Blades of Fate

Unlikely Allys

It was not Lance's day. First he was shipped of to the other side of Zenoa, next as he was being loaded up a fellow slave tried to escape resulting in that prisoner dying, and Lance being shot in the arm. Then he was stuffed into a box and set on a bumpy wagon pulled by donkeys, and getting robbed by bandits. That is where our story begins.....

Lance's POV

"We demand 20 gen for its return!! No less!!" The lead bandit said, as I peeped through my little box. As I surveyed my surroundings I realized where we were. The Forbidden Forest. Then it hit me. I am screwed. The choice was either get taken by bandits, my master, or go into the Forbidden Forest.

"No! It is worth 5 gen!" My master, Dave said. "If you can't agree to this you can keep him!" The Forbidden Forest is house to all sorts of bad things, including bandits, slave traders, lesser monsters, and the Woodland Dragone. (Drag-Own)

"Alright, but first..." The bandit let out a shrill whistle and out came another bandit who I assume was an assassin. She whipped out a knife and threw it with pinpoint accuracy. It sailed right to its target, or what I assumed was its target, the bandit.

"Oh thank the Gods you are here Melanie, I thought it was over." Dave said with gratitude laced in his voice heavily. I don't remember a person named Melanie at the crop farm. Must have been another slave trader. I sneered in disgust. How people find this a decent way of living is beyond me.

"Yes welcome back Dave. Do you have our payments?" Melanie asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes I do. Right here in this box here is 50 gems worth at least 10 gen per." Dave answered smugly. Fuck. It's me in the box not 50 gems.

"Alright good doing business with you. But one last thing... Don't come back. Ever." As she said this she took another knife at threw it like an assassin should. Fast, precise, and deadly.

"Ugly male scum." Melanie said disgust evident in her voice.

"Now for the prize," she said as she walked over to his body and grabbed his gen bag. She gave it a little shake.

"Hm, about 300 to 400 gen in here. Nice. Now for the real surprise." She walked over to the box and as she got closer, it dawned on me that I was worse off than when I started. If she opens the box and finds me instead of gen or gems she will be furious to say the least. At least when the bandits had me I could have escaped but now with that accuracy I doubt I would make it a yard.

Before she could. She could make it to the box I yelled out, hoping in vain that she had a sliver of mercy in her heart.

"Please! Don't hurt me! I am from a very wealthy family and they will pay handsomely for my return, but only if I am unharmed." I bluffed, lacing my voice with pride and concern in an attempt to sell my bluff better.

"Hey there's a kid in here?! Where's my gen?!" She screamed in surprise and then turned to glare at me. "You had better not be lying or I swear to gods you will die a very painful death."

"Ok, I swear. Now can I get out of this box? It is rather uncomfortable and humiliating." I said pridefully to help reinforce the lie I just told.

"You're a little rude aren't ya? Alright I am breaking it now so cover you face." She said with a little amusement hidden in her voice.

I barely had one to register the words and cover my face before the box exploded. As I stood up from its remnants, I looked around and finally it sank it. The Forbidden Forest. The house to the mythical cave of Earth, but also the home to the fearsome Green Dragon. Nobody has faced it and come out alive. Nobody even knows what it looks like,