Blood Mercenary

*Chapter Nine*

*Chapter Nine*

Vivien stayed still and watched the guards run past her hiding spot, a large tree with leaves thick enough to conceal her. It wasn’t that she could not take them on. As a Blood Mercenary, she was used to only fight when she had the advantage. Right now, she was against ten beings she had no idea what they were. Was the Prince secretly attempting to create half demons? From their clumsy movements, she could tell they were more human than demon. They also did not possess noses as sharp as that of true halflings.

“Found you.”

Vivien whirled around, claws extended. Her eyes narrowed. Of course, who else could conceal his presence perfectly other than Rylan. He wasn’t even bothered by her hostility.

“What are you doing here? After using me as a decoy.”

“Just checking on you,” he said. “What decoy? I never told you to stand up and yell. Oh, I’d prefer if my lady obliterate the guards. They’re not the kind to give up until they destroy their targets.”

“You seem to know a lot about them. Why don’t you obliterate them instead?”

“Me? Why should I when I have you as my minion?”

“M-Minion?”

“Yes, go kill them, my minion.”

“I swear… when our contract ends…”

“You’ll try to kill me, right?” He waved his hand dismissively as if wondering why she was still perched on the tree branch next to him and not down killing their pursuers. “I understand; I understand. Now go and get rid of them already.” He looked amused. “I’d prefer if you do as I say without my ordering you as your requestor.”

Still glowering, Vivien switched her attention to the guards beneath. They glanced around carelessly with raised weapons. She knew she could take on one or two before the others even realized what was happening. She locked on the two guards at the rear and jumped.

Two guards were dead before their bodies hit the floor; their skulls cracked like glass under her palm. The third guard stared at her, dazed, with his sword half-raised as if wondering if she were real. Vivien grabbed the fourth guard behind her and threw him at the third guard. His sword impaled the guard, killing the fourth guard. She twirled, appearing behind a fifth guard and breaking the guard’s neck. The third guard, coming out of his reverie, pulled out his sword from his fellow guard’s body and attacked her. Vivien sidestepped and punched his temple.

The remaining four guards surrounded her.

Vivien lowered her blood soaked hands and watched their movements from the corner of her eyes. They attacked her at the same time.

Vivien ducked and swiped at their feet. She got one guard, and the others scrambled backward. She beheaded the fallen man and tossed the severed head to the other three guards’ feet. They did not even blink.

Oh well, thought Vivien, they sure got halflings’ indifference for their comrades.

Two guards ran at her from either side of her while the third approached her from the front. At once, the three of them slammed their palm on the ground.

What?

Three strands of pale blue vine shot from the ground and wrapped themselves around her. The vines were covered in small but sharp thorns, and even a small shift in weight caused great pain. Hold on, six dead bodies on the ground. Three stood motionless to suppress her. Where was the tenth guard?

A flash of reflected light off a shiny surface caught her eye, and the following two seconds happened in slow motion. The metal arrow moved as if it were moving through gel instead of air. She met Rylan’s eyes and shook her head. Vivien gritted her teeth, giving in to the demon side of her for a brief second. The vines dug into her skin and snapped. She lunged to her right, killing the guard in an instant. She threw two daggers at the other two controlling the vines. Both lifeless bodies and plants dropped to the ground. She picked up a sword from the ground and lifted her head. The guard took a step back. Vivien appeared behind him.