Two Sides of the Coin
Chapter 2
Escape
Mckenzie could not stop shivering. She felt hot, but her body's trembling was telling her she was cold. A fever? She grimaced as she adjusted in her seat, the iron manacles around her wrists clinking against the chains pinning her to the wall behind her. Her head fell back against the stone wall and her eyes closed.
Through her pounding headache and weariness, she tried to pinpoint how long she had been in this cell. At least a couple of sunrises and sunsets had happened, but she barely noticed them. This world seemed so cold and gray compared to Los Angeles, or even Wisconsin.
Her daily meals did help her somewhat keep track of time. She assumed they were delivered daily. Her stomach growled enough to make her think she was only eating once a day. Judging by the number of times one of the brutes in this place delivered her food, she had been here for three days.
Three days, already? How did time go by so fast yet feel so slow at the same time?
Mckenzie grimaced. Her brow knitted as her head pulsed with a renewed migraine. She reached for the small, brass cup nearby. Only a few swigs of water were left in it. She greedily drank it down, hoping that it would bring some relief. The coppery taste made her grimace, but she endured.
Clearly, this place doesn't have proper plumbing.
She still hadn't quite worked out where she was, although several theories were forming in her mind.
Theory number one: she had been kidnapped by a group of Larpers after washing up on Lake Winnebago's shore, and was being held in some sort of dungeon in the middle of the Northwoods somewhere? A decent theory, if she ignored the fact that she plummeted several stories into a frozen lake.
Theory number two: she had been transported somewhere where all of this, the stone building, meager food, and foul water, was normal. A ridiculous notion. That would imply some sort of scientific anomaly she couldn't even begin to wrap her head around. Besides, it still did not explain how she got here after falling from the I-41 bridge.
The final theory? This was hell. Despite her not believing in a heaven or a hell, this was somehow the most plausible theory.
"Of course, all of this would be easier if someone would just explain what's going on."
"Quiet in there," her guard, a muscular man with a scar over the bridge of his nose grunted.
Mckenzie resisted the urge to stick her tongue out, mostly because she feared that if she did, the man would charge into this cell and discipline her. His leader, Victor, was certainly not averse to doing such a thing, so why wouldn't his henchmen do it too? So, she remained the quiet, obedient prisoner.
I can't do much else other than this anyway.
Her mind drifted back as she pondered her situation. Was Joey in a similar position as her? Or, did the fall claim his life? What about their mother? Was she alright? Did her children not arriving home from the airport cause her condition to get worse? Her father-
Mckenzie's jaw clenched. She refused to think of that man.
Oh, she couldn't forget about something equally as important: her casting calls! All of those auditions she could have nailed were gone now. Opportunities to have a career in Hollywood were flushed down the drain. She sagged in her seat, a forlorn sigh leaving her lips.
"So much for that dream."
The heavy door at the end of the corridor opened and closed with a heavy thunk. Soft footsteps drew closer. Mckenzie raised her eyes. Through her stringy, greasy, blonde hair, she saw the hooded, short man from her first night here moving to her cell. A bowl of steaming broth sat in his hands along with a pitcher of water.
Unlike before, though, his hood was not drawn. Although, he moved too quickly past her cell for her to catch a good glimpse of him beyond what looked like short, brown hair and an eyepatch. Not that she cared. He was one of her captors. What did it matter what he looked like?
Unless a miracle happens and I can get to the authorities somehow, descriptions won't matter.
Her eyes flicked up to her cell door again when she heard heavier steps shuffling away. Her first guard was leaving. It was the short man's turn to keep watch.
Unlike her other guards, he did not slide her food through the iron bars. Instead, he reached for a key on his belt and opened her cell door. Fear lanced through Mckenzie's heart. Why did he want to come in?
Through a gray beam of light, she got a better look at his face. To her surprise, he looked young. Older than her, but not nearly as gruff or weathered as the other bandits. A long scar ran down the left side of his face, from brow to beneath his cheekbone. A strip of leather covered that eye, hiding it from view. Dark stubble formed a shadow of a beard on his face, giving him a bit of a roguish look. Some dirt was smeared on his cheeks. The leather jerkin he wore was bound tight over his thin frame, and leather bracers clad his forearms. A disheveled appearance, all around.
If I were back in LA, he'd either be an absolute star or homeless.
