Ever The Contrarian

CHAPTER FOURTEEN! I had to break up the chapters so this one was short lol

"So that's how we met! I met iodine later at school." Mercury finished. She had been closing her eyes while narrating, to remember as much as she could about the past. when she opened her eyes, though, all the villagers were gathered in a circle around her."HUH?! YOU WERE LISTENING?!" Mercury screeched, flustered. They all burst into applause. "Of course! You're amazing, Miss!" the villagers chorused happily. "We're totally gonna beat the assassins with you around!" another villager said happily. Mercury nodded, gathering her bearings. "We should go join Nox and Iodine. I bet they're missing us." She suggested, and Floruine reflexively climbed onto her back. Out of curiosity, the small child leaned over to whisper in Mercury's ear. "Am I heavy?" Fluorine asked, and Mercury shook her head. "Not really. If you were, I wouldn't constantly be carrying you. Also, I need to build my muscles if I'm going to constantly swing a sword around. The peach plantation did a good job, but I wouldn't last in an actual fight."

As they exited the east gate, Mercury was almost immediately shoved in the opposite direction. She fell to the ground with a thud, Fluorine landing right next to her. "Be careful, Mercury! you almost set one of the traps off!" Mercury squinted at Nox, who was looking especially dashing in the morning sun. "Huh? What traps?" Mercury said, grabbing his hand as he held it out. Nox helped her to her feet, and she spun around. Oh. She could see it now - the ground was ever so slightly uneven, and there was a tip of a jagged metal spike peeking through. If Nox hadnt thrown her aside in time, she definitely would have been speared through. "Sorry, I pushed you! Are you alright?" nox asked, worried. haha, it was kind of cute. 'Yeah, I'm good." mercury dismissed. "anyway, are you done?" Mercury asked Nox, who nodded. She helped fluorine to her feet, who had also fallen. "Everyone thinks that the raid will be tonight, for some reason.maybe there's a pattern in their attacks? when I asked, they just said they had a "Feeling." Most are already in their homes. They stocked up on food and everything, so we should be the only ones. Anyway, we'll have to stay up and pull an all-nighter to nail it just right. You ready?" Nox asked, and Mercury nodded. "We should put Flourine somewhere safe, though...." she said, glancing at the smol toddler, who was grazing at them with round eyes. "indeed. let's ask if any of the villagers mind." Nox suggested. suddenly, a random dirt-stained villager sprung out from behind Nox, nearly scaring the life out of mercury. "HOLY C-" Mercury cursed, leaping backward, and Nox covered her mouth before any profanities erupted out of it, for Flourine's sake. "WHAT WAS THAT?!" Mercury screeched, and the villager bowed hastily. "Apologies, I didnt mean to scare you! I know a friend who would love to take care of the child. They already have three, so they will get along well with the child, I think." the villager hurriedly explained, and Mercury tried to stop her thumping heart. Jeez, that has really scared her...!

"Alright. Can you take Flourine to them?" Mercury asked, but she noticed that she couldn't see fluorine. "Huh? Where are you, Fluorine?" Mercury asked. She realized Flourine was trembling behind her. Fluorine looked up at her, and Mercury blanched. no eight-year-old should have had to make a face like that. Something was seriously wrong. "He sounds just like one of the assassins when I got kidnapped." Fluorine whispered into Mercury's ear. Her eyes widened. so that was why he was trying to sneak Flourine away, and why he had crept up on her so easily....

Mercury grabbed her sword and unsheathed it with a shing, and it instantly snaked out to grab the villager's throat. "You are one of the assassins, aren't you!" Mercury snarled, her sword tightening. The villager gasped, yelping, "N-no! you've got the wrong person!"

"Are you sure, Fluorine?" Mercury asked the child, who was still cowering behind her. "Yes. Extremely." Fluorine whimpered, and the villager suddenly snarled at her. his patience had snapped. "Useless girl! we should have just killed you with your parents, and I could have stayed hidden longer!" he yelled some more, squirming against the steel of Mercury's sword. "Alright.... good job, Fluorine. Are there more of you, though?" Mercury asked, and the villager sneered at her defiantly. "No, I-Im the only one... And I'm enough... I'll kill you..." he gasped, choking. The sword curled tighter, and he suddenly broke out into choughs. "There's no more of us! please, I was the only one-" The sword slit his throat. Mercury wiped the blade on the grass and then turned to Fluorine. "You good? I think we'd better keep you with us for now, right, Fluorine?" Mercury asked gently, and Fluorine stepped out from behind her. "I'll stay out of the way, I promise!" Fluorine said enthusiastically, hugging Mercury. her mood had completely changed, now that the danger was gone. Wow, Fluorine is so cute! "Okay, that's settled then. Everyone, it's evening! you better get into your homes before the sun sets!" Mercury said, hefting Flourine onto her back and waving the villagers off.