum gerit ad equestrem manu eius et potestas et quieti de terra tollere. Bellum.' .... To the horseman who wields war within its grasp, the power to take peace and tranquility from the earth. War.
"My brother would want his weapon. Maybe you can fedex it to him since you were so kind to find it?" Still no reaction.
"Too expensive? Then I can just take it and deliver to him personally, would you like to give him a card? I'm sure he would love to learn the name of who found his bow."
"Your teasing is beginning to annoy me."
"I'm surprised you stayed this long."
So, it was confirmed, the girl was indeed a Horseman Akuma. That made things equally simple and complicated. For this, he would have to keep the child alive to serve her higher purpose but she was treading dangerous waters. Her interest must be a ruse; truly, the sword and the crossbow are her targets. Why else would she take note of it?
ReplyDeletePerhaps the most intriguing thing of all was the girl's reappearance. The mercenary made it a point to not encounter a past victim unless he arranged it to be so... This was more than just a chance encounter. No doubt her attraction to the sword the day before was the answer to this predicament. She'd be able to trace him for so long as he had it in his grasp. He made a mental note to attend to that hindrance; for now, he must devise a way to desist her pursuit.
"You're awfully quiet," she chimed. His eyes darted to her. She had drawn herself closer to him.
"Take one more step and I won't hesitate to dole out the consequences."
She snickered, valiantly making a large step toward him. "So, what's my punishment?"
"A one way ticket to an orphanage." He snapped his fingers, summoning a veil of darkness as from before that billowed several feet behind him. "Too bad you won't get to say goodbye to dear old Mom and Dad." He turned and walked forward, heading into the veil's depths...
"Wait!"
He froze, his back still turned to her. "... I'll stop following you. Just... tell me your name, at least."
He cocked his head in her direction, glancing at her over his shoulder. What is she getting at? What is she hoping to accomplish by knowing my name? "I prefer to remain an unknown anomaly."
"What, like in math?" Liora laughed airily. "The letter X?"
He remained silent, watching with slight dissatisfaction as the smile on her face slowly disappeared.
"You're joking?" If she could bear witness to the glare he was sending her, she would've ended her sentence right then and there. "Did I literally just guess your name?" Gods, this woman was either stupid or brave, but he supposed her role as a Horseman demanded bravery for the part. She was the closest to reveal his identity... and he'd make sure she'd be the last.
He faced her as he clapped his hands in a slow, sarcastic fashion. "Congratulations... Horseman of Famine." Her eye twitched as he mentioned her title. A devilish smile crossed his lips. Might as well humor her with a reward, for making it this far alive. "... Xelixas is the name I was bestowed. Now, Liora Akuma, keep that ingrained in your mind the next time you come looking for me... For if you do, it shall be the last name your loved ones ever hear!" And as he stepped backward into the darkness, the echo of his sinister and bone chilling cackle resounded ominously through the storage house at his departure.