Emily's stolen blade clanged against the stonework, sending tiny sparks out and briefly illuminating the dark corners of the alley.

Ron had managed to dodge out of the overhead swing at the last second. Forcing Emily to draw back for another hack in his direction. Only this time Ron pulled out a compact dagger and deflected the swing to the side. He managed to get his legs underneath himself, a grin spreading over his face.

“You’re bloody awful at this darling”

He taunted as he struggled to get his breathing under control. Blood was quickly seeping into his underclothes, but it wasn’t fast enough

Emily didn’t answer, a grim expression masking her face. Drawing back again she swung the blade wide, but he was ready for it now and set his stance.

The moment their blades connected there was a sudden vibration that shook to the hilt in Emily’s hand, causing it to go clattering against a nearby wall.

Seeing her advantage was lost, Emily jumped back and drew her own weapon. Things would have been difficult if Ron had pressed her right there, but he was too busy scrambling after his sword.

“Fetu, you good for nothing, help me!” Ron cried.

Fetu had not moved from his spot since all this had begun, but he started awake now. Rushing towards Emily, he swung a thin rapier-like blade. It was fast and Emily managed to block the first one, only for the second to graze her leg.

She tried to fend him off with a wide sting but he dove under it and sent a fist towards her stomach.

It connected but only just, however, that was enough to stagger her. She’d have a bruise later if she survived this.

By this point, Ron had grabbed his blade and was making his way over, all while clutching his blood-soaked neck.

“After we’re done with you I'm going to gut you, little girl. I might even have to use a tonic on this. Do you have any idea how much whining I’m going to have to endure because of you?”

Ron was still stalking forward but Emily wasn’t backing away either.

She dove under Fetu’s half-hearted swipe and swung her blade underarm at Ron.

The man was ready this time, the panic gone from his face. He moved to block and just when their blades collided, Emily felt that same vibration moving up from Ron’s blade and into hers.

She managed to hold onto the hilt just long enough to sidestep the guy’s guard and press herself into his chest.

Ron stagged for just a moment, his one arm pinned to his neck.

“Thank you for playing, Ron.”

Emily’s words came out almost lovingly as her hand snaked up and pressed against his bloodied chest.

Ron still looked at her confused as his own lifeblood pulled itself from the surrounding material and surface of his skin, only for it to collect around his neck like a collar and sheer through tendons, arteries, and bone with the force of a guillotine.

The alleyway became silent, save for the sound of Ron gurgling on his own blood. He tried to speak but his brain was incapable of sending the signals there anymore.

Emily had her back to Fetu so she’d blocked most of the grizzly sight, but all at once Ron’s legs buckled out from under him, his body falling lifeless to the ground. Emily moved to catch his head as it separated from the neck.

Turning around Emily smiled happily at Fetu.

“Right now how are we going to settle this between us? I’m gonna be honest, I’m not a fan of you, but you didn’t cause me nearly as much trouble, so I’m on the fence about you…”

Fetu’s eyes were saucers, unable to look away from his friend’s face which was locked in a look of permanent confusion.

Emily took a step back planting her foot in the puddle of blood.

“What’s gonna be Fet? You gonna come at me?”

Fetu’s eyes darted from her to Ron’s and he made a break for it deeper into the alleyway.

Emily's chest was killing her, but she still had some strength left, may as well get rid of loose ends while she had the chance.

She called down to the blood beneath her and began to form a scythe aimed at his back.

What she didn’t expect was for a door on the side of the building to suddenly burst open in the direction Fetu had been escaping.

The light from inside illuminated the alley, revealing a shadowy silhouette tearing out of the threshold. Emily had enough time to pull the blood from the scythe towards herself before a fist with the concussive force of a runaway train slammed into her sternum.

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Emily was swept off her feet and sent sailing into the opposite wall, the sound of bones crunching against stone.

The force was titanic and Emily’s world spun as her mind tried to cut through the pain her body threw at her.

She needed to be ready for the next hit but her lungs refused to draw in breath.

Trying to open one eye she saw the form of a lanky man standing over Ron’s corpse. Emily absent-minded wondered where the head had gone as she’d lost it when she’d been intimately acquainted with the wall.

The whole scene was quiet as the man stalked forward, the light near the door moved as more figures began to filter out in the alley.

That same hair-rasing threat hung on the air causing Emily to focus on the man in front of her.

Even though her state was horrendous she recognized the tall, unnatural figure. She’d last seen him talking to the illusionist when they’d extracted their price from that lot.

The leader of the wandering fangs stood in the alleyway, his full attention on Emily. If she wasn’t already struggling to breathe, she might have held her breath.

Things had come full circle as she was tragically low on lifeforce, so much so, that she was hesitating to heal her wounds. She had enough left in the tank for one last brawl but this was not an enemy she wanted to engage if she could help it.

The leader walked forward without making a sound, his every movement taunt with bunched muscle.

“As disappointed as I am to say this, I can’t let you kill another of my men.”

Emily struggled to eke out a grin.

