Six Rulers

2

Chapter 2

Ryn

My lungs burned as I crashed through the underbrush of A'mari's sprawling forest. My legs threatened to give out, to let go and fail me, but I kept running, kept pushing.

As soon as I was back on Jarric soil, I would be safe.

I could see the A'mari-Jaar Bridge in the distance. I was almost there, I was almost there.

But then I tripped.

I landed on the mossy ground with a thud. The air fled my lungs and left me gasping. I lay there, curled up like a baby, until I heard a twig snap.

My heart rate increased from its already-racing speed. Someone was there someone was there.

"Looks like we caught ourselves a fresh one, eh Sahr?" an Elven man appeared, standing over me. "Think it's the one we need?"

"Probably. How many Jaaric would you usually find tearing through the A'mariian wilds on a regular day?" another Elf appeared next to the man. The two looked a great deal alike – both had silky pine green hair and molten gold eyes.
The man knelt next to me. "Would you happen to be the dirtbag we're looking for?"

I tried to force words, but breathlessness and fear had chased any possibility of words away.

"He doesn't seem inclined to talk," the woman crossed her arms. "I'm getting bored. What are we going to do with him?"

The man shrugged. "We could bring him to Dylos."

"Nah. The Queen said something's up with him."

"So that leaves..."

"Killing him, yeah."

I scrambled, trying to get away from the people who were casually discussing how to murder me. I got about three inches before the woman grabbed my ankle.

She laughed. "Weaver, look. He was trying to get away. That's hilarious."

Weaver grabbed my other ankle. "Abandon all hope, ye who encounter the Malik twins."

They dragged me by my ankles to the nearest tree, where they took a rope and bound my feet and hands together. They threw the rope over a branch and hoisted me into the air so I was dangling by my feet.

"P-please," I reduced myself to begging. "Please d-don't kill me,"

"You shouldn't have killed a kid then," Sahr said flippantly. "You deserve your fate."

"That's like the first rule of assassin-ing, man. You don't kill kids." Weaver frowned. "How should we kill him?"

"You know I'm a strong advocate for disembowelling," Sahr frowned. "But there might be a better way."

"What are you suggesting?"
Sahr smiled wickedly. "Oh don't you worry, brother. Just follow my lead."