Without a word, he reached toward Mckenzie, making her flinch. But, instead of grabbing her, he snatched the copper cup by her side. The sound of fresh water pouring into it from the pitcher was music to her ears.
"Here," he said, voice quiet in the empty dungeon. He held the cup out to her. "Better water than what you've been drinking. Got it from the well."
Mckenzie eyed the cup. "And where exactly was the water I've been drinking from?"
"Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to."
Mckenzie's gut twisted. She had been drinking rancid water. Wonderful.
After a moment of hesitation, Mckenzie took the cup from the man and brought it to her lips. The water was crystal clear and fresh, tasting divine on her tongue. She gulped half the cup down before finally pulling it away to take a breath.
"Take it slow. You don't want to upset your system," the man advised. He set the bowl of broth beside her then raised another key to her eye level. "I'm going to unlock you. Don't do anything stupid."
"Does it look like I can do something stupid?" Mckenzie rasped as she continued to catch her breath.
"Desperation can make anyone do crazy things. I won't hurt you, but the others will if you try to get out of here. Keep that in mind."
With that, he unlocked her shackles. Relief flooded Mckenzie as the cold iron fell away from her blistered wrists. Her right hand massaged her left arm as she opened and closed the fingers on her left hand, trying to get the blood flow moving through it again.
She froze when the man reached for her again, this time placing a hand against her forehead.
"Fever," he muttered before digging into a small pouch on his hip and withdrawing a small vial full of a blue liquid. He popped the cork and held it to her lips. "Drink."
Mckenzie thought about refusing, but how could she? If this guy wanted her to do something, he could easily make her do it. She was too tired, too weak, to try to resist. So, she let the blue fluid run down her throat. It was bitter. The taste made her grimace.
But, when it reached her gut, a bloom of warmth rushed through her. Her headache faded and her body felt stronger. She blinked, stunned.
"What was that?"
The man chuckled. "Vulnerary. I had the same reaction when I had one for the first time," he answered, wagging the empty vial before placing it back in the pouch. "Try to eat, Mckenzie."
Mckenzie nodded, grabbed the bowl, and sipped some of the broth. There was a faint chicken flavor to it. So far, all she had been fed was scraps of bread and some sort of root paste. To have something like this was luxurious. She never thought she would say about chicken broth.
"Slow," the man warned. "Three days of near starvation and conditions like this will make you very delicate. Last thing you want to be doing is losing your bowels in a place like this."
Mckenzie froze mid-gulp of her broth. She let the bowl fall from her face, then swallowed. "That can happen?"
The man nodded. "Seen it before. Almost experienced it a couple of times myself. Not very pleasant."
Mckenzie nodded. So far, this man had been the kindest stranger in this place. Why? What motive did he have for treating her this way? Did he expect to get something from her?
"Who are you and why are you doing this?" She asked, her voice hushed as fear returned to her mind.
The man grimaced. "I'm not your enemy if that is what you must know. As for my name, call me Sam."
"Sam," Mckenzie snorted. "Pretty simple for a place filled with the ridiculous."
Sam uttered a dry laugh as he turned and grabbed the wooden stool from outside the cell, setting it just inside the door. He exhaled as he took a seat. "Yeah, well, it only gets crazier from here."
He ran a hand through his hair then leaned back then closed his eye, leaning back against the iron bars. The door remained open.
Is-Is he falling asleep on the job!?
Mckenzie flicked her eyes at the iron shackles by her side, unlocked, freeing her from her chains. Her gaze darted to the open cell door. Her heart beat hard in her chest, thumping against her rib cage as an insane hope rushed through her mind. She could try to make a run for it. Try to get out!
She pursed her lips, rose to her feet, and stepped forward, only for her boot to click against a rock on the floor.
Sam cracked his eye open. An amused smirk cracked over his lips. "You're welcome to try, but then I can't keep them from killing you."
"They won't kill me," Mckenzie retorted. "I'm a hostage. They need me."
Sam tilted his head and furrowed his brow. "Well, you're smart, I'll give you that. But, so is Victor, contrary to his looks."
A pit formed in Mckenzie's gut. "What do you mean?"
Sam closed his eye again and leaned his head back, a soft hum escaping his lips. "It means he's already contacted his friends back in Windmire, Crag, Breach Cliff, and Black Rock. Not a single one of them has heard anything about a nobleman's daughter going missing."
