Chapter 10: Brutus the Fellblade
Getting back to town, Dizzy, Ky and Ben see Nathaniel waiting for them.
"Lady Dizzy, are you okay?" asks Nathaniel.
"Well, that Meredith woman and her men did try to attack me." says Dizzy. "But I'm fine. No scratches on me."
"Still, I'm glad we came in time." says Ky. "Thank you for telling me to do that, Nathaniel."
"After meeting those hoodlums, I knew I couldn't trust them." says Nathaniel. "So, I had Ky go fetch Ben, so they could fight them off."
"Thankfully, we weren't needed all that much." says Ben. "Dizzy managed to do that just fine herself. Her strange, but effective powers were more than enough."
"You don't say." says Nathaniel.
"I guess I could introduce you to 'them'." says Dizzy. "Necro, Undine, say hello to the mayor of this town."
Necro and Undine transform, throwing Nathaniel for a small loop.
"Oh, so those were her powers." says Nathaniel to Ben.
"Well, they're the majority of them." says Dizzy. "The black wing that turns into a Grim Reaper is Necro, and the white wing that turns into an angel is Undine."
"Pleasure to meet you." says Undine.
"Where Dizzy won't fight, we will." says Necro.
"In any case, I'm glad you were able to protect her." says Nathaniel. "I don't know how I'd tell the Shepherds if she got hurt real bad."
"Necro, Undine, rest now." says Dizzy.
Both nod and go back into wing form.
"Anyway, we got word the Shepherds will be here." says Nathaniel. "Guess you all need to be here when they arrive."
"Right." says Dizzy.
Meanwhile, Meredith and her men approach what looks to be an abandoned fort that's tower-like in structure.
"Well... we better get this over with." says Meredith. "The boss is not going to like this."
All of the other men look as worried as Meredith.
"Let's go." says Meredith shakily.
As they open the large, wooden doors, they're greeted by a staircase. As they start to go up it, the worry on each of their faces grows more and more. Meredith only pretends to keep a calm composure while each of her men are obviously dreading what could possibly come.
Eventually, they reach a stone door at the top and Meredith says with a nervous deep breath, "Here goes nothing."
She opens the door, and as they get inside, they see a large encampment of men and women of varying types and ethnicity. Tents adorn the place in a surprisingly geometric fashion. Groups of people are talking in separate places.
In the middle of the room is a campfire and surrounding it are three people. One is a man wearing light armor and black clothes while a bow is lashed to his back. His olive green hair is gelled back.
Another is a woman dressed in a more feminie version of Gaius' outfit while her hot pink, short hair goes well with her adorable face, making it surprising why such a youth would be among them.
However, the one that Meredith and her men are fixated on is the man whose back is facing them, a large sword strapped to the back of his armor while in a decorative scabbard, and his clothes a navy blue. His chestnut brown crew cut seems to have an eyepatch going around it. He just sits there, not saying a word.
Focusing on only the man, Meredith gulps while still trying to look professional.
The mage says to Meredith, "I sure hope you polished that silver tongue of yours."
"At this point, I'll need it to be platinum." says Meredith.
The mage just simply nods.
Meredith and her group approach just a few inches closer before stopping at a distance they feel to be safe.
"Um... boss?" says Meredith. "We, uh... we have a problem."
The man with his back facing just says in a deep, ominously masculine voice, "So... what is it?"
"Well... I don't know how to describe this." says Meredith. "I mean I REALLY don't know how to describe this."
"Please, make it fast, Lieutenant Maywater." says the man. "Otherwise, you are wasting my time."
"Alright... we met a woman." says Meredith just going silent after that.
"You met a woman." says the man. "Is that it? That's all you wanted to tell me?"
"Well, this woman..." Meredith starts to say. "She was strange. Very strange."
"Okay, you met a very strange woman." says the man. "Is there a point?"
"Not doing too good of explaining the problem, Meredith." says the woman with hot pink hair. "Losing your edge?"
Meredith growls a bit.
"Can you AT LEAST describe what made the woman so strange?" asks the man with green hair. "Or are you hallucinating again?"
Meredith just glares at him.
The man says as he looks over Meredith with his right eye covered by the eye patch over a gnarly burn mark, "Thomas asked you a question, Lieutenant. You had better answer. I'm losing patience."
"Right." says Meredith looking afraid again. "Well... she had wings... and a tail. Her wings were two different colors-one white and one black. And, uh..."
"Two different colored wings and a tail." says the man. "Was she some sub-species of Taguel we've never heard of before? If so, then I don't really care."
