Chapter Eight
Everything was falling into place, even after so many years Guui was predictable when it came to treasure, especially the one that they had left at Belvast. That had been their biggest haul to date, not long after they had stolen it off of that royal entourage Vuui had hidden it because the kingdom was tracking them down with a force that they had never chased them with before. In order to keep the rest of the Hunters safe she had kept the location to herself, that way if anyone was captured then the kingdoms dogs wouldn't be able to prosecute them for the crime since they hadn't seen it or touched it, let alone know where it was buried. The only one taking the risks of life imprisonment was Vuui and as leader she was fine with that. What she hadn't been planning at the time though was what happened not long after she had buried it all. She had been expecting an attack, as the leader of the most notorious Bandit crew in Erinn she knew it was going to happen, especially with the ferocity that the military and random milletians were tracking her down as of late. What she hadn't been expecting was for her to nearly die and lose badly at that. She had never told anyone of the attack, not even Tarlach knew. But it was a lone man, some upstart who looked no older than her. He had been more powerful than her, and he was the strongest opponent that she had ever faced at that time.
The man had worn a cloak, his face shrouded all but a few strands of his long auburn hair falling from its folds. From top to bottom he was covered in armor and leathers. There was absolutely nothing distinguishable about him that would have given him away as to who he was. Even so, Vuui remembered him vividly in her mind to this day. She would never forget the person who had nearly ended her life and had effortlessly defeated her as if she was a child. That man had in a way killed her that day, he had killed the 'Blood Mage' and in the 'Blood Mages' place replaced her with someone much better. If it wasn't for that attack Vuui would never have been saved by Tracey, she would never have gone to Tarlach renouncing her ways and begging for a chance to redeem herself for all her unforgivable actions over the years, she would have never become a soldier and in turn become the General of the human regiment for the kingdom that had not that long ago wanted her head, and she wouldn't have devoted her life to protecting the Princess Eirawen who was more than just her leader. Despite their difference in positions in life, and despite how Eirawen still ordered her around and made her do things that were crazy and risky, they shared a bond that went beyond blood and made them sisters in arms. Vuui could honestly say that the Princess, Andras and Tarlach were here only family….
Vuui used to be able to say the same thing about the Hunters and a pang erupted through her heart as she thought back to those days of old that felt more like the life of another person altogether rather than her own. Part of her felt bad for tricking Guui at the moment, despite their differences in lives and the paths they had chosen he had still been her comrade long ago and she couldn't help but wonder if she was doing the right thing by bringing him back into her life. Even if it was to destroy Cessair and protect the kingdom what she was essentially doing was using Guui and the others if they agreed to come with her. They harbored no hard feelings towards her at the moment from what she could tell, but if they were to ever find out her true motives and the real circumstances of her disappearance all those years ago then there would be hell to pay. None of that mattered though now if they could do this. If they could destroy Cessair and his armies, then that was all that mattered. Too many lives had been destroyed because of him and by whatever means necessary he had to be stopped. But couldn't you have done that without involving your old crew, a voice inside her replied, you could have let sleeping dogs lie and found others who were more than capable of helping you? Just admit it, you wanted to see them and work with them one last time….
Not wanting to admit what was going around in her own heart Vuui continued to stretch and prepare herself for the battle that was about to commence. Guui was still cocky as ever and had decided to send her up against some weaklings who didn't look like they could even lift a sword. He was sending her against Goblins and though she was relieved that he was still gullible and overconfident she was still annoyed that he thought so little of her abilities. The Goblin in front of her was shaking in his boots and though she hated what she was going to have to do she wasn't allowed to show him mercy at the moment. In the past she wouldn't have hesitated to beat down even the weakest and most vulnerable of opponents, but she had grown since then and now she was feeling nothing but disgust for what she was about to have to do rather than the malicious pride and enthusiasm that she would have felt before.
Mewecho had drawn a large circle in the dirt in the center of the campsite, all of Guui's crew was surrounding the circle and waiting for the show to commence. Vuui stood across from the scared Goblin, a shadow crossing over her features as she contemplated the quickest way to get out of this fight and the least likely ways to kill the poor creature.
