Vetica

She stared at the forest path through a gap in the leafy branches. Any moment now, they would arrive.

“They always take this path?” Axel asked her. He crouched on a branch on the other side of the tree trunk. The two of them were high above the forest floor. The patrols that the soldiers of Sange did nightly were an opportunity to diminish their numbers.

Vetica was never the type to let opportunity pass by. “Yes. Though the patrols have been getting later and later. I suspect they are being more cautious. They know something is out here hunting them.”

Axel chuckled. “More than one something, now.”

On the far side of the forest road, she could just barely make out Roan hiding behind some bushes. She shook her head. That man had really thought he could take her as a hostage. She still hadn’t written off killing him for the insult.

At least the others were okay.

Samantha and Geron were positioned behind trees further down the path. Once the ambush started, they would join the fighting as well.

They’d left Tirille with Sophia’s mom and Marvin. Vetica left Merlin’s wagon hidden in the woods, taking great care to obscure it so no one would find it. This partnership with the guild was temporary. She thought it best to keep the rest of their supplies hidden.

Vetica played with the knife in her hand. The others wouldn’t have the opportunity to do much. She’d been hunting soldiers for several nights, all without help. This was overkill. Even for adventurers.

“I think I see someone coming down the path. Won’t be long now. You ready?” Axel asked her.

“Tsk.”

“Right…” Axel said. She heard him quietly flicking his katana out of its sheath and back in again with his thumb. A habit she’d noticed shortly after meeting them.

They’d been wary of Vetica at first. She remembered the encounter vividly.

“How do you know Geron’s name?” Axel asked, drawing his katana. The question had come mere moments after she’d entered their camp with her dagger at Roan’s throat.

“It’s my job to know,” she said.

The red-haired man squinted at her. “Not an adventurer. An assassin, perhaps?”

Vetica smirked. “I was in Sirra following a target. When I learned adventurers were in town, I did my research.” In truth, she’d only learned about them from Charlie. But she kept that information to herself.

“So, why are you here now? You didn’t follow us; we would’ve noticed you. So why is an assassin out here, alone in the forest of Sange? More business?” Axel asked.

That was cute. He thought they would notice if she was following them.

Cute, but very stupid.

“Yes, business. But not my usual kind. I’m going to infiltrate Sange. But only after my…acquaintance signals me.”

Geron perked up at this. “You have a way inside already?”

She nodded, and though it was a foolish thing to do, she took her knife from Roan’s throat and pushed him away from her. If they attacked, she would respond accordingly. But based on Geron’s reaction, she didn’t need a hostage. She had something far more valuable.

She had information. That alone was enough to dissuade them from attacking her. “I do. Why? You have business in Sange as well?” she asked, turning her attention towards him.

Geron sighed. His head nodded in agreement. “Yes. The snatchers took one of ours.”

This surprised her, but she didn’t let it show on her face. “A member of your guild, then?”

“No. A baby boy named Charlie. Snatchers took him in the middle of the night, right out of our camp,” Geron told her. There was something in his voice. Shame? No…something else. A sadness.

Roan scratched the back of his head. Tirille looked down at the fire. Neither of them could make eye contact with Geron. They must feel responsible for some reason. Charlie had told her he’d crossed paths with adventurers, but not how he’d separated from them. This was getting interesting.

She lifted a brow, feigning ignorance. It wouldn’t be in her best interest to let them know she knew the boy in question. Or that she had left Sirra with him. “Your son?”

Geron shook his head. “No, he’s not my son. But I did take responsibility for him. And I’m going to take him back. Even if I have to take on every soldier in that corrupt city myself.”

“Relax, Geron. If we were going to let you fight everyone on your own, we wouldn’t have wasted our time following you here,” Roan said. That guilt sure had rubbed off quick.

Vetica studied the large, muscular man. Geron wanted to take Charlie with him. That definitely wouldn’t work for her. She’d already claimed Charlie as a traveling companion herself. Besides, from what she’d heard about Sirra, they’d already proven once they couldn’t protect him.

But she found herself forced to admit that, for now, the adventurers might be useful. They were strong. Killing them all would be difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. She also acknowledged that getting Charlie and Merlin out of Sange on her own would be challenging. She’d take all the allies she could get to help with the escape effort.

“I see. Well, I can help you all get into the city. But only on the condition that you agree to wait until my ally signals us.”

The adventures exchange a look. They wouldn’t be happy about waiting around for a signal that might never come, but that was their problem. Either they agreed, or they found their own way in.

Admittedly, she originally had her own reservations as well. If Merlin was captured or restrained, she feared she might end up waiting on the outskirts of Sange forever. But Merlin assured her he would be able to signal her as long as he was alive. If it looked like the soldiers were going to kill him, he would signal her so she could come and rescue Charlie. He may be an incompetent spell caster, but Charlie had vouched for him and that was enough for her.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“I don’t like it. There’s no telling what those people are doing to the children in Sange. I won’t leave Charlie in there any longer than I have to,” Geron said, crossing his arms.

“We should be smart about this, Geron,” Axel said, turning to face him. “It’s a better plan than storming the front gates. This will lower the chances of civilian casualties. Plus, our chances of getting Charlie and escaping will be much higher if we can sneak in quietly.”

Geron stared into the pitch-black tree line on the edge of the camp. Where the campfire’s light couldn’t penetrate the darkness. He looked in the direction of Sange. Finally, he relented. “Alright. But I won’t wait too long. Charlie’s in there somewhere, and I’m going to save him.”

That was something Vetica and he were in agreement on. They would save him.

Three days had passed since then. Everyone was getting restless. Vetica included. At least slaughtering soldiers would make her feel better. It was the first night she’d allowed them to join her on her nightly patrol hunt.

