Mercenary Little Death Bringer (5 page)

An uneventful night and an uneventful morning
were good signs for us as we rode towards the school. Favian was
still being silent and I could see him scanning everything ahead to
ensure our safety. I kept on high alert as well, but Favian could
see and hear miles ahead of me so there truly wasn’t much of a
point.

The trees ended and we began passing farm
land where families were already out pruning, gathering and
inspecting their crops. A small girl with a dirt smeared face waved
to us and Favian and I waved back.

“Momma did you see the girl fighter? I wish I
could be a fighter,” the girl said excitedly.

“Hush child, we mustn’t keep them. Leave them
be on their way,” the mother said as she continued picking.

Soon the town came into view and the large
wooden walls surrounding it. Favian backed up so that we were
riding side by side and kept extra close to me as we approached. We
were forced to stop at the closed gate and wait for the guard to
grant us admission to the city.

“Who goes there?” the head guard called out
from behind the walls.

“Humble students of the Academy,” I called
back.

“Is that little Marin?” he asked just before
he popped his head up and over the top of the walls. “My, you
aren’t so little anymore are you girl?”

“No gatekeeper. I have grown some since I
last came one month ago,” I teased him.

“May we be allowed entrance?” Favian
asked.

“In a hurry are we Favian?” the gatekeeper
asked with a smirk.

“We’re late and the roads have not been
safe,” he said as a hint to the gatekeeper.

“Why didn’t you say so?” the gatekeeper asked
angrily. We heard him climbing down and yelling orders to the other
guards and then the gate began to move inward slowly.

Favian nudged Fire’s side with his leg and
she trotted forward through the small opening in the gate with Ice
following close behind. I turned and glared at Favian for touching
my horse, but he just looked back at me. Why did he have to be so
infuriating sometimes? We made it inside and the guards shut the
gate quickly behind us.

“What happened on the road?” the gatekeeper
asked with the other guards around.

“I’m heading to the Academy,” I said
bitterly.

“Just wait a second,” Favian ordered. He
turned to the gatekeeper. “We were attacked by six human bandits.
One of them had a picture of Marin with a note on the back to
kidnap her alive and bring her.”

“Kidnap Marin?” the gatekeeper asked in
shock. “Who would want to do such a thing? She don’t cause no harm
anywhere.”

“Favian we need to go,” I urged him.

“You two run on. I’ll let the others know.
We’ll see if we can dig something up,” the gatekeeper said. “And
Favian, keep a close eye on her.”

“He always does,” I whispered bitterly as we
finally trotted through town towards the other side where a few
miles beyond the border of the town lie Macon Academy.

The town was busy with trading and people
milled about with their goods or with their carts to purchase
items. I could smell the delightful scent of cooking meat. I knew
we didn’t have time to stop, but I desperately wanted a bite. I
vowed to come get some on our first break.

Once through the town we were let out the
back gate where the guards had already heard of our news. We
galloped the last four miles to school and finally came to stand in
front of the massive gates of the Academy. We both knew that if we
weren’t supposed to be approaching the gates we would have been
stopped by one of the six guards placed sporadically throughout the
trees on the side of the road on our approach. We also knew that of
the six guards, two were sleeping, one was eating and two had waved
at us. The last guard had been very stealthy and I hadn’t been able
to spot him. Or he was away from his post.

“Ye be late,” the guard said as we stood
before the gates.

“Yes Master Gatekeeper, we are late, but with
good reason,” I said as we waited for him to open the doors.

“There’s ne’er a good reason to be late,” he
responded, but opened the gate and allowed us entrance. “Straight
to Macon’s chambers,” he said, “Don’t dawdle.”

Favian and I trotted our horses inside and I
exhaled in relief. I felt the worry ease off of my shoulders and
the fears evaporate now that we were safe within the school’s
grounds.