"Is everyone ready," Mewecho chimed from the center of the makeshift ring. Both fighters nodded and she looked at Guui who gave her a subtle nod then began to count, "One… Two… Three! Start!"
Almost as soon as the fight began within a second it had ended and Vuui stood in her spot, appearing to not have even moved with the Goblin at her feet petrified and unconscious. Only the crickets could be heard throughout the campsite as everyone stared at Vuui in a mixture of shock, fear and anger. "Now that that farce is over," Vuui turned to Guui, "how about you send in someone worth my effort Twin Fists and stop wasting my time. The longer we draw this out the longer it takes for us to find the others so let's get this over with." She smirked at him and she could tell that Guui's blood was boiling at her challenge and assumptions. She could sense a movement behind her and sent whoever was attacking her from behind flying into the nearest tree, breaking it in half. "Anyone else?" She turned her gaze to the crowd around her and they visibly all took a step back in shock.
"This is pointless." The crowd began to murmur.
"She's going to destroy us all."
"You fight her then."
"No, you fight her."
"She's crazy!"
"Enough!" Mewecho's voice rose above the now roaring crowd. "It's obvious that you are all cowards," she turned towards the bandits, "so I'll be your opponent. But let's make this interesting."
"I'm all ears."
"If I win you will join Guui's crew, you will be my personal subordinate for a year and any loot that you earn or steal will go to me the entire time. You will obey all of my commands no matter what they are, and will repair my swords by hand. I've heard the legends about you and know for a fact because of Guui that you are a master blacksmith and master of magic craft. So you should be able to fix and make my sword better than ever before no problem."
Vuui was impressed, the girl was young but she had the makings of a good leader and negotiator. It was obvious they were still underestimating her, they were taking her a little more seriously now after the ridiculous display with the Goblin and whoever had decided to ambush her while her back was turned. But they still didn't think she was up to par with how she used to be. In a way they were right, she wasn't. In fact, she was much stronger, so yes she was nowhere close to how she used to be as a warrior or as a magician. They just didn't know that. Mewecho obviously believed she had the upper hand, she was more-then-likely strong, and she knew that having the infamous 'Blood Mage' around would be beneficial to everyone in the crew so Vuui wasn't surprised by the terms.
"I accept. But if I win, you will come with me no matter how my fight with Guui goes. You will help me track down all the other former Hunters and will help me in my attack against Cessair for the next year. If we have not destroyed the bastard by then you are free to go and return to this crew. You will remain loyal to me the entire year and you will make a vow to the Gods so that you cannot go back on your word under the penalty of death. To show that I will take my end of the deal seriously I will vow the same if in the case that I lose. Also," she paused for a moment considering, "I see that you are a demigod as well. What do you say that we make this even more interesting and give these people a show? No holding back, full strength and using every natural tool in our arsenals. Demigod versus demigod."
Mewecho was not sure what to say. She hadn't been counting on the Blood Mage to actually take her up on her offer and counter it with one of her own. If she wins, which she was sure that she would, then she had the most famous outlaw in history as her servant and at her beck and call. If she lost though… Was she really willing to be taken away from the only family she had ever known. She didn't care about the others in the gang but Guui had been her everything for the last fifteen years. Could she really leave him for a year…?
But, if she lost and Guui lost as well then they would both have to go with the Blood Mage and search for his former gang members. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. For as long as she could remember it had always been him and her against the world, and she was scared that with Blood Mage and the others of the Hunters soon to come back into his life that he would no longer need her.
When the Hunters had split up, Erinn had rejoiced. The people had no longer feared for their safety and villages were rejoicing everywhere. For a full year everything was peaceful and happy, the roads were safe and for the first time in a long time no one feared for their lives along every corner. What no one was expecting though was for the influx of bandit groups that had emerged from the shadows almost all at once. It seemed that everyone wanted to copy the Hunters and become the next king of the bandits, and a new wave of fear washed over the land like never before.
