“That was almost difficult,” Amethyst sarcastically said, “How many of them this time?”
Mira pinned the corpse to the ground with her foot. She pulled a sword from its stomach with a sickening squelch as the orcs behind her sheathed their weapons.
Deep in the bowels of Hangral, they annihilated a small group of assassins that buzzed around her like flies. It took weeks of stalking her prey to find this place.
“There are always rats in the sewers,” Her solemn voice echoed in the dark room.
“Still, I could do without the smell,” Bobabano coughed.
The three of them stood in a dank room of corpses. Amethyst stared at her liege’s empty, unmoving expression.
“What is the matter?” The older woman asked.
“I promised Tella that I would not kill unless it was necessary,” She clutched her hands into a fist, “I feel I broke that promise.”
“We would have killed them either way,” She tried to reassure her.
Her eyes focused on a single point on the wall. It was the reason that the battle ended quickly. She could not stop the rampage. By the time she could, Amethyst and Bo slaughtered the ones that made it to the exit behind her.
“Breathe,” Encante whispered in her mind, “The tantrum has ended.”
She took a deep breath as she fought against her rage again.
“Sixteen,” Bo counted, “How will we get rid of the bodies?”
“There are plenty of way,” Amethyst shrugged, “We could just leave them.”
Bo looked over her shoulder to the small woman shaking in what looked like fear. Her white eyes trembled as she kept herself calm. It wasn’t often that he felt the menacing aura radiate from her. Usually what followed was chaos. Without any enemies around, he worried what she would do.
“Mira…” Bo’s voice shook, “Are you okay?”
“No.”
“You’re better than this,” He stepped towards her, “You know that, right? This isn’t who you are.”
Her head snapped towards him at an inhuman speed. Her pupils slit as they focused on him. She saw his fear and shook her head
“You thought I was evil at one time,” She laughed airlessly, “I do not let anyone touch what is mine. Perhaps that makes me evil.”
Instead of a fist or limb, flames engulfed her entire body and left a dark shadow at the center. Black mist lashed out to quell the violent reaction. The radiating heat charred the surrounding corpses. The stones beneath her melted as she stepped forward. She narrowed in on the focus of her fury.
Three pieces of paper were pinned to the wall. The makeshift wanted posters showed drawings of Mira, Bobabano, and Jonen. The astronomical amount of money underneath clued her to who wanted them dead.
“Isaan,” She growled, “Who is funding you?”
The inhumane voice of the wraith echoed in her growl. She launched a massive fireball at the wall with enough force to shatter the bricks on the other side. Sewer water exploded into the room and extinguished the melting corpses. She looked over her shoulder at the shocked orcs behind her. The sewage threw them off their feet as her fire burned away anything around her.
Amethyst clutched the wall but dared not to open her mouth to shout. Bobabano lost his grip as the water hit him at hip level. His quick shout snapped her attention back to reality. Her fire dimmed and she flew after him. Her left hand grabbed onto Amethyst’s arm to pull her along as well. Eventually she found his hand and latched onto him as well. The current broke through another wall as they tumbled into further darkness.
By the time the water currents stopped, they floated in a canal. Bo popped his head above the water with a gaunt expression.
“Are you alright?” Mira whispered sheepishly as she held a small flame in her hand.
“I got some in my mouth,” He spat, “You?”
“We’re going to be lost,” Amethyst groaned and crawled out of the canal and onto a walk space, “Let’s start searching.”
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
She helped the other two out of the sewage. Mira held up a hand to stop the orcs. She squatted with a hand on the ground for a moment. With closed eyes, Encante pulsed out to her surroundings. She launched the ball of flame against a far wall to ignite the torch on it.
“This way.”
Instead of asking or answering any questions, the three walked in silence. Mira lazily tossed a flame when another torch came into sight. Eventually she saw a rusty ladder leading to an exit above them. Amethyst tried to butt in front of her liege, but Mira gripped the ladder and swung herself up. She punched the manhole cover up to reveal the rancid city street in the redlight district. After they crawled out of the sewers, Bo sniffed himself.
“Is there anywhere we can wash?” Amethyst flicked the excess filth off her arms.
“Follow.”
Mira gave the nearly silent command, but they followed, nonetheless. Given the wraith’s reputation, her face was well known in the scummy side of the city. She recognized many fake Wilted Rose tattoos that became the symbol of a devoted member of her order. Those that recognized her bowed their heads immediately.
“Where are we?” Bobabano asked after she turned a hard left into an alleyway.
“Mostly prostitutes work on this street.”
“How do you know that?” Amethyst narrowed her eyes at the woman.
“I have been here before,” She shrugged.