“Nah… No hard feelings. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The leader's eyes narrowed at her, a light of recognition flickering across his face.

Emily snorted up a glob of bloodied phlegm and spat it to the side.

“Really boss man. I’m not here for some big revenge arc. As far as I’m concerned we're good, Ron just had it coming.”

The leader's eyes furrowed as more people began to arrive behind him. The first was another man she was familiar with, one of the sub-leaders who had found her in that nest on her first day.

“I recognize this one cap. She was part of the last job, she didn’t have any titles at the time. I had Ron take care of her, but that must come back to bite him.”

Even in the dark alley, she could make out their drawn weapons. More people were flooding the alley now.

Then the worst possible person walked out of the door.

“Emily?” Alex frowned as he stepped in closer.

The leader turned back to look at Alex.

“Ah so friend of yours, that makes more sense.”

Emily shot Alex a glare. She was so obviously in trouble, why call out to her and get himself implicated?

Alex though didn’t seem too worried.

“She’s part of our deal.”

The leader nodded.

“The one you mentioned, yes. But we have a much larger issue to deal with now, and that comes before business. Miss, would you be so kind as to step inside? Or should I have my men carry you in?”

His words shifted to genial but left little room for argument.

A glance at the opening of the alleyway saw that there were people already blocking the exit. Not that she’d be able to outrun this guy, his speed was terrifying, almost four to five times what Alex’s had been when he was using that skill.

Emily had just about gotten her breath under control and stood, wobbling a tad as she did so.

She walked forward in the direction of the door, something grating inside her chest. The leader could act at any moment, and Emily kept an eye fixed on him, but as she moved into the light his brows rose.

“Oh my, seems I was too heavy-handed. Gerade, fetch Selia”

The man Emily now recognized as Gerade turned and headed back into the building.

Emily’s eyes fell on Alex with a questioning glare, which he returned in kind.

Continuing passed all of them Emily felt the lead never far from her causing goosebumps to spread out over her arms.

Stepping past Fetu she simply sent him a half smile. Which caused him to turn a couple of shades paler.

When she got to the threshold of the building Alex stepped up beside her and they crossed the threshold together.

The room itself was warm and decorated in all manner of wood and hide. The collections of pelts and animal heads stuck up on the walls acted as morbid trophies and insulation. Their colors and textures ranged from every type of animal imaginable, and many that Emily couldn’t begin to place.

Tables were scattered throughout the room, all surrounding an even larger bulletin board than the one outside. This board was mounted against a wall that stretched up to the second story, where a balcony wrapped around the upper level. People dressed in mismatched armor leaned over the railing. Mugs of pungent-smelling brews filled the air with their aroma, mingling with waves of laughter and quiet conversation.

Several women moved through the place with trays stacked with clay mugs, distributing them as they went.

Emily took all this in before Alex placed a hand on her shoulder and gilded her in. Emily shook him off with a frown but followed him toward a section in the corner.

Emily glanced backward and saw the leader stepping in ahead of anyone else as he shut the side door.

Now that the light was better, she could see that same unnatural grace in each of his moments. He was almost mesmerizing to watch, paired with his strange beauty made him a treat to behold. If her life wasn’t in his hands she might have tried to get closer to him, hell she still might.

Alex moved towards a table that must have had more people a few moments ago, but now he sat down at one end with his back to the wall.

The leader sat in the opposite chair and Emily lowered herself into a chair between them. Her right lung ignited causing a coughing fit, she tried to breathe through it, but it wasn’t helping.

Focusing on the two of them, Emily saw the leader adjust several delicate rings on his fingers as he leaned back in the chair. At this point, Gerade returned with two others by his side but Emily refused to take her eyes off the tall man.

“First order of business, you killed one of my own, how are you going to compensate me?”

Emily hadn’t thought that far ahead, but luckily Alex answered for her.

“Let's not play around… he was a hindrance to you, and his spot is now open. That means you’re down a man.”

The leader sighed a dangerous light entering his eyes.

“Back to business, I see. Well, we’re talking compensation now. Everything before that means fuck-all to me.”

Alex snorted.

I’ve made my offer, I haven’t got anything more to give you.

The man nodded.

“Yes, I’m aware but what about her? My men tell me she doesn’t have a title, is that true? If she took down one of my men, even that weakling, I’d be mighty impressed.”

Alex looked at Emily now, as though trying to tell her something.

The leader looked at Emily now, expecting an answer. There was movement out of the corner of her eyes, but Emily was loath to look away from the man.

Deciding things couldn’t get much worse she chose not to lie.

“Save for my passives I slotted today. No, I was going to slot one tonight.”

“She’s lying cap.”

Both Emily and Alex's eyes widened as they looked over to the source of the voice.

Craning her neck painfully Emily saw two familiar faces next to Gerade. The first stood in front as though protecting the other.

Emily recognized her captive from the time in her little wooden cubical. Her large Amazonian figure stood out in the room filled with fighters. And shrunken behind her, whispering into her ear was Ashe. Her form was ill-fitting in their current environment, still wearing the clothes she’d escaped in.