Demon(#Wattys2017 Entry)

Chapter 62: Pearl

Reba continued her trek through the woods, marking infected trees along the way as she went. It had been a long time since she'd used any forestry skills, but she felt confident she was going the right way. After all, the man would have nowhere else to go but home, and the marks were going in the same general direction.

She pulled out her scroll, jotting down a few X's to show the marked trees. It should have been a simple thing, she supposed, to avoid them. They'd just need to move in an arch a safe distance away from them. An added day or so, perhaps, but it was the best course of action.

She chewed on the edge of her quill, then glanced up at a familiar noise. Voices. She must be getting close to the enemy camp. She quickly stowed the supplies in her bag and advanced cautiously towards the noise, hand on her bow.

She saw a group of prisoners, guarded by soldiers who laughed and jeered at them."Haha! Just think of the ransom we'll get off of these here, eh boss!?"

The leader of the soldiers had an intimidating air about him. He wore plate metal and had  sword at his side, but what truly marked him as a threat was the mark on his breastplate. Rings of different metals, intersected and melded onto the armor, the Sawalnian mark of a Holy Mage.

The leader nodded."True, true. That mercenary company will be all too happy to pay up, of course, simply the nature of the ravaging brotherbands."

Reba nodded. The leader was obviously Sawalnish, as marked by his clothes and armor, but there seemed to be a smattering of others among the soldiers. The other who had spoken was a Vraiman, and looking carefully among them, she even saw a Sai, sitting on a boulder with his tail wrapped about his waist. Bandits, she deduced, about twenty in all.

One of the prisoners, a clean-shaven young man, glared at the soldiers."...They'll not pay you a dime, except in steel. That's the way of our Grandmaster, and you'll all be-"

One of the soldiers hit him with a mailed hand, and he fell to the side."Ah, shuddup, ya damn cultist."

The Sai looked up and unfurled his tail."'Ey! Quit dat! Payday, eh?" He pointed at the robed woman who approached and walked over, smiling broadly."Well, heya miss! Never not nice ta see a lady, eh? But, if'n ya don't mind m'askin', where's our gold, eh?"

The woman seemed not to hear as she regarded the man, then reached into her robes and pulled out a bag.

The Sai quickly snatched it away, laughing and holding it up."Payday!"

He looked at the leader, who nodded."Open it, let's see."

The Sai did so eagerly, but frowned as he pulled out a small stone."...Eh? Dis ain't-"

The woman tapped the ground with her foot, and the rock seemed to vanish. A perplexed look spread across the face of the Sai, until he became aware of the pain on his face, of the blood trailing down from where his eye had once been. He shuddered and collapsed, and before he could even call out in pain, or for the aid of his comrades, the woman stepped on his throat. He gagged and struggled for a while as his companions watched in horror, until she pressed down harder. The last wheezing gasps of air left him, and he became still.

The woman glared, carefully picking up the bag of stones."...We do not pay ransoms." She explained.

Their landed glanced at the man, sighing."Hmm...seems she's killed Yigrin." He stated, then shrugged."...Kill her, we'll send the head to their camp to let them know we mean business." He replied, turning.

The bandits, seemingly having regained their morale, roared and rushed for the woman as a tide. She looked and sighed, pouring the pebbles onto the ground, watching them. As soon as they reached her as a cluster, she made a sweeping movement with her hand, and the pebbled burst up. There was a pinging noise as they pierced through her opponent's armor and buried themselves in their flesh.