"So he-"
"Is beginning to suspect you're nobody? Yup." Sam yawned. His lips smacked together as he stretched his legs out in front of him. "And if you're nobody then you are worthless to him."
Mckenzie reeled. The only thing keeping her safe was these thugs believing that she was valuable to them unharmed. If they realized she wasn't a noblewoman, not even a famous actress, then she opened herself up to something terrible. Would they hurt her? Kill her? Worse?
A shaky breath shivered from her lungs. "That can't happen…"
"It is though."
"Help me."
Sam cracked his eye open. "And how do you expect me to do that?"
"Y-you can-"
"Every bandit in this fortress knows that you're here. Every single one of them knows what you look like and, no offense, you're hard to miss, and you're not exactly quiet. If I were to help you out of this cell, then we would have the entire troop coming down on us in an instant. So… do you have a death wish?"
The corner of Mckenzie's mouth twitched into a snarl. "I do not! I want to get out of here and get home."
"Nice fire, but fire won't help you here."
Mckenzie scowled. "So, you're just going to sit there and wait? Maybe watch me get tortured as Victor and his friends do God only knows what to me?"
He did not answer.
"Well!?"
"You are loud," Sam replied. "Work on that part first."
"Excuse me!?"
For the first time during this entire affair, anger overtook her fear. She shook in front of Sam, her teeth clenched and her fists curled into tight balls. Her eyes flicked to the strange, bent sword on his hip. Was it a sword? It was definitely longer than a knife.
She lunged toward him, but in a flash, he scampered out of his stool and was outside the cell door. With a loud slam, it crashed closed. The key twisted in the lock.
"Loud and slow." Sam clicked his tongue. "Not good."
"Hey!" Mckenzie glared at Sam as he turned and made his way to the dungeon's only door. She grabbed the bars in front of her, knuckles turning white with strain. "Don't leave me here!"
Still no answer.
"Sam!"
The door opened then closed shut.
"Get me out of here!"
Mckenzie tugged on the bars. They did not budge. An infuriated scream tore from her throat, followed by sobs. She slipped down the bars then came to rest on the dirt floor, crying.
I'm done for.
Dreams plagued Mckenzie. Strange ones. Dreams of home. Not of Los Angeles, but of Wisconsin. Winneconne specifically; that backward town her parents lived in not far from Oshkosh. She could see the long county highways that curved and cut through the flat landscape dotted by scattered woods. There was a certain beauty to the place. A strange, comforting feeling that reminded her of her childhood, running through the fields surrounding her parents' trailer with her friends, ran through her mind. It made her smile.
Then the heavy door to the dungeons slammed open, and she woke up.
As soon as her eyes opened, Mckenzie sat upright. She drew her shoulders back, even though every single muscle in her back ached. Her head throbbed still, but the fever had disappeared, thanks to whatever Sam gave her. Despite her haggard and frayed appearance, she put on her acting skills again. She needed to look noble, distinguished, and just unafraid enough to convince these bandits that she was confident her "father" would bail her out.
Not that my father would have anything to do with me in real life. Not after I apparently betrayed the family.
Strong steps strode toward her cell. Her guard, a grunt with what she could only describe as having skunk hair and a skulking appearance, rose to his feet from the wooden stool as a group of three bandits approached. Sam was behind the group, not looking nearly as tired as the last time. At the head of the group was Victor.
"Open it," he growled. The hairs on the back of Mckenzie's neck stood on end. He did not look pleased.
The cell door opened. Mckenzie pressed her back against the wall as she rose to her feet, trying desperately to create space between her and her captors. Victor stepped in, looming over her, his brow furrowed deep as his nostrils flared.
"You're no noble, are you?"
Mckenzie's throat bobbed. "Of course, I am. My teeth said so, as you so aptly-"
Victor spat in the dirt. His lips curled into a snarl, silencing her. "Lie to me again, girl. See how far that gets you."
Mckenzie held her breath. Her eyes flicked to Sam. He lingered near the cell door, hands clasped in front of him as he leaned against the iron bars, completely relaxed.
"Look," Mckenzie began, "I don't know what you want. But, I-"
"I'm a damn fool," Victor growled. "Not a noble. Just a pretty girl." He glanced to his right at another bandit. "Garruk, how much would she go for?"
Mckenzie's stomach flipped.
"With how pretty she is, some brothel will want her. Maybe even a noble will buy her for pleasure."