"Boring!" says the pink haired girl with a sickeningly bright smile.
"Indeed." says Thomas almost not caring.
"Well, that was just her appearance." says Meredith. "Her abilities were beyond explaination. Even science couldn't describe them."
"Well, then... you had better do your best to do so." says the man. "You are really getting on my nerves with your half-assed story."
"Basically, her black wing was able to turn into something resembling the Grim Reaper." says Meredith. "And her white wing turned into into something I guess was a female angel. And that's just the tip of the iceberg."
"Hrmmm." says the man.
"You know, I take it back." says the girl. "She sounds really fascinating. I've never encountered anyone with sentient wings. I wonder what it would be like if I could catch and dissect her? See how she works."
"She basically called herself a Gear." says Meredith. "I don't know what that meant, but... even when she was by herself, she fought us off like it was nothing. Her wings were doing magic of the like I've never witnessed. And then... when I tried to attack her from behind... her tail transformed into a... a monster, and it almost ate me."
"And you of all people decided to piss off a woman who you had no idea what she was like, and couldn't tell how powerful she was DESPITE the fact she was different from anyone you had ever seen in this world." says the man. "Am I getting that right? Am I right to assume you were that friggin' stupid?"
"But... she looked so delicate and harmless." says Meredith.
"Just about most female warriors these days look harmless, but are anything but." says the man. "Haven't you ever heard the phrase, 'looks can be decieving'?" He points to the pink haired girl and says, "Juniper is a good example of that."
Juniper just gives Meredith a smile and says, "I thought you were a better judge of character, Meredith."
Thomas adds with, "Not your best work."
"But... she was so pacifistic, so..." Meredith starts to say.
"So she was a pacifistic warrior." says the man. "Am I supposed to be surprised?"
"Even so, she was alone!" says Meredith. "The opportunity was perfect!"
"You know who else can fight well alone?" asks the man. "Lady Robin. Would you attack her even if she was alone?"
"Uh, well..." says Meredith. "That brings to mind the... other problem. The... REAL problem."
Juniper starts to look a little scared and Thomas just glares at the fire.
"Let me guess." says the man. "This has something to do with her companions... doesn't it?"
"Y-y-y-yes, Captain Brutus." says Meredith. "Sh-she was wa.. wa... one of... the Shepherds."
The whole room suddenly goes quiet as every man and woman there has their eyes fixated only on Meredith, especially Juniper, who looks pale-faced and Thomas, who actually looks mildly afraid. The only one not looking at her is the man called Brutus, who just sits there looking at the fire as quiet as can be.
The deadening silence just shoots a sudden chill down Meredith's spine, as well as each of her men.
Juniper finally breaks the silence as she says, "Captain Brutus... did she just say what I think she said?"
Brutus stays silent for a moment before saying, "Yes, Juniper... I think she did."
"Captain, I am so, so, SO sorry about this screw up." says Meredith. "But I will do everything in my power to remedy the situation. Trust me."
Brutus doesn't respond.
Getting up, Juniper says, "Thomas, we better back away. I can already see nerve in the Boss' head pulsating."
"Right." says Thomas as he and Juniper back away from the fire.
"Boss, please." says Meredith. "I just need another chance. Give me another chance to right this wrong."
Brutus is now shaking as if to show just how angry he is before huffing up and down, his rage growing.
"I know I messed up boss." says Meredith. "And yes, I deserve to be punished, but the best puinishment for me is to make me fix this. You'll be proud of me again. I guarantee it."
"Will I , now?" asks an increasingly angry Brutus. "Will I truly be proud of you?"
"Yes, you have my word." says Meredith. "Again, I am so sorry."
"Are you?" says his voice is quieter, yet seemingly scarier. "Are you sorry?"
"Yes, from the bottom of my heart." says Meredith.
"Are you sorry that you've ruined any chance for this business to be lucrative here in the nation we orignially formed in?" asks Brutus. "Are you sorry that I depended on you when it really counted, only to have you royally screw this up?"
"Boss, boss, I can fix this." says Meredith now panicking more than ever. "You have my word I will fix this."
"ARE YOU SORRY YOU POTENTIALLY ENDANGERED THIS FAMILY!?" yells Brutus as loud as he can, his voice echoing off of every brick.
Before Meredith can answer, Brutus starts to stand up showing how tall he is at 6'7".
"Are you sorry that we have to yet move to another location in order to hope we'll be safe from people like the Shepherds?" says Brutus semi-quietly. Then he raises his voice again as he shouts, "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH I HATE TO PACK, SET UP CAMP AND PACK UP AGAIN BECAUSE OF MESS UPS LIKE THIS!? HUH!? DO YOU!?"
