“What?” Tsukiko asked quickly, “Does he want to help those other purple haired girls?”
“Let’s say they poked a Hornet’s--” Helena started.
“His sisters,” Herro said, interrupting her and causing a scowl.
She continued, “Yeah his sisters. No, that’s not his intent though.”
As she stopped, Herro noticed that the bar was almost dead silent, with almost every eye on the royals and the three thugs.
“Hello Gentlemen,” Razor’s voice carried as he stepped between them and his sisters.
The smallest but most well-built of the guys tipped his head up and down, ending at Razor’s face, “What do you want pansy.”
Razor raised an eyebrow, “Now that’s not nice. I do have a request. As you are in IvorySun territory, please show me your tribal crests. I don’t think ANY of you are from my village, with the way you were speaking about the queen.”
“What?” The thinnest and brightest haired one replied, “That it’s a good thing that the Bitch Queen is dead and gone?”
Herro saw Razor’s lip twitch and Helena behind him softly spoke, “Razor’s Mom died in front of him.”
Herro nodded and then snapped his head back towards Helena, “Wait didn’t he tell me he remembers everything, perfectly?”
“Yup,” She said, “Everything with nothing fading with time. So for him it’s like she died in front of him earlier today.”
“That’s sad,” Tsukiko stated, slowly drinking her drink, “Makes sense why he’s pissed then.”
“Crests, Now!” Razor’s voice was sharp and commanding, “I don’t think you are IvorySun. We don’t talk about ANY of our people like that; not to mention the dead, or A Queen.”
The middle man, both in height and positioning tipped his head to the side and revealed his neck, “Happy? Not that we need to show you.”
“Yeah,” The short man said, the sneer obvious even from behind, “If the ladies want to tell us no they can, but who are you to butt in on that?”
Razor’s eyes almost glowed from within, “BlackDelta, I should have known. You guys won’t make peace and if we attack you we look like the bad guys. You raid the EbonSun and the IvorySun borderlands trying to egg us into a conflict.”
“You say it like that’s a bad thing,” Tall man said.
“Oh it is,” Razor said, his hands clenching into a fist and relaxing again, “Just because you were a bunch of mercenaries doesn’t mean all-out war between the two of the biggest kingdoms in this hemisphere would be beneficial.
“However, I will let you go, despite your insulting of our Queen. Just because she tried peace doesn’t make her weak, it makes her a better person than you’ll ever be.”
Summer spoke from behind him, “I’d take him up on it and leave.”
Tall man let out a chuckle, “Really? So what is this long haired fruit going to make us? He just said we’re mercenaries.”
Still speaking softly behind Herro Helena breathed deep, “This isn’t going to end well.”
Both turning towards the bartender behind them as she put bottles from the bar top down below the bar. The sound of bone cracking caused the pair of Magia to spin around and the tall man lay on a collapsed table, the observers nearby backing up and away from the obvious fight to come.
Razor stood, fist out and glaring at the other two before he spoke, “Take your friend and leave, last chance.”
“Get him,” The short man said before the two men drew knives and slashed at Razor. Razor stepped into the short man’s reach and threw his elbow into him, and used his back hand to hit the wrist of the middle man.
Razor spun and leg swept Middle down to the ground and quickly stomped on the man’s solar plexus before getting hit by Short who’d picked up the chair he tripped over as he staggered back. Razor rolled forward, across Middle, who was still gasping for breath, and raised his hand sending claws of energy rending through the chair. He felt a tug as someone behind him, Tall?, pulled his hair back.
Grinning he said, “Every Rose has its Thorns.”
As soon as the words left his mouth Tall screamed and dropped Razor’s braid which had short spines running up and down the length.
Razor leapt from his crouch and his fist hit the bottom of Small’s chin as he headed upward, “Shoryuken.”
Small flew back and into a partition near the door and crumpled. Tall growled and threw a pair of throwing knives at Razor. Razor ducked and both flew past. Tall slashed with an offhand dagger and drew a line of blood from Razor’s arm before he could evade.
A gunshot sounded from the ground, as Middle fired at Razor. Razor grabbed Tall’s shirt and kneed him in the face, as the bullet went wide, causing a light overhead to spark and flicker. Tall sprawled backward, his nose broken, and landed on top of Middle. The buttons on his shirt tore and his chest showed through, a huge purple bruise over the right side of his ribs already showing from Razor’s first hit.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Standing with a wobble Tall looked at Razor and slid his shirt off as Middle stood beside him. Razor glanced behind him and saw Small standing, his eyes a tad glazed, “Are you three done yet? I think we’ve done enough damage to the club and you all seem worn out.”
Middle pointed his gun and fired, the bullet slamming into a wall of vines that had burst through the floor. The vines curled and folded down as Razor stood his eyes glowing green and the claws outlining both his hands, “Enough! Leave!”
Small scowled, “Fine. Maybe you’re not as weak as you look but this won’t be the last time you hear from us.”
“Got any other Cliché’s? A white cat you can pet as you tell me your evil plan? Sharks with lasers on their heads?”
“Come on,” Small said to his companions as he headed for the door, “Just remember, the rest is on you.”
Razor waved to him, “Yeah, I’ll deal.”
A trio of court guard broke from their positions and followed the guys outside as Razor turned away and back towards his sisters, the glow slowly draining from his eyes, “Sorry if you guys actually wanted something from them.”