Her stomach twisted. Bile and vomit crept up her throat. They were talking about selling her like cattle. Fear made her limbs tremble as all of the strength in her legs threatened to disappear. The noble facade she was trying to maintain cracked entirely as her chin quivered.
"P-Please just let me go. I'm not worth anything so why-"
"You are worth something, girl, and I'm going to make sure I collect on it," Victor growled. "Shura!"
Her guard stirred outside of the cell. "Yes, boss?"
"Go send messages out to our clients. Let them know that we have something fresh they will want to take a look at."
Shura flicked his eye at Mckenzie. For a split second, she thought she saw pity. Then he nodded and walked away from the cell. As he moved past, Sam reached out and stopped him with a hand. He whispered something. Mckenzie caught Shura's eyes widening a moment. He glanced at Mckenzie one more time, gave Sam a grim look, then marched away to do his job.
"No one is to touch her," Victor informed the others present. "And, tomorrow, before the clients arrive, she's to get cleaned up. I want to get as much gold for her as possible. To recoup my wasted investment."
With a huff, Victor spun on his heel and marched out. His lackeys followed, but Sam lingered. He personally shut the cell door. When it closed, Mckenzie dropped to a seat. She gave him a pleading look, knowing that he was the only one in this entire place who might give her a chance.
"Please…"
Sam's lips thinned into a line. "Quieter. That's good."
He turned and walked away. Mckenzie shook where she sat.
"Please! Don't leave me, you damned bastard!"
The door to the dungeon closed.
It was dawn when the dungeon door opened again. Mckenzie's head hung heavy on her neck. Her eyes drooped, but she refused to let them close. She could not sleep, despite how exhausted and sick she felt. The stress and fear that grasped her tight would not let her rest.
Three bandit grunts marched to her cell. Sam moved behind them, hands folded behind his back.
The door to her cell was unlocked. One of the grunts stepped in, carrying an ancient-looking dress that had a few scuffs and scratches on the delicate fabric and lace. It definitely wasn't her color. Despite being a bit of a princess, as her mother put it, she did not like pink. Another grunt carried a bucket of water for her to clean herself with. No soap.
"Get to washing," the lead grunt with the dress said, grinning ear to ear as the other set the bucket down. None of them moved to give her privacy.
Mckenzie eyed the bucket of water. She did not move. The lead bandit's smile quivered.
"Do it!" He barked, fists curling around the dress fabric.
Mckenzie flinched. Carefully, she rose to her feet and moved to the bucket, her iron chains scraping against the floor. When she reached the end of her chains, she reached for the bucket, only for the bandit to reach out and grasp her by the throat.
Her eyes shot wide as she froze in his grip.
"You're a very pretty thing. Not often do pretty things come to us."
He reeked of alcohol and sweat, making her nose wrinkle. Her entire body shook. She wanted to escape, but where could she go, and what could she do without enraging this monster of a human more? She was at their mercy. She was doomed.
"Undress now, before I-"
His words ended in a wet gurgle. A sickening sound hit Mckenzie's ears. The sound of flesh ripping open. A warm spray of red hit her face, startling her and making her eyes shoot wide. A hideous gash formed over the bandit's throat, making blood seep down his neck in a red tide that made her stomach curdle. Right as vomit crept up her throat, he collapsed to the ground, clawing at his neck until he moved no more.
His companions stared at him, stunned. Then two dull thunks echoed through the cell. Both of them slumped to the ground, knives embedded in their skulls.
Horror filled Mckenzie as she stared at the three bodies. Her lips trembled as tears brimmed in her eyes. "What the-"
"We don't have much time."
Her eyes flicked up. Sam was in front of her now, unlocking her binds and setting her free from her chains. When they fell to the floor, she did not move, too terrified and confused to process what was going on.
He spun to the door, but when she did not follow, he paused. A stern look entered his green eyes.
"We need to move, now!"
His sharp words shook her from her stupor. She finally moved, taking a shaky step forward, her foot sinking into the pooling, crimson liquid seeping into the dirt floor. Her shoe squelched in it. Her stomach churned.
"Mckenzie," Sam hissed, snapping her gaze back to him. He held out a hand. "If you want to live, you need to come with me, now."
"You-You killed-"
"Yeah, they deserved it."
Sam snatched her hand and pulled her from the cell. Once outside, he did not let go of her, grasping her tight as he yanked her toward the dungeon door. At the door, he spun her to face him.
