Falsified (Tarnished Book 2)

11 The Five Talons

"Are you an idiot?" a stern voice asked.

I swayed unevenly on my feet. Following the voice's trail, I saw a young man who may be older than me. His grey eyes narrowed. He raised a black long sword in my direction. "I could ask you the same," I could not retract the sarcasm as I searched for my short sword. It laid off to the right of me about a yard or two away. "You were at a disadvantage, so I intervened."

His eyes remained narrow. His attire was a similar fashion to mine, but he had one difference hanging about his sturdy neck. A pendant of a crow with a silver chain hung comfortably on the chest of his dark shirt. "It wasn't needed. Next time stay out of our way, kid."

I smiled and scoffed as I ignored him and wandered over to my sword. This guy has no idea how around death he was. The beast that attacked with that black flame was one of the most dangerous in the isles. I gripped the hilt of my sword and sheathed it. "I don't need your permission to save us all some time. It would have taken more men out if you didn't notice how it cooked those men to cinders."

"You are the most ill-mannered kid I've met in this kingdom," he replied.

I peered over my shoulder to see the five of them fully. The five talons of his majesty's court and yet not one of them recognized the trouble I went through to aid them. I sighed. "I'm no kid and you're just sore I swooped in to save your hides from a worse fate."

His brow did not furrow, but his scowl remained. "I would have handled it without your aid."

One of the others strode over to me, a young woman with a golden-brown braid down to her waist. "You do know who we are," she searched my eyes.

I smirked. "Lady, if you think a reputation is more important than lives, you have some issues to sort out. I did what I felt needed to be done."

"Issara, there is not any use arguing about it. The kid has a point," another person in the group asserted his stake in the matter. His eyes were glittering. "Besides, he did a reckless thing by throwing himself into that pillar of flame."

"Mesmer, do you always have to side with anyone or thing that holds your interest?" Issara complained. She glared at me for a long moment. "A kid like you knows nothing about the beasts around here, so leave it to professionals."

I felt a tickle climb up my throat and the next moment I burst into laughter. I felt my whole body join in with my cheeks beginning to ache. "Could have fooled me, but you know nothing about me. Last I checked, a professional doesn't carelessly defer blame to someone else. Try to consider I was doing what was best, and then realize how arrogant you are."

The one Issara called Mesmer spoke, "Kid, you have guts to say that. I admire that kind of resolve, but you did assume we couldn't handle ourselves."

I continued to smirk. "Alright, then how were you planning to attack the beast?"

They all stared at me.

Guess, they do not want to answer.

"I knew the moment I spotted it. Why do you believe I don't know?" I raised an eyebrow. "Age doesn't matter, not when lives at are at stake." My body ached from head to foot. I sighed. "If you knew, then you would have realized this was staged. Someone was controlling this attack,"

The young man with the long sword scoffed. "Kid, there is no man alive that tames beasts from the grove. You should stick to the sidelines, where a citizen should be."

I felt my lifeblood grow warmer. Turning my back to them, I glanced over at them briefly. "If I were, I would do it all again." I walked back up to the palace.