Autumn replied as he stooped to pick up the discarded shirt and used it to wipe the blood from his hands, “No problem. I think we were both gonna tell them to piss off, but you saved us the trouble.”
“Saved himself from having a bit more money too apparently,” Summer grinned at him as she looked around, surveying the damage.
Razor sighed and followed her lead, “Yeah. I’ll deal with that, but right now I need to get some air.”
He spun and walked back over to the bar, the silence that had held the bar for the last few minutes broken and sound rising again. Standing at the bar, he reached into the hyperweave pouch at his waist and pulled out a money clip.
“Sorry for any damages Helena,” Razor said as he slipped a few bills from it and put them on the counter, “Use this to cover mine and my friends tabs. You know accounting at the palace, get a hold of them and they’ll cover any repairs or upgrades you want.”
Helena took the bills and nodded, “No problem Highness. Maybe I’ll get a water wall installed to replace the normal one you damaged.”
“Sounds like a sound investment,” He grinned a bit before turning to Tsukiko he smiled, “Sorry my dear I need to go for a bit.”
Razor grabbed her hand and laid a small kiss on the back of it, before glancing at Herro, “See you around too girlie.”
He took his proffered coat and walked out the door into the night.
“Come on, let’s follow him,” Tsukiko said behind Herro as he watched Razor walk outside.
“What?” Herro spun and faced his sister, following her with his head as she stood up, “Why? He obviously wants to be left alone.”
She glared at him and walked towards the door. Sighing and standing he muttered to himself, “I guess we should follow him and make sure he’s Okay. Great Idea, Why didn’t I think of it myself.”
Outside, he saw the last of Razor’s long braid disappear into what appeared to be a gym. He glanced at the sign that read Bodycraft Gym and Fitness Center. He sighs and follows his sister as she walks across and towards the building. A few cars started down the street before he could make it across. Sighing he looked around and could see that Razor was right as he happened to see a few people that he had seen the first time he went in, but farther Back in line.
Darting across the street at a decent break in the traffic, he walked to the gym and opened the door. Slipping inside he almost ran into the back of his sister. Peeking around her he noticed what caught her gaze.
Across the room, in an circular clearing surrounded by heavy bags, was Razor. He had his dress shirt off and his chest completely bare as he darted between bags and forms. He was already sweating as the bags took his brutal assault. He let out grunts and huffs while attacking, occasionally interjecting a name or an attack type.
“Wow,” Tsukiko said, biting her lower lip, “He’s hot.”
Herro glanced at her, “Uhh, yeah. I wouldn't know really. I don't see guys like that. Though if you were looking yes, but still, he’s a weird one.”
“Ya mean he turns into a girl like you do?”
“Yeah,” Herro said, “but it’s not even that. He doesn’t care which form he is and will hit on everything that moves. You can do better than that.”
Tsukiko looked sidelong at him, “I can do better than the prince of the kingdom? Dream on suga’.”
“I meant as a man, not as a position.” Herro said.
She snorts, grinning as she watches the muscles in Razor’s back play under his skin as he punches the bags, “I think I could do worse with that too, brother-dear.”
A few minutes passed in silence as Herro tried to think of a way to break the silence. He watched as with a final few kicks onto a bag Razor landed in a ready stance as he calmed his breathing to a relaxed rhythm. Tsukiko grabbed his thrown shirt and walked over as he opened his eyes. His face split into a grin as he saw her, and glanced down at his bared chest, “I feel much better, but I fear I am in not in a state to receive company madam.”
“Oh I disagree,” She said handing him his shirt, “I would say you’re in a fine state to receive a madam.”
Herro coughs and spins around to the door, “I don’t wanna see my sister make out with some guy, so I’m going outside.”
“Ciao girlie,” Razor said, glancing over Tsukiko’s shoulder as he uses the button down shirt to towel off the sweat from his body.
Shaking his head at the pair inside, Herro walked out and looked around. It was almost dead now. The line was still there and the club still seemed to be open, but even in the few minutes he was in there the traffic died, the streetlights seeming to flicker and cast longer shadows, and even a barebones skeleton of a line at the door for the club.
He sighs and glances towards the door and stopped in his tracks. He saw the underdressed security coming out followed by the two purple haired amazon princesses. Glancing down the street for any traffic, which was still as dead as when he’d come out, he darted across the street towards the long haired one.
I should at least ask her on a date. No shame in getting turned down by a princess now is there? He thought as he crossed the street. Watching her the quick walk that had taken him to the gym seemed to take forever and a day to get back.
Getting to the edge of the sidewalk he edges closer to the long haired one, Summer if he remembered correctly, and started to speak, “Good evening.”
They both stopped and the shorter haired one, Autumn?, looked him up and down, “Yeah, no.”
Summer stopped and smiled at him, “I agree. You’re a little cute I suppose but you look a little scrawny for my tastes.”
They continued forward as Herro stood dejected and alone on the sidewalk. He stood still and watched as they got into the SUV and drove off. Shrugging he shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking.
“No dice Herro?” He heard a voice behind him. He spun and saw Razor standing beside his sister.
He sighed, “I didn’t really expect there to be honestly.”
“Well,” Razor shrugs, “Want to go back in and we can get you someone else?”
“No. I’m just going to go for a walk,” Herro said and started walking down the sidewalk.
Razor called after him, “Don’t forget we have to go mess with that magical barrier at midnight.”
“Yeah yeah,” Herro rolled his eyes and kept walking.