"Listen to me very carefully. There are about thirty bandits that live in this fortress, with Victor being one of them. We need to avoid all of them at all costs if we want to get out of here. A big fight will only get both of us killed.
Sam reached for his belt, drew a dagger, and placed it in her hand. Mckenzie almost dropped it as soon as the cold metal touched her skin, treating the weapon like it would kill her even if she was the one holding it. Sam made sure she firmly grasped it.
"I-I can't- I can't fight."
"You're going to have to," Sam replied. "Especially if things go sideways. I can't fend off an entire fortress and keep an eye on you." He gestured at the dagger in her hand. "Just make sure to stick them with the pointy end, alright?"
"I can't kill someone," she breathed. "I can't-"
"Can't doesn't help right now. Do you want to live?"
She didn't answer, too shocked and afraid to form words.
"Do you want to get out of here without being bought by some grubby lowlife?"
She nodded.
"Then do as I say. Move as I move. Do that, and we'll get out of here alive." Sam grabbed the doorknob and drew in a deep breath. "Now… the hard part."
He wrenched the door open. The bandit on the other side turned. His eyes widened when he saw Mckenzie.
"She's supposed to be-"
Sam pounced, driving a dagger up through the man's mouth and into his skull. The bandit couldn't even utter a scream as he slumped to the ground, a streak of red following him down the wall.
Sam moved forward, spinning the blood-soaked dagger in his hand. Mckenzie tip-toed around the body, giving it a horrified look. The vacant eyes and color-drained face imprinted in her mind. It made bile creep up her throat.
"Don't look," Sam whispered to her. "Just keep moving."
Mckenzie squeezed her eyes shut, then did as she was told.
Sam opened another door in front of them, but this time slowly. He peeked outside, sighed, then slipped through the cracked opening. Two heavy bodies hit the ground, making Mckenzie flinch. When she stepped through the door, two more bandits lay bleeding to death on the ground, their throats cut.
This is hell! Mckenzie couldn't stop shaking as she followed Sam, mimicking his crouched posture as the corridor widened and grew taller around them. I am in a medieval hell. It is real!
Voices sounded up ahead. Torchlight flickered around the corner at the end of the hall. Two shadows chattered, followed by the sound of dice clattering against stone and two thuds. Sam held up a hand, freezing her in place.
Without a sound, he moved, slipping through the dense shadows until he reached the corner. He sheathed his dagger then drew a pair of throwing knives. Then, he burst from his spot and threw them. The chatter stopped as the dice clattered against the floor one more time.
"This way," Sam whispered.
They encountered no more guards as they snuck through winding halls leading past rickety, wooden doors. After scaling another flight of stairs, they reached a set of double doors. Sam paused beside them and pressed his ears to the wood.
He nodded. "Looks like it's empty."
"What's empty?" Mckenzie asked.
"Main hall. Also known as the only way out of this place. I'd use a window, but I doubt you'd want to fall to your death since this place is on the edge of a cliff. I know I don't want to do that."
Sam puffed out a sharp breath, nodded then shoved the doors open. He rose from his crouched position to begin running. Mckenzie picked up her pace as well.
She yelped when she plowed into Sam's back as he skidded to a stop. Slow clapping sounded from ahead of them. Mckenzie peeked around her rescuer. Her heart sank.
Ten bandits stood in front of the door, armed with axes, hammers, and sickles. Victor was in front of them, an amused smirk on his lips. Kneeling beside him was the skunk-haired man, Shura. A bloody gash sat over Shura's right eye and his left eye was swollen shut. His upper lip was fat as he looked up and gave Sam an apologetic look.
"Samwise," Victor clicked his tongue, "you're a damn good sneak, but you're too soft. Well… not soft enough to not kill my boys, it seems."
Sam shrugged. "I don't have a problem killing monsters, which is what you all are."
"Monsters? You mean like Faceless?" Victor scoffed. "I'm just a man making my way in this cold, cruel world. Just like you, yes? So, tell me, who paid you to infiltrate my crew? Was it some lordling looking to get rid of me so they didn't have to pay tribute anymore? A rival crew?"
"You're last few capers actually attracted bigger eyes than those, Victor, as I'm sure Shura warned you they would."
Victor leaned back, his brow furrowed. Then, a twinkle danced in his eyes. A loud laugh shot from his lips.
