When he returned to the convoy, mercenaries moved quickly to seize the carriage's cargo. One by one each vaulted door was blasted open through the use of well placed sulphur. The process took longer than a thief would like. Marrow stood tall and proud beside Lertz when Heartrik returned. As the steel was slowly torn apart Marrow eyed Lertz's blade. It was a sleek bastard sword, some cross between a straight sabre but almost long enough to be a longsword, the blade as black as ink. The crossguard was coarse black iron, straightened with two diamond edges spiked like warhammers. The grip was black wood and leather, with a single white painted slash curling across it. The pommel was fashioned in a crescent, and was as white as the night's eye moon in the sky. It was beautiful, with a small white highlight running between the tip of the blade to the blunt edge for half-swording. But the actual blade was shoddy and poorly made, marked with corded holes where rust had been wiped away. It was notched all over from countless battles and the blade had a lean to one side. It was less a sword, and more a slab of jagged, unrefined raw iron shaped like a blade and stuck to a handle, black like it was blackened from immense overheating in a forge. At a single strike it looked like it would shatter but it had not. It was like the blade had been made in a matter of minutes, secondary to the beautiful craft of the hilt and crossguard.
"That blade was able to cut clean through steel three inches thick. I took note that when it did so it shined with a greyish light. Now that is something truly special." said Marrow proudly. His eyes wandered to the vaulted doors they were still cracking. "Why don't you use that blade to loosen the doors a little, Lertz? Sooner the job is done the sooner you and your lover receive your quarter of the reward." Marrow tempted.
Lertz did not bite the bait. He sheathed his sword in a single graceful motion, the movement leaving his brown poncho afloat in the air. His hat was stationed low on his brow, just atop his eyes. Despite all the shadow they still shone through. "This blade doesn't work on magic. I doubt you cowboys know how it works, but let's just say it's not renewable and I'd make my wife angry if I used it immaturely." Lertz said, a slickness carrying his words. Heartrik's mind was searching for anything else to think about, and the blade took Heartrik by surprise and curiosity. As little as Heartrik was in his troupe, he liked to pride himself in being more educated than his average colleague, even his father. The blade immediately caught Heartrik's attention, and he felt like gushing at the fact he was saved by it, but Lertz refused to relight it even when pushed by his employer. Bombs scarred the hide of the carriages, slowly chipping down their thick doors. Finally thermite chewed through the steel of their hide until a thick crack had been bored through the doors. Prying it apart, Heartrik was rushed to a sight more golden than he could dream of, as brassy coins lined walls, towering as tall as the roof of the carriage. Thousands of pale grey bills were crammed into hundreds of boxes. A few of the notes of currency were singed or burnt, but their abundance was so grand it didn't matter. Heartrik wandered, his eyes glistening with the brass of thousands of coins. His reflection showed in the towers of coins with a shine. Marrow cried a howl of victory as his men poured through the breach to reap their goods. Even Lertz seemed stunned at the abundance of fortune, but not stunned for long. His eyes glimmered and his reflection shone tenfold more beautiful than his real face in the reflection of the brassy towers. Even in the vault the air felt more at peace than outside. It was perhaps the most wonderful sight he had seen, perhaps the most comfortable he had ever felt. It was laxed amidst all the wealth. Within it were all his dreams, not physically, but in the form of ambitious fulfilment to come. He could sleep there in that very vault and escape the awful memory of moments prior, only he was kicked awake as men rushed by to scavenge what wealth they could. Many clasped at stray bills and coins to add a little to their share, taking away a little from the grander yield. Then Heartrik was reminded it was not his wealth, but greed still drew him. He needed to remove himself from the vault before he started grabbing for wealth himself.
"Go on, move! Clear the caravan!" Marrow ordered four Raiders, Havi amongst them, charged inside to dispatch of the remaining crew. Marrow's eyes gleamed with greed at the sight of so much wealth, though instead of removing himself he stayed and stared proudly at the money. All of the Raiders did, apart from Heartrik who seized himself outside the vault door. He realised he had been staring so deeply his eyes were dry with want.
He rubbed his eyes and when he looked back up Lertz stood beside him, staring deeply into the wealth, but the Blackwind's restraint was greater than Heartrik's. After all, he had earned a quarter of it. Marrow returned, his face still glowing from the shine of coins. Lertz gave a single grin.
YOU ARE READING
Steel Melody
Ciencia FicciónBetween the nations of the North and South, a young boy is trapped under the rule of his mercenary father turned outlaw. Locked beneath a cycle of abuse, two hired guns, a dead soldier and a peppy strategist, offer a way out. But Heartrik had never...