Axel whispered over to her. “They’re here.”

She turned and peered past the tree and saw them walking toward them from further down the road. The patrol seemed larger than usual. She squinted.

Walking at their head, was a tall, muscular, blonde woman. She had thick armor and there was an intense aura about her. This wasn’t quite what Vetica had grown used to. This was no common soldier.

She had the swagger of a warrior. A leader. Someone who had taken many lives on the battlefield.

It was too familiar.

Vetica had killed plenty of people like her. They were always the most fun to break.

Axel slid several inches of his katana out of its sheath without fully drawing it. He was ready to strike.

“Wait, those aren’t normal soldiers. Be on your guard,” she warned him. The last thing she needed was to get them killed here.

The woman led the patrol until they reached the road directly below Vetica and Axel. There were around fifteen of them. Five more than usual. Roan ducked behind a tree, his knife in hand. He’d wait for Vetica and Axel to make the first move.

Vetica inhaled a breath and cleared her mind. This next part was instinct for her. She didn’t need to think.

“Are you cowards going to hide in the forests all night? Or are you going to come and play?” the tall woman called out.

One of her men looked around the woods. “Lieutenant Philomena? You sense something?” he asked.

She ignored him, drawing the enormous sword on her back. “Well?” she called out.

Vetica snarled. Axel held out a hand to stop her. “Wait,” he whispered. But it was too late.

Vetica pushed herself off the tree branch and into the air. She aimed directly at the center of the patrolling soldiers. Just behind the tall woman.

Her knife flashed, a quick series of precise movements. Before her feet touched the ground, three of the soldiers were dead. She didn’t waste any time. Before the other guards could react, she surged forward, ready to drive her blade into Philomena’s back.

Philomena spun and blocked Vetica’s strike with her own weapon. The two of them pressed their blades together. Their eyes piercing each other just as much as their blades would, given the chance. With Vetica's back exposed, the soldiers of Sange hurried to strike. But Axel landed on the ground with katana in hand. Several quick swings of his blade addressed the threats. Two heads went rolling along the dirt path and landed somewhere in the grass. The other soldiers focused on the new assailant. Vetica could hear metal striking metal behind her. Axel was competent enough to handle them.

She focused on Philomena.

Samantha's lightning cracked through the air, surging right toward Philomena’s back. Philomena sensed it and jumped to the side. The lightning followed, but Philomena’s blade took on a blue hue and then cut through the magic itself. The lightning dispersed.

But her positioning left her just in front of Roan’s hiding place. He rushed to attack her.

She heard him and spun around. She grabbed him as he approached and flipped him over her shoulder.

He landed hard on the dirt pathway.

“Agh!” Roan groaned. “Great, I’m zero for two sneaking up on dangerous blonde women.”

Philomena lifted her blade to stab Roan, but he rolled away, looking like an idiot. Vetica shook her head and rushed the taller woman again.

Then the fighting began in earnest.

Philomena was a tough opponent, but Vetica was relentless. She moved quickly, trying to overwhelm the taller woman with speed. But every time she swung; her opponent matched her. The other soldiers under her command were fighting the adventurers now. Now that they had lost the element of surprise, the soldiers of Sange were holding their own.

So, Philomena wasn’t the only one among them more skilled than usual.

There! Vetica saw the opening. She ducked to the side, dodging an attack that would’ve cut her clean in half, and shoved her knife forward to strike her opponent through the face.

Then Charlie’s words came to her. She pulled her attack back and rolled to the side, creating some distance between herself and her opponent.

She hadn’t expected to hear from Charlie. Was he nearby?

She listened the rest of his message. He sounded…sad. What did he mean by trying to talk to them one last time? She shook her head. No…

“Axel! The children are in danger! We need to get to the city! Now!”

Axel cut down his opponent. He turned back to look at her. “What? How do you know?”

Philomena seemed surprised, too. That wasn’t lost on Vetica. Whatever was going on was news to her, too. But how was it possible a lieutenant of Sange didn’t know what was going on within its walls?

A bright light shot up into the sky. As one, friend and foe alike turned to look as the night sky lit up.

A massive hazel hex of healing formed in the sky above Sange. Vetica shook her head.

It was the signal. Merlin was calling for her.

“Axel!” she yelled again. “The children are inside a dungeon. It must be somewhere in the city. Go and help. I won’t be far behind.”

She’d shown Axel the way into the city the night after they’d formed their alliance. He gave his word he wouldn’t act on the information without her permission. He understood something bigger was at play here. But now, she needed to ensure Charlie had help as soon as possible. Even if it led to a confrontation with the guild members later, for now, she needed to send them into the city.

Axel hesitated, realizing Vetica was cut off from them. But she nodded her encouragement.

He shook his head. “Let’s go! Abandon this fight!” Axel ordered. The others backed away and hurried into the woods toward Sange. The soldiers gave chase, but Samantha sent a flurry of electric attacks into the air to delay the men from following them.

Philomena turned toward Vetica, holding her blade out to stop her from following them. But Vetica had little time to waste on a woman like her. Fighting on Philomena’s terms was just a game, but Merlin had signaled her.

Playtime was over.

Vetica would do things her way now. Instead of moving forward, she stepped back, blending into the shadows of the forest.

After all, she was an assassin. The shadows were her home. Something told her sparing Philomena would be a mistake. This woman was powerful. She was a part of Sange’s chain of command.

Vetica would go to Charlie’s aid.

But for now, she would remove a threat.

She looked up at the hex as it faded into the night sky. “I’ll be there soon,” she whispered as Philomena followed her into the darkness.

In Sange, the rebellion had begun. In the dungeon...