"By the Dusk Dragon, you're working for the crown!"
Mckenzie gave Sam a stunned look. He was working for the crown? As in royals? What place did she end up in? The only royalty she knew about was the Queen of England, and this place was definitely not England.
Sam shrugged. "Guess the game is over, huh?"
Victor smiled evilly. "Oh, I'd say it is. Boys, kill him. Then, once he's dead, we're gonna have our fun with our other little traitor here." He finished by smacking Shura upside the head.
The ten bandits let out dark laughs as they stepped closer. Mckenzie shrank, gladly following Sam's silent instructions as he pushed her behind him with a gesture of his arm. His one eye flicked among the bandits, watching them as they moved to encircle him. His fingers twitched at his sides. He did not look panicked. Just focused.
The first bandit moved, letting out a loud whoop as he swung his ax. Sam's hand flicked from his belt, sending a throwing knife into the man's neck, making him stumble then fall, his ax clattering to the ground.
Two more loud cries. A hammer and a sickle hissed through the air. Sam ducked beneath the hammer, drew his curved sword, and slid it through the hammer wielder's bowels. He then rolled, narrowly avoiding the sickle then taking out the third attacker at the hamstrings with a smooth slash.
The other seven hesitate. Sam glanced at Mckenzie.
"Run!"
She did not need to be told twice. She bolted toward the door. At the same time, Shura surged to his feet, wrenching a knife from Victor's belt and managing to scamper back from the bandit leader as the man looked at Sam with surprise. Two of the bandits moved to combat Shura, keeping him from striking Victor.
Mckenzie rushed around them, sprinting as fast as she could through the open doors of the main hall and out into a dark morning. What she saw made her skid to a stop, her breath lodging in her throat.
She stood atop a tall stairway leading up to a fortress keep. Below her was a small, barren courtyard surrounded by crumbling stone walls. Beyond the walls sat a dark forest with towering pines and gnarled trees going as far as she could see. In the distance, she could see tall, snow-capped mountains jutting up into the sky.
Where am I?
"Get over here!"
She screamed when a calloused, grimy hand grabbed her forearm. A bandit with a long scar across the bridge of his nose held onto her, raising a dagger to stab her. She swiped her dagger, watching as her weak swing only managed to nick the man's thick arm.
"I'm going to enjoy making you bleed," he snarled as she tried to wrench her arm away from him.
A throwing knife smacked into his right temple. He blinked, croaked, then fell forward, taking Mckenzie to the ground and landing on top of her, pinning her in place.
Adrenaline rushed through her veins. With strength she did not know she possessed, she managed to push his large body off. Once she was on her feet again, she moved to the stairs, only to see four more bandits moving across the courtyard to cut her off.
Not sure where to go, she hesitated. A softer hand, wrapped in leather, tapped her shoulder. It was Shura.
"This way!" He hissed, scampering across the stairs towards a ladder that led up to the walls.
Seeing no other option, she rushed after him. Just in time too. As soon as she left her spot, an arrow skipped against the stone. Two archers on the walls took aim at her and Shura.
Behind her, the sounds of fighting grew louder. Shouts and screams echoed through the air. Two bowstrings snapped, making her duck her head. An arrow whistled above her, narrowly grazing the hairs on her scalp.
A bandit moved to cut off her and Shura, but the skunk-haired man was ready for him. He bashed the bandit in the nose with the guard of his sword before drawing a dagger and jamming it into the man's gut. Then, he drove the man back before shoving him from the walls and sending him screaming over the edge into the misty depths below the fortress.
They were nearing a crumbling tower that flanked the small, fortress gate. Shura sprinted toward the closed door and slammed his shoulder into it, forcing it open. Mckenzie rushed in after him as he dispatched another bandit, only to get body-slammed into the wall by a second he did not see. He struggled against his second attacker while Mckenzie watched, fear and panic paralyzing her.
Shura gasped as a punch made him see stars.
"H-Help," he croaked as another punch made him reel. He managed to avoid a death blow from the bandit's ax, but he was too dazed to strike back.
Mckenzie could feel the cold grip of the dagger in her hand. Sam's words sounded in her mind. All she had to do was stick the bandit with the pointy end. So simple.
But, she could not. Her terror kept her rooted in place. The mere thought of killing someone made her stomach roll. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she watched Shura fall to the ground. The bandit knocked his sword away and wrapped his hands around her rescuer's throat.