The Academy had over one hundred acres of
land, most of which was used for training scenarios in various
conditions such as cliffs, mountain passes and forests. There were
eight large buildings, Macon’s office, the healer’s quarters, the
dorm, the armory, the blacksmith, the stable, the food hall and the
covered fighting ring. There was also one very small building next
to the dorm where I lived. They had not wanted me to share sleeping
quarters with the males so I was forced to build my own dorm to
live in. It had taken me three months and in those three months I’d
slept outside on the ground until it was done. Favian had snuck out
during the night to help me build, but couldn’t assist me in the
day when he might have gotten caught.

We stopped at Macon’s office and tied our
horses to the hitching post even though Fire and Ice would stand if
we simply dropped their reins on the ground. We dismounted and
knocked twice on the door before Macon said, “Enter.”

We stepped inside and I raised my right arm
in time to block the blunt knife being stabbed towards my throat.
It was standard procedure to be tested when walking inside a
building where your eyesight temporarily disappeared due to the
change from bright lighting to dark lighting. I knew this. I’d been
tested this way hundreds of times and yet I freaked out at this
attack. I elbowed my attacker and punched him in the thigh, making
him drop to his knees. Favian was fighting beside me against an
opponent on his left and faring better than me. I heard movement
behind me, but was too slow to move to protect myself.

I braced for a hit, but Favian spun around
and used the blunt knife he’d been attacked with, and had somehow
gotten possession of, to smack the person attempting to attack me
in their face.

“Favian!” Macon yelled angrily. “What the
hell are you doing?”

Favian dropped the knife and turned to face
Macon who was sitting in his chair, behind his desk twenty feet in
front of us watching the whole ordeal. Favian looked at me and I
could tell he wanted to know if I was okay. I blinked long one
time, our silent communication for yes. “I apologize, Macon and
Timothy,” Favian said and then bowed.

“Favian and Marin, inside. The rest of you
leave us,” Macon said angrily. The other guys left and shut the
door behind them. I faced towards Macon and stood at attention
since there was nothing else I could do until Macon gave us orders.
Favian did the same beside me with a stoic face.

Macon’s building consisted of two floors, the
first was Macon’s office where he had his desk and chairs to meet
with people and a very large fireplace that I had never seen used.
The upstairs was his living quarters and none were allowed up
there.

“You’ve been good so far at keeping your
fights separate. Why did you protect her just now?” he asked
Favian.

“My nerves are on edge and my protectiveness
is on high alert. I apologize and will not do it again while we are
inside the Academy’s boundaries,” Favian said.

“What happened to upset you so much that you
lost your ability to protect yourself?” Macon asked me.

“We were attacked by six human bandits. We
easily dispatched them, but the leader had a picture of me with a
note on the back,” I said softly.

Favian handed the picture to Macon. “Turn it
over,” he said.

Macon turned the picture over and a deep
crease split the center of his forehead. “When did this
happen?”

“Yesterday around the afternoon,” Favian
answered.

“I want a full report. Every single detail
you can remember,” he said sternly to Favian. “Marin, go tend to
the horses and take your bags to your rooms. Once you’re done with
that fetch Master Sean and Master Martin and escort them to me
immediately.”

“Yes, sir,” I said and bowed before leaving
the building. I didn’t like being sent off on the errands, but I
knew better than to question Macon. I untied the horses from the
hitching post and led them to the stables where I quickly untacked
them and put our things on our specified racks. I then put the
horses inside their stalls, which were thankfully already full of
water and hay. I jogged to the dorms, waving to fellow students as
I did and then knocked on the boys’ dorm.

The door opened and Micah, one of the few who
had immediately liked me despite the fact that I was a girl, opened
the door. “Hey Marin. Where’s Favian?”

“Busy with Macon. Can you put his bag on his
bunk for me?” I asked as I tossed the bag inside the door.
“Thanks!”

“You’re welcome,” he called to me as I jogged
to my dorm and tossed my bag inside the door.