In an instant, Brutus turns to entirely face Meredith and her men, the flame behind him somehow growing bigger and fiercer, cloaking the man in shadow, yet not covering the scary brilliance of his left eye colored amber that seems to glow red with anger like a hot coal. And his teeth have gritted to the point any more pressure would cause them to break.
"But we had to try and kill her!" says Meredith. "Treehaven is our best score yet! I mean... it was. But... I thought it was the perfect opportunity! With her out of the way, we could have Treehaven back! That was until her husband and another man showed up."
"I thought you said she was alone." says Brutus.
"Well, when we took her on, she... was alone." says Meredith.
"Truly?" asks Brutus as his mouth returns to normal.
"Yes, I swear." says Meredith.
"Well, then..." says Brutus. "...answer this for me: did you know she was a member of the Shepherds BEFORE you attacked her?"
Meredith's face goes as white as a ghost, as do the faces of her men. All they can do is just stand there, too afraid to answer.
"I asked you a question... Lieutenant." says Brutus. "Will you not answer? Did you know this woman was a Shepherd before you attacked her?"
Knowing she's not going anywhere, Meredith finally stammers with,"Y-y-y-yes."
Brutus just closes his one good eye.
Meredith's men just back away slowly before some other men block their exit.
"I don't think so." says Brutus. "You are accessories. You shall face judgment, just as Lieutenant Meredith will."
"Ooh, ooh, boss!" shouts Juniper as she jumps up and down while waving her hand. "Can I have her job?"
Brutus opens his eye, and looks in the direction of Juniper while speaking with a pleasant voice saying, "We'll see about it, Juniper!"
"Boss, please." says Meredith. "I just need another chance. Isn't there anything you can do?"
Brutus looks back at Meredith an experssion of both anger and uncaring as he asks, "How about a trial, then?"
Meredith just looks pale-faced again.
Turning quickly to face the others, Brutus speaks in a showman fashion saying, "Ladies and gentlemen of the court! Lady Meredith wants another chance to prove herself to us! And this is despite the fact she could have potentially lead the Shepherds here, thus endangering us all with her careless act of egoism! What do you all think? How do you all FIND Lieutenant Meredith Maywater?"
"Ooh, guilty!" says Juniper jumping up and down. "She's so guilty!"
"We've got one guilty!" says Brutus. "Anyone else?"
"I second Juniper's answer." says Thomas. "She's guilty."
"We've got two guilties!" says Brutus. "What say the rest of you?"
"Guilty!" says a man.
"That's right!" says a woman. "She's guilty!"
One by one, the others start to say "Guilty" until they're all chanting it.
Hearing this, Meredith finds her hope of living dwindling more and more.
Brutus then faces Meredith again as he says, "Well then... Lieutenant Meredith Maywater... as the judge of this court... I find you guilty on all charges."
Meredith's fear is growing ever more, her hearting beating so hard it could almost explode out of her chest, especially as Brutus starts to slowly walk towards her.
"Boss, please, give me another chance." says Meredith as she's on the verge of tears. "I promise I will do better."
As Brutus reaches her, looking down at her wimpering face, and he says, "You already had your chance, and you wasted it... by trying to be the alpha dog when you should have just called it off."
"Please, one more chance." Meredith constantly repeats. "One more chance, one more chance."
"Read my lips." says Brutus as his stare becomes more intense. "I. Don't. Give. Second. Chances."
In an instant, Brutus grabs Meredith by her throat, not enough to choke her, but definitely enough to keep her immobilized.
"Everyone!" says Brutus. "Take what you want from Lieutenat Meredith! As of today, she is relieved of her duties! Permanently!"
Taking Meredith by her throat, Brutus carries her in a way that causes her feet to drag.
"Ooh, I get her longsword!" says Juniper as her and the others walk over to Meredith, surrounding her like a pack of wolves as they begin to punch and kick her while taking her valuables.
Juniper emerges from the crowd with Meredith's sword and says, "Mine! All mine! Finders keepers, losers weepers!"
As Meredith emerges out of the mob, she's now down to just her basic clothes and is barefooted while being bruised and beaten.
Just then, Brutus throws Meredith in front of the fire onto her back and he comes in between it and her.
Meredith can only look in absolute horror as Brutus slowly draws his sword, the blade emitting red, foul energy.
Able to speak again, Meredith shouts, "Think of my family!"
Brutus glares while giving a reflexive smile and says, "You don't have a family."