Shura gasped, eyes bugging from his skull as he struggled. Veins popped across his forehead and face as he tried to breathe. His legs kicked uselessly, and Mckenzie stared at the entire scene, horrified, on the verge of puking.
She looked at the dagger, swallowed hard, then she managed to take a step forward.
Only for Sam's torn cloak to billow past her and tackle the bandit choking Shura to the ground. In a flash, the tip of Sam's strange weapon sank into the bandit's chest, ending his life.
Shura gasped for breath, one hand reaching for his neck. He glared at Mckenzie.
"Why didn't you-"
Sam hauled Shura to his feet. "No time for that, friend. You can be pissed later."
"I'm pissed now!"
"Then take it out on the people who actually deserve it."
A frustrated snarl shot from Shura, but he relented. He reached for Mckenzie, spun her around, and shoved her out the door across from where she entered.
Sam went through that door first, immediately meeting an arrow flying for his heart. He yelped and ducked to the side. Shura snagged Mckenzie again and threw her against the wall, pressing himself against her as the arrow narrowly missed all of them.
A scream followed. Mckenzie saw Sam disembowel an archer before gliding across the narrow ramparts to a bandit that emerged from the other tower. He dispatched him easily as well, parrying a chop from the bandit's ax before slamming the edge of his blade into the crook of the man's neck.
Shura drew a throwing knife and then launched it to the top of the second tower. A yell echoed through the air, and the other archer plummeted to the courtyard below.
That's when Victor and Ham finally caught up to them. Ham lumbered through the tower door behind Shura and Mckenzie. The bandit-turned-rescuer placed himself between the hulking giant of a man and her while Victor faced Sam.
Victor seethed and pointed his scythe at the smaller thief. "You bastard! I'll mount your head on my wall!"
Sam bobbed his head as a smirk twitched on his lips. "You know what, that's actually a new one for me. Kudos for the creativity."
Mckenzie gave him a dumbfounded look. Was he joking in the middle of a duel to the death!? Now did not seem like the time for witty remarks!
Ham uttered an enraged roar. Sam glanced over at him.
"Now that's a classic response."
Victor snarled then charged at Sam, swinging his scythe in a hideous arc at the small man's neck. Sam ducked to the side. As he did, Victor grinned, moving to follow through with a harsh swipe at Sam's flank.
Only for Sam to slip in close. A dagger slid from his sleeve then jammed into Victor's solar plexus. The bandit leader's eyes widened, as did Mckenzie's. Sam ended him without breaking a sweat.
Victor staggered back as Sam slid the dagger out of him. He looked at Sam, stunned. Sam stepped up to him, reached out, and gave his forehead a small push.
The bandit leader plummeted to his death in the fortress courtyard.
Ham shrieked, making Mckenzie whip her eyes back to the hulking giant. Shura was on Ham's back, stabbing down into his shoulders and neck with a dagger as Ham flailed, trying to toss the smaller man from him. It did not work. Shura finally embedded his dagger into the top of Ham's skull, making the behemoth sway then fall face first to the ground. Shura landed in a crouch, panting heavily.
"Why do I always get to fight the big guys?" He asked Sam.
Sam snorted. "Because I had my fill of the big ones a long time ago."
More bandits surged toward the towers and walls. Shura huffed.
"I'm about spent."
"Yeah," Sam nodded. Mckenzie whipped her eyes back and forth between them. What did they mean they were spent? Were they going to give up now!? "Good thing all we have to do is jump, right?"
Shura gave Sam a crooked smirk. "Aim for the bushes?"
"Yup, but you don't have to go first."
"Oh, that's right."
"What?" Mckenzie whimpered.
Shura hooked her waist before throwing her over the edge. She screamed as she plummeted down the walls into the swirling fog clinging to the walls. She braced for impact, waiting for her body to slam into the hard ground.
Instead, she crashed through a canvas roof before slamming into a stack of rolled-up rugs in the back of a wooden cart.
Mckenzie stared up through the hole in the canvas roof, pain flooding her body as bruises formed across her back and hips.
"My roof!"
Her blue eyes flicked to the front of the cart, where a woman wearing an outfit of brown and yellow motley seethed in the driver's seat. Her red hair was pulled back into a high ponytail as she glared at Mckenzie. For some reason, that was the most intimidating stare Mckenzie had ever seen.