Growing up Mewecho was exceedingly poor back then, her family could barely afford to feed her and her ten brothers and sisters and they lived off of one meal a day most of the time. Her father had been a milletian who had once been famous throughout the land as a bandit hunter, but not long after she had been born her father had chased after the Hunters and suffered the consequences. He had gone against the Blood Mage, the same one she was about to go against now, and had lost both of his legs in the process resulting him to become an alcoholic and leaving his family to pick up the slack from his new addiction. Her mother had become cold, wanting nothing to do with her father or her and her siblings, often ignoring them as she tended their measly farm that barely produced a bushel of potatoes every season. Thus whenever she could Mewecho began to steal and pickpocket. Her parents never noticed what she was doing, and her siblings weren't about to rat her out. So she began to steal food and supplies from carts and people's houses when they weren't suspecting. That way her family wouldn't starve to death, especially in the winter. Her older siblings had jobs, but the money they made all went towards the bills, debts and their fathers drinking habits. Often leaving her and the other children neglected. For years she had blamed the Hunters with a passion. Choosing to place all blame on them rather than on her father's weaknesses.
That view didn't change for a long time. Not until the day that Guui had saved her and her siblings lives….
Snow covered the ground. The trees were barren and silence filled the air. Her mother had been standing there, a deranged look in her eyes as she continued to tie up Mewecho and her siblings one by one in the den of their small shack. The blood from their father still staining their mother's fingertips. They were scared, they didn't know what to do. Everyone was in shock. The older children who had tried to stop their mother lay near their father, head carved in from the hammer they had taken to the skull. Crying echoed in Mewecho's ears and blood was rushing to her face and eyes bulged as she saw her mother start laying logs all around them and the shack, knowing that she was about to be burned alive.
Fire licked at the walls, her mother cackling like a madman, billowy black clouds of smoke filled the room and Mewecho could hear the coughing and crying of her brothers and sisters around her, her own tears leaking down her cheeks as she was beginning to cry hysterically as well. Not understanding why this was happening. Why her mother didn't love them…
Things were starting to become dark, her eyes clouding over, when suddenly the smoke was gone. The fire had stopped. The roof of their tiny shack was completely torn from the foundation and her mother was nowhere in sight, all that remained in the spot that she had been standing in was a nauseating pile of red clumps and pools of blood with a Giant standing over the remains. He looked like a beast, a monster in the flesh… yet he had just saved all of their lives….
When Guui had saved Mewecho and her siblings lives she had joined him in order to repay the massive debt that they had owed him for the deed. He didn't want her to at first, trying many times to get rid of her along the way. And he nearly had when he revealed who he was after weeks of trying to get her to go back home… She had attacked him. He didn't even defend himself from her blows. After she released her anger out on him tears had streamed down her face and she ran. She didn't stop running the entire night and eventually fell into a fit of exhaustion, unable to move any longer as she collapsed against the nearest tree she could find. Not knowing that she fell into a bandit trap. When she awoke she was once again tied down, the fresh memories of the incident with her mother playing before her eyes as they blindfolded her and marched her to some unknown destination. It didn't take long for her to realize they were slave traders and had planned to sell her for a profit. Scared and desperate Mewecho had made a desperate escape one night and hadn't gotten far before they caught her again. Just as they had grabbed her an enormous figure emerged and had throttled them. Guui had been tracking her the whole time and had once again saved her life.
Mewecho was indebted to him far more than she was willing to admit, and was attached to him far more than she liked. Leaving him for a year unsettled her. Though she wanted to fight Blood Mage she wasn't sure she could go with the terms. But….
"I accept Blood Mage."
"Good, then are you ready? Twin Fists will you do the honors?" Vuui could see the fire in Mewecho's eyes and knew this was going to be a good fight, the girl was strong and she was a demigod, so she wasn't one to be underestimated in the slightest.
Guui shared a look with Mewecho, seeming to be slightly on edge as he walked towards the circle where the two demigods stood facing each other prepared to duel. His cocky jubilance was gone from before and he seemed tense as he looked at both competitors.
"Is everyone ready," he looked at the women before him and they both nodded.
"Then on the count of three the fight will begin. One… Two…. Three!"
Within seconds time stopped and both women clashed, wings tangling, feathers flying and mixing into a downy sea of white and black as the two collided.