Holding the sword up in both hands, he stabs it into Meredith's stomach, causing her to scream in most deathly of sounds ever. The red energy seeps into every vein of her body, turning them bright crimson while her skin starts to lose color, becoming dull grey. Even her clothes are becoming affected.
As the energy reaches her head, her hair slowly falls out and her skin completely blackens before turning to ash, revealing Meredith's skeleton, and even that starts to decay and crumble till she's nothing but a pile of dust and hair.
Meredith's men look on in horror, figuring they're about to be next.
After taking his eyes off of the pile of ash that was Meredith, Brutus looks at her former men and says, "You all! Come to me!"
The men nervously approach Brutus.
As they do, Brutus shouts, "Kneel!"
As they kneel, the big one says, "Please, have mercy on us! We were just following orders! We still deserve to live!"
"Do you now?" asks an unconvinced Brutus.
"Yes, like I said, we were just following orders." says the man again.
"As you said before." says Brutus. "Doesn't change the fact you have endangered us all with your absolute idiocy."
"We were just following orders, nothing more!" says the big guy.
"Again, I heard you." says Brutus looking irritated.
"Captain Brutus, if I may." says the mage. "We knew this mission Lieutenant... I mean, former Lieutenant Meredith wanted to do was risky and dangerous. We warned her about doing this. We were against it completely."
"Are you sure about that?" asks an unconvinced Brutus.
"Absolutely." says the mage.
"You wouldn't lie to me, would you, Morris?" asks Brutus. "I do not LIKE people who lie to me. Do yourself a favor, and do not lie."
Morris then stammers with, "O-o-kay, we thought it w-w-would work when... the former Lieuntenant explained it in great detail. But that was it. We've learned our lesson."
"Have you now?" asks Brutus.
"Yes, we have!" says the big guy. "We were just following orders!"
Brutus suddenly snaps as he grabs the man by the head, his thumb pressed into the man's eye as shouts, "I KNOW YOU WERE JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS! IF YOU REPEAT THAT ONE MORE TIME, I'M GOING TO TEST WHETHER OR NOT YOUR HEAD IS REALLY A PINATA!"
Just then, Brutus puts the man's eye out by shoving his thumb through his socket.
"AAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!" screams the man as he covers where his missing eye is.
The others pull a hyper-ventilating Brutus back while Juniper goes up to him wipe the blood off of his thumb.
"So sorry you had to stain you beautiful hand with the blood of the stupid, Boss." says Juniper.
As Brutus starts to calm down, he says, "So am I, Juniper. So am I."
Morris rushes over to the man to put a piece of cloth around where his missing eye is.
"I swear!" says Brutus back to Meredith's former men. "You have screwed up so bad, I want to do nothing more than to beat each of you in every location until there are no bones left to break!"
As Brutus starts to calm down, he then says, "But... I have a more fitting way of letting you all earn your right to live."
"Name it!" says Morris.
"I'm going to count to 30." says Brutus. "And if you all aren't outside of a six mile perameter of this fortress when I'm done... you die."
The men just quiver in fear.
"And I won't be the one to do it." says Brutus. "Thomas will."
The men just look at Thomas, who just gives them the creepiest smile ever.
"You all know how good his aim is." says Brutus. "You all know what he can do."
Thomas then starts to climb up to the top of the fortress via rope.
"And if any of you are still alive before you get to safety, I will send Juniper after you." says Brutus.
The men just look at Juniper, who gives them a wave, as well as a smile that's both cute and psychotic.
"You know her appetite." says Brutus. "You know how much harm a former medic can cause the body as well as being able to heal it."
"Well, what can I say?" says Juniper with a small shrug. "I learned from the best."
"That you did... Lieutenant." says Brutus.
"YAY! I'm a Lieuntenant now!" says Juniper gleefully
Looking back at the men, Brutus says, "So... to cut this short." He then holds up his hand, then lifts his index finger before saying, "One."
The men panic and run away for their lives, scrambling for the exit.
"Two." says Brutus as he raises another finger.
The men get the stone door open as they all leave in no fashion, hurrying down the staircase.
"Three." says Brutus, lifting up another finger.
"Hey, Boss, I'm going to go get a head start." says Juniper. "Is that okay?"
Brutus just gives her a nod as he lifts up another finger while saying, "Four."
"YAY!" says Juniper as she runs off.
"The rest of you!" shouts Brutus. "Pack up! We're leaving!" He then lifts another finger and says, "Five."
The men manage to exit the fortress, still running.
To Be Continued in Chapter 11