Falling Doesn't Feel So Bad (Tartaglia x Reader)

Chapter 11

Unlike Tartaglia said, Y/N was very aware of his presence.

The poor girl hadn't had two minutes of peace all day due to the harbinger, who couldn't keep his mouth shut. Luckily, she was on her final commission of the day.

It was going to be the most difficult one out of the four. A group of around twelve treasure hoarders were gathered around a stash of mora and jewels they had stolen from the village nearby. Five of them looked to be quite strong, while Y/N knew she would have the other seven taken care of within a matter of seconds.

"Want some help girlie? There's twelve of them."

Y/N narrowed her eyes and gave him a dirty look.

"You said it would be like you weren't even with me and yet you haven't shut your fucking mouth this whole time. I wouldn't ask for your help even if I was one step away from being six feet under." She finished coldly, standing up and making her way over to the group.

She was pissed off, to put it simply.

She was angry that he was following her around. 'To find out my weaknesses my ass, he probably just came along because he has nothing better to do.' Y/N thought to herself. The girl had a throbbing headache from the suffocating clamminess in the air and her body was begging for a break, but alas, work needed to be done.

"Hey there princess, you're a pretty piece aren't y-" The man went silent as his back slammed into the trunk of a tree.

Immediately, all the others were on their feet, brandishing swords and daggers.

"Woah, you're a feisty one. That's ok. I don't like it when girls are easy." One of them said, wearing a lecherous smile that made Y/N's stomach churn.

"Stop running your mouth asshole." She spat in disgust, knocking the man flat onto his ass with a burst of wind. Y/N then decided to use her whirlwind, seeing as nine of the men were about to attack her head on. Sure enough, her whirlwind swept them all up, she used bursts of elemental energy to deal damage from the outside while sharp gust of air would be slashing viciously against them on the inside.

Y/N was taken by surprise when one of the treasure hoarders managed to kick her square in the stomach. He had crept up behind her and seized his opportunity.

Y/N stumbled backwards, trying to regain her balance.

Within seconds she was pinned to the ground, a blonde man leering above her. Grimacing, the girl began collecting spit in her mouth, waiting until she had enough to spit at him.

Unfortunately for her, the man knew just what she was doing and held a hand over her mouth.

"So cute...I can't wait to make you scream." The man whispered and Y/N's blood ran cold.

She could feel hands un-doing the buttons of her shirt. She began to panic and squirm. 'Not this, archons, please anything but this,' she thought, trying to use anemo to get the man on top of her off.

"Stop this, you sick fuck. Get off me!" Y/N yelled, but the man only laughed as he undid the last button on her shirt. Taking out a dagger he brought it up to her chest and instead of stabbing her, he used it to rip the t-shirt she was wearing underneath.

Y/N felt tears of frustration spring to her eyes as she clawed at the treasure hoarder, then her hands were pinned above her head by the other man that hadn't been caught in the whirlwind.

She ceased movement for a moment, trying to calm herself down.

The guy on top of her leaned down closer to her ear, his breath smelled of liquor and mutsutake rolls, it made Y/N want to throw up.

Now or never. She waited until the man's head was directly in front of her, then she head-butted him.

As expected, he lurched back, creating the perfect opportunity for Y/N. She lifted up her knee and with as much force as she could manage, in her position, she kicked him in the nether regions. He let out a low groan of pain and fell onto his side.

Y/N quickly twisted her body to break free of the other hoarders weak grip.

The man was on the floor unconscious within seconds. Then she turned to the guy who had been on top of her. She narrowed her eyes and walked over, pulling back her foot and kicking him in the stomach, hard.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on anyone else again, I'll find out and beat the shit out of you if you do." She whispered, giving him a final stomp and checking the area to make sure all twelve of the hoarders were unconscious.

Once all that was done she turned to the harbinger who had been watching the whole ordeal. His eyes were on the man Y/N had just kicked, they had a dark faraway look about them.

Not wanting to be the one to start the conversation, Y/N started walking.

She tried her best not to think of what had just happened, but her mind kept wandering back to hands undoing her buttons and a feeling of being trapped beneath someone bigger than her. Bile began to rise in Y/N's throat.

She was so distracted that she didn't notice a certain harbinger wasn't behind her.

"This is a warning for the rest of you, if any of you lay a finger on that girl you'll end up like this. Understood?"

"Y-yes!"

A man whimpered, desperately trying to move away from the warm pool of blood he was currently sitting in. His wide eyes darted between the harbinger and the lifeless body of the man who pinned Y/N to the ground. The smell of iron filled the air, everyone could smell it.

Tartaglia gave the group a final look of disgust, then stood up from his crouching position. He began to walk in the direction Y/N went,

kicking the severed head out of his way.