He clenched his fists as he thought of her being forced to work in these situations, “Did that bastard make you—”
“Nothing like that,” She interrupted him, “The ladies of the night take care of runaways and orphans more than anyone else.”
They followed her to a small, rundown shack at the end of the street. The light of the red lamp in front of it flickered ominously. Mira walked up to the door and knocked four times. The orcs waited behind her.
“Who is it?” Someone asked on the other side of the door.
“I’ve come to see Mama.”
“She’s not in,” The voice angrily huffed.
Mira smiled softly, “Not even for one of the children?”
“Mama doesn’t have children anymore!”
“Don’t say that,” She placed a hand on the door, “This one’s come home.”
The odd exchange confused the pair of orcs behind her. Mira’s voice sounded soft and sweet, as if she was trying to console the person on the other side of the door. The woman on the other side of the door stomped off.
“What is going on?” Amethyst grunted.
“She’s going to go get the madam.”
Bo furrowed his brow, “I’m confused as to why you know about a whorehouse.”
“Don’t call it that,” Her voice darkened.
The person on the other side of the door knocked four times. Mira echoed the knock.
“What did Mama name you?”
“Sunshine,” Mira smiled.
The door flung open. A blonde, scantily clad dwarf with curlers in her beard almost ripped it from its hinges. She saw the state of the three and held a hand up to stop them.
“Absolutely not,” She scoffed, “You leave for years and don’t come to speak to me. What makes you think that—”
“I have come home to take the favor,” Mira said in a plain voice.
“Shit,” The dwarf threw her hands up, “Come in, then. Take your shoes off. Leave them and your weapons at the door.”
She looked over her shoulder and motioned the orcs to follow her. Bobabano and Amethyst stepped into the shack. Thick smoke filled the air to a near unbreathable level of erotic incenses. Bo’s eyebrows shot upwards at the number of naked women around him. Amethyst coughed and threw a hand in front of his eyes.
“Ladies, keep your hands to yourself!” The blonde dwarf barked, “I’ll be in my office.”
The three followed her up the stairs and into a small corridor. The orcs ducked to fit in doorframe of the woman’s office. There was a desk with a proper chair as the only professional furniture in the room. A thick mattress, large cushions, and blankets filled the rest of the room.
“Don’t sit on anything. You’re filthy,” She said as she plopped into her chair, “What do you want? Why come after all these years?”
“We need to bathe,” Mira said.
The dwarf narrowed her eyes. She scratched around the curlers in her beard as she examined the three of them.
“Why here?”
“It was nearby.”
“Bullshit,” She scowled.
There was a tense moment before Amethyst stepped forward. Mira held up a hand to stop her.
She grinned, “You’re right.”
“What do you actually want? Why did you come here for Mama? To rub it in?”
“We need a bath and new clothes. You were convenient,” Mira shrugged.
“You invoked her name for convenience?” The dwarf hissed.
“YIt was the easiest way to get you to the door, Jolie,” She said flatly, “I’m assuming you’ve heard of my group. Most other shacks lent a woman or two to my people. This one hasn’t.”
“I want to protect my girls,” She sneered, “I won’t send them to you to let them die.”
“They would not—” Bo interjected.
“Not now,” Mira interrupted him, “Jolie, you know me better than that. Have I ever used your people?”
The dwarf huffed.
“I got rid of the knuckleheads you hated, didn’t I?” She smiled pleasantly, “I even told my associates not to collect rent from you, in honor of Mama.”
The dwarf’s face turned red, but she didn’t object. Mira walked towards the desk and placed her hands on it. She lowered herself to the dwarf’s eye level.
“I didn’t want her to die either, Jolie,” She whispered, “The money she got from my master bought this house and paid for your women to eat for three years. There is probably still money in that safe, isn’t there?”
“How do you know about the safe?” She blinked.
“Mama knew. That’s why she gave me a name,” Mira said, “Now, give us a room to bathe and some clothes. We’ll be on our way after.”
The dwarf closed her eyes and looked away. They smelled horrendous. She knew the stench would take at least a day to wash out of her room.
“How did she die?”
“I poisoned her bedtime tea. She passed in her sleep,” Mira bowed her head, “I made it as painless as I could.”
She put her head in her hands, “Where is she buried?”
“Near where I lived at the time,” She paused, “Facing west, with a large tree to shade from the midday sun. Just as she wanted.”
The orcs stared at the pair. The dwarf fought a silent tear from escaping her eye. After she took a deep breath, she stood.
“Sunshine,” She pursed her lips, “I will give you a bath and clothes for you and your guests. After that, you don’t have a name.”
“I understand. Thank you, Mama Jolie.”
“Follow me.”