Master Sean was the weapons and hand to hand
combat master and Master Martin was the archery and tactics master.
If my guess was right, they were probably both at the outdoor
training grounds working with students. I ran around the dorms and
passed the blacksmith’s building to the large sand-filled,
rectangular training ground. At least fifty students filled the
outer area of the arena, watching two others in the center. The
students at the Academy were comprised of humans, goblins, a couple
dwarves, one elf besides Favian and the occasional sidhe, but the
sidhe kept to themselves mainly. Both Master Sean and Martin were
standing near the center, watching the students and giving them
pointers. Master Sean was built lean and muscular and Master Martin
was built short and stocky with thick arms. They were opposites of
each other and yet the best of friends.

I stepped into the ring and nodded to a few
of the students before stepping passed them so the masters would be
able to see me. The two students were battling intensely with short
swords in the center of the ring and the masters were focused on
their movements. I needed to get their attention so I called out
loudly, “Masters.”

Both men turned to me and then told the
students to stop. “Come to spar?” Master Martin asked with a wicked
smile.

“No, sirs. I have come to get you at the
request of Macon. You are to accompany me immediately,” I said in
my serious tone.

The men looked at each other and then turned
to the students. Master Sean said, “One on one training until we
return. We hear of any slackers and you’re running laps and doing
extra guard times.”

“Yes, sir!” the students said together.

I turned and the two men jogged after me
towards Macon’s office. I knocked on the door twice and then opened
it. “They are here, sir.”

“Good,” Macon said from where he was pacing
behind his desk. “Favian escort Marin to her dorm and stay with her
until I summon you both. Masters please sit in front of my
desk.”

“What’s going on?” Master Sean asked, “Why
the sudden call here?”

“Are we being attacked?” Martin Martin asked
with excitement. He was the only one I knew who would
want
to be attacked.

Favian and I made our exit and headed towards
the dorms. “I don’t need a bodyguard inside the damn grounds,” I
complained. I truly wanted to stay and hear what Macon had to
say.

“He’s just trying to take precautions and
protect his student. He’d do the same for any student,” Favian
said.

We walked the rest of the way in silence to
my dorm and then sat in the center of the floor. “I just want to
get back to training and finish up the program. I’m so close,” I
said softly.

“We’ll get there. It’s only the first day. We
have three months of torture left.”

I took my sword from its sheath and put it
underneath my bed, reaching further underneath to take out the
blunt sword we had to carry around while at the school and put it
in the sheath. I hated taking off my real sword, but I had no
choice here. “Three months isn’t that long,” I whispered.

“Are you worried about what job you will get
after?” he asked.

I shrugged. “Not really. I am up for any
job.”

“Except being a member of the human’s army,
right?”

I looked at Favian in shock. “I can’t believe
you even asked me that.”

“Well you are human, Marin. It does make
sense that you might want to join with other humans.”

Fear built up within me at his tone. “Is that
what you want? Do you want me to join the humans?” I asked him
quietly as I met his gaze.

Instantly I saw the truth in his eyes and
felt the twist of worry ease from my stomach. “No,” he said, “Of
course I don’t want you to join the humans.”

“Then we have no need to bring it up again.
The only king I serve is Cesar,” I said adamantly.

We stopped talking and sat in silence for
half an hour. I know because I counted the seconds. Favian broke
the silence and asked, “Do you want to practice some magic while we
wait?”

I wasn’t very skilled at magic, but with
Favian’s help I’d learned a few spells and incantations that were
beneficial. “Sure,” I said with a nod of my head.

He scooted closer to me and crossed his legs.
“Put your palms face up on your knees like this.” I mimicked his
sitting position and did as he asked. “Now, close your eyes and
take a deep calming breath.” I did as he said and felt myself relax
a little more. “Okay, now you remember how to find your power?” I
nodded my head. “Good. I want you to find it and pull a small bit
of it into each palm.”

This was the difficult part for me. I could
find the power, but it was hard for me to direct it. I kept my calm
and searched within myself to find the small spark that was my
magic. After finally finding it, I pictured sending bits of the
spark from my heart, down my arms and into my palms. I had to
picture it three times before I finally got it to work.