The woman gritted her teeth. "Why you little-"
A yell sounded from above. Shura crashed into the cart next, slamming into a crate and shattering it beneath his weight. He lay frozen in place for a moment before letting out a long, high-pitched groan.
The red-haired woman's jaw fell open. "My stuff…"
Sam landed softly into the passenger's seat beside the woman.
"Perfect timing, Anna."
"You're paying for-"
"Add it to the tab."
"That tab is exceedingly long, Samwise Baggins!"
She snapped the reins. A horse whinnied, and the cart lurched forward. In no time at all, they were barreling full speed through the mists along a narrow, dirt trail.
Whoops and cries chased after them. Mckenzie looked out the back of the cart. The bandits were chasing after them on horseback.
"Uh… Sam," Mckenzie gulped.
"Hm?" He glanced back then sighed. "They just don't know when to quit, do they? Shura!"
"Give me a minute. I think I broke something."
"Yeah, you broke my soup jars!" Anna raged.
"So that's why I feel glass in my ass."
Sam just chuckled as he clambered along the sides of the cart, using the ribs as handholds as he crept along the edge. When he reached the back of the cart, he swung himself inside and snatched a bow and arrow nestled in the corner.
Mckenzie gulped. "You know how to use that too?"
Sam grinned. "No, but there's no better way to learn than by doing."
With that, he drew an arrow back on the string, took aim, and fired, missing wide as the riders drew closer. Sam drew another arrow, took careful aim, and fired again. Too high.
"Archers make this look a lot easier."
"You have throwing knives, Sam!" Anna shouted.
"Used them all."
"For Naga's sake!" Anna exclaimed. "You just love to make things difficult, don't you?"
"After how long we've worked together, are you really that surprised?" Sam replied. "Are we almost to the rendezvous point?"
As if to answer his question, a sharp roar sounded. A man in full plate armor burst from the brush, slamming into one of the riders and tackling him to the ground. He was followed by a woman in a white tunic and dark trousers swinging a massive ax into another rider.
Their sudden appearance, and the sharp cries of fallen horses, caused the other bandits to panic. They steered their horses around, shouting something about royal forces, before racing back the way they came, choosing to cut their losses rather than die as well.
That's when the cart finally began to slow. When it came to a stop, Mckenzie realized she was still shaking.
Vomit finally made its way up her throat. She lunged for the back of the cart and draped her body over the edge, heaving what little was in her stomach into the dirt. When she finished that, she raised her eyes, only to see two corpses being picked up by the armored man and the slender woman with the ax.
That made her heave more, only this time it was dry, and that was even worse.
A hand patted her back. "There, there." Sam breathed. "Get it all out now. Benny, Charlotte, hide the bodies then hop in the cart. We have a ways to go before I feel like they won't come after us again."
"Yes, boss," Benny remarked, stepping up into the cart, making it jostle on its axles with his weight.
"Oh, so no thank you for little me, Sam?" Charlotte huffed.
Sam smiled at her. "Thank you for killing one of the bandits and scaring the rest off, Charlotte. You are truly great at your job."
"I know sarcasm when I hear it," Charlotte grumbled as she hopped into the cart, taking a seat next to a still paralyzed Mckenzie. "It is not appreciated."
"Yeah, yeah," Sam snorted as he made his way back to the passenger seat. "Anna, let's get moving."
The reins to the cart snapped. The cart lurched forward, moving at a slower pace than before, but still at a decent clip to keep any pursuers from coming after them. The mists swirled through the forests, lightening up as a gray sunrise peaked over the dark treetops. In the distance, the fortress faded away, consumed by the fog.
And somehow, Mckenzie felt even more uncertain about what was going to happen next.
I've exchanged one set of killers for another. But, for some reason, this group likes me. Is that a good thing?
Whether it was a good thing or not, she was away from the bandits, and that was better than nothing. Still, anxiety and fear clawed at her mind. Images of the carnage sat in her mind.
Under her breath, she countered.
"One… two…"
And chapter! Well, Mckenzie has now had her very violent introduction to the world. Good thing she's got some friends to help her out now, including a familiar face for all of us. This should be very fun! As for update schedule, well, we've got a small backlog going right now, so maybe we can see this every Sunday like with Rigged? That's a tentative commitment right now though. If I get more chapters done before that point, then that'll be the plan going forward.
Anyways, let me know what you think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed it! Have a nice day!
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