The Black Knight (A Mercury Black Story: Part I)

Chapter 6

I gazed at my best friend as I joined his side, Crystal Mayhem out and ready. I looked at him and smirked as he kept his hard gaze on Adam, his pistol drawn and ready after he loaded more dust missiles' in the gun.
"I thought I told you to stay away from him," he said with annoyance in his voice as he kept waiting for Adam to strike, "I told you he was too powerful."
"He came after me, Mercury," I said in defense, "He thought I was a faunas, but after realizing I wasn't, he ran after me." As soon as I finished talking, Adam charged at us, going for Mercury first, seeing him as the bigger threat.  As Mercury dodged Adam's attack, it was my chance to attack him from behind. While Mercury struggled to keep Adam focused on him, I stayed by a good length from our attacker. Confident of my archery skills my mother showed my so long ago, I hit the button that made my sword transform to a powerful bow. I pulled out the ice arrow out of my quiver and set the arrow in its place, pulling back on the string, sucking in air for a clearer shot. I released as it hit the ground beside Adam, confining him in a glacier of ice with no way to escape. He sneered, looking back at me, as Mercury and I nodded at each other, running back towards the cabin. We ran as fast and far as we could before getting towards the woods that led to the house. We slowed our pace, placing our weapons' in our correct places, Mercury placing his gun back in his holder, and myself placing Crystal Mayhem back in its sheath. Tired rom fighting and running away, we walked the rest of the way home.
"Hey, thanks for firing that arrow. I probably would've been a goner if you didn't do that."
"No problem, Mercury," I said, smiling up at him, "I'm just glad you got there in time. I'm sure Adam would've killed me if you didn't come."
"So, that's the guy's name, huh? Well, there's something to report back to my dad. That is, if he's actually sober for once," he sneered as he forcefully stuffed his hands in his pocket.
"Mercury, how long has Marcus been doing this? All of this drinking?" I asked as he tried to quicken his pace.
"A while," Mercury murmured as we finally saw the cabin's light in plain view.
"Did you leave the light's on?" I giggled as his face softened, returning to his sweet smile.
"Yeah, I reckoned you were more important," he said laughing as we went inside. I took off Crystal Mayhem and my quiver, traveling to my room and placing them in the corner, ready to be used tomorrow. I sighed, tired but relieved that I felt alive and anew with my new weapon. I went back out into the kitchen and looked around at the lack of silver hair in the room. I walked to his room, but since his door was left opened all the way, I knew he wouldn't be in there. I didn't even want to think about checking Marcus' room, so I walked back into the kitchen. As I was about to fix up some tea for myself, I heard a loud groan from the bathroom that Mercury and I share. I set down the two mugs and hurried down the hall to the bathroom, where Mercury was wiping down his face, flinching as the rag touched his pale face. His upper torso was bare with a few bruises on his ribs, which I guessed was from the fight with Adam. I watched as the dim light from the bathroom made the skin on his abs gleam along with the rest of his body.
"Mercury?" I questioned as he looked at me with wide eyes. I watched as he looked around, trying to figure out how to hide his face, when I walked towards him and wrapped my arms gently around his waist. I laid my head on his strong chest as he wrapped his arms around me.
"Zuri, I didn't want you to see me hurt," he said as I looked up at him. I gave him a worried look as I took the rag off the counter, and backed up to take a seat unto of the counter so I could treat his wounds. I smiled at him as I ran the rag under hot water, wringing it out, and pressed it to the scar on his lip. He flinched a little bit on contact, but then settled down.
"You don't have to do this Zuri," he said as I brushed over the bruise by his right eye, making him flinch again.
"Mercury, who gave you this?" I asked, placing the rag against his skin. He sighed and looked at me, but a word didn't even slip out of his mouth. "Mercury, was it Marcus? Who gave you this bruise?"
"Yes, it was my dad," he said looking away from me. I sighed and pressed my forehead to his chest. I looked at his hands clenched in tight fists as I grabbed his hand.
"Mercury, I'm so sorry. I didn't know that Marcus was like that."
"He's been like this since my mom died, Zuri!" he said as his voice hitched, "He's been better since you started living with us, but still, I'm tired of him hitting me all the time!" He pushed me back on the counter as he pressed his forehead to the mirror. He tried to keep his tears in with shaky breathes as I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close, snuggling into his chest. I could feel a few tears run down my face, but like my best friend, I tried to hold them in. I gave a small whimper as Mercury looked at me, his gentle hands cupping my face.
"Hey, hey, don't cry. Don't feel bad for me, okay?" Mercury said, giving a small smile. I looked at him, as his smiled went away and he looked deeply into my eyes. I watched him close his eyes and lean in, but before he could touch my virgin lips, he sighed and back away. "I shouldn't have done that," he whispered, biting his bottom lip. He opened his eyes, and rested his forehead on mine as he looked at me, "Do you want to sleep in my room tonight? We have to get up early away."
"Yeah," I said, a little shaken up, "I would like that, but I have to change into pajamas first, is that okay?"
Mercury nodded, as he lifted himself off the mirror, smiling at me before walking out of the bathroom. I smiled back and jumped off the counter, setting the rag in a clothes hamper we have placed by the shower. I walked out of the bathroom and down the hall to my room, changing into a pair of grey shorts and a dark green t-shirt with grey leaf and stem patterns. I let my midnight hair spread across my shoulders as I headed into Mercury's room. I stared as he placed a blue-grey t-shirt with his symbol, a black foot with a wing behind it, over his muscular torso. I climbed into his bed as the creaking from his mattress startled him. He smiled as he climbed in beside me, covering both of us with his steel blue and black covers. I looked up at him, a sleepy smile plastered on my face, as he pulled me close to him. I buried my head into his chest, closing my eyes, and dozing off to the sounds of his soft breathing.