Burnt Bridges

4- Forgotten dreams

RATED

As I stood just outside the entrance to the large forest I felt almost home sick considering the large number of traps and magical rifts left open in such a small place. It felt almost as if I was visiting Father on a Sunday evening.

But beyond nostalgia one thing stood above all else. It wasn't the dark woods or the traps but that I had been paid so little for a mission of this calibre. Even the cheapest of contracts range around seven thousand silver pieces. Yet here I here I stand waste valuable training time on a search and capture for the only still living witch for only five hundred.

Worst yet my employer is one of the richest men in region. It's hurtful almost, even for someone as young as me. Man Tartarus owes me another Implant for having me take this contract.

The night was a bit too silent for my taste but at least the environment is in my favour somewhat this time.

The first step is almost always the same each time. First is the catch the target and their party off guard, then supress or limit their movement allowing for little to no escape.

Judging from their movements and bodily temperatures they have yet to discover my presence. Pulling the gold coin I had stored in my trousers pocket I quickly began a rhythm of repeatedly flicking it into the air. It's quite a stress reliever when it all goes well and also works at getting the attention of certain individuals. Less than ten seconds in I heard a small creak, it seems on of the various traps was taking note of me. Looking inside the small wooden cottage I could feel one of the suspects drop slightly in internal temperature, a cold chill perhaps.

"So you're the witch."

Her head spun around a couple of times before stopping in my direction.

"Kings or pieces my dear?" I whispered as I gave the coin a final flip and moved my hand back.

She jerked back as the coin reached its peak. As the coin began to fall she had already turn around and was reaching for her plus one, impressive but I would expect more from the last of her kind. Well I think the coin has fallen enough to deliver the blow.

It kind of like a switch I have to flick mentally, with it on the whole world appears almost frozen, with every wave of the hand creating a powerful shockwave. Light itself moved when I told it to, gases in the air ignited with the flick of the tongue, it's been way too long since I last moved this fast. I clenched my fist until my nails dug into the skin of my palms, letting the energy build up just enough before unleashing it all on this refined slab of metal. Gold isn't the strongest metal I could have brought with me for this kind of attack but the countermeasures aren't the hardest to implement. I stopped just short enough from making direct contact with the back end of the coin as jets of steam and fire blasted outward. This should send it flying far and hard enough. I slowly moved the switch back to its off, I mean if I stayed like that forever I would be stuck watching a stationary coin for what might feel like a century. Before you could literally blink I was back to base speed and the coin had disappeared from sight.

The once settled forest air now blasted past every tree, shrub and rock in the area. The resulting blasts striped the closest trunks of branches and bark, and even uprooted the saplings not stiff enough to hold their own.

I took a quick relook at the suspects. The witch was busy looking around franticly while holding the right side of her lower chest; from the amount of blood lost she must have been hit by the flying coin. The smaller one seemed unfazed in the slightest, instead of fear or worry it just sat there. Its sight fixed not on his comrade but something to the immediate left. Another heat source came into my perception; a concentrated white hot slugger steadily dripped from what I could guess was the cottage wall. This kid was staring directly at the coin that the witch remained completely unaware of.