The crossroads lay just to the north of town. It saw less use now that the new bridge had been finished, but there was still enough traffic here to make it difficult to start a fight, and yet not enough for Lord Filern to station his toll collectors.
Artek felt a growing unease as the crossroads came into view. It was well after midday. The town had been swarming with Ganlin’s men over the past two days and sneaking past them delayed him considerably. However, Artek wasn’t worried about his tardiness. Ganlin would wait. He needed the sword. The number of men he’d committed to tracking him down was proof of that, and the more men he had scouring the town, the fewer he would have to lie in wait here.
Stopping in his tracks, Artek broke out in a cold sweat when he realized what was wrong. He was the only one on the road. Somehow, Ganlin had diverted all traffic away from the crossroads. He quickly went over his options. After a good night’s sleep, his bloodlust had subsided, and he had concluded that a fight was best avoided. The question now was if he should withdraw and attempt to set up another meeting or disappear with the sword altogether. If he chose the latter, Ganlin was sure to set the Peace Breakers after him.
The wind began to blow, stripping the remaining leaves from the nearby trees and chilling Artek to the bone. It also carried a coppery scent with it that Artek identified at once. Blood. Enough for there to have been a massacre. Then, he caught a glimpse of something in the long grass just off the road Looking closer, he saw at least twenty bodies laid out in a line. He recognized some of Ganlin’s goons from the warehouse among them. Who could have done this to them? Had Filern traced the loss of his sword to Ganlin and sought him out? Or could it have been the Peace Breakers?
Cursing his luck, Artek began to back away from the crossroads. He was certain that only death lay in that direction. When he turned around, he saw a young woman standing in the middle of the road a dozen paces away. She looked a year or two older than he was and had her dirty blonde hair tied in a neat ponytail.
“Lady, you’d better run…” Artek began but stopped midsentence. There was something about this woman that told him she wouldn’t shy away from a fight. She wore flowing red robes and held a staff that was taller than she was. A red gem was affixed to the staff’s head.
“Identify yourself,” she ordered.
“Look, I’m just a man out for a stroll,” Artek said. “I don’t want any trouble.”
“Then why are you carrying a sword?” she demanded.
Artek cursed at the oversight. It was a good job he’d crept his way through town, or he’d probably be sitting in one of the sheriff’s cells. Now he had to deal with this woman. Could she have been the one who killed Ganlin’s men? He felt his anger rise at that possibility. She had denied him his revenge, and his payday.
“But how could she have killed so many armed with just a staff?” part of Artek’s brain asked. However, his anger quickly drowned that out.
As the red mist descended, Artek drew his sword. The woman’s eyes widened momentarily, and a grim smile crossed Artek’s face.
“Good, you should be afraid,” he thought to himself.
Finding himself hungry for a kill, Artek leapt forward. The woman raised her staff towards him, and Artek’s widened as lightning erupted from the tip. Acting on instinct, he swatted the crackling electricity away with his sword. To his surprise, the sword seemed to absorb the lightning. The woman too, was caught off guard and backed away. With the thrill of the kill now right before him lunged gleefully
The woman raised her hands protectively and gasped. The fear on her face brought Artek to his senses and he managed to stop his sword a hairsbreadth from the woman’s neck. The woman recovered quickly and touched the tip of her staff to Artek’s chest. Moments later, a powerful explosion launched him twenty feet backwards.
Artek groaned and writhed in agony as he lay on the ground. His instincts screamed that the fight wasn’t over, and he struggled to his feet, amazed that he could stand at all. He looked up and managed to swat a ball of fire that the woman had sent hurtling at him.
“She means to kill you, show no mercy, you fool!” something primal inside him screamed.
Feeling a burst of energy, Artek leapt into the air, over the bolts of lightning the woman had conjured and sent arcing his way. He had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that told him something was amiss. People weren’t supposed to jump that high. However, his bloodlust soon drowned it out as he plummeted towards the woman and prepared to bring a two handed blow down on her crown.
At the last moment, someone darted in and placed himself in front of the woman. Something flashed, and their swords clashed, emitting a shower of brilliant blue sparks. A shudder ran up Artek’s arms. It was like he had struck a boulder.
“Stand down, both of you,” the man’s voice was melodious. He had long blonde hair and was slender like his sword. Then, Artek noticed his pointed ears.
“You’re an elf,” he gasped.
“But Master,” the woman protested.
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Artek whirled around as almost fifty men clad in crimson robes emerged from the grass and moved quickly to surround him.
“Where did you get that sword?” the elf asked.
“That’s no concern of yours,” Artek shot back.
The elf pierced Artek with his gaze and the boy glared back defiantly. The elf was tall and lithe and possessed an ageless face. He then gestured at his men who had by now formed a tight cordon around him.
“Do you not know who we are?” he asked, gesturing at the badge on his breast that depicted a red raven in flight.
Artek shrugged, trying to look nonchalant as he weighed his chances of fighting his way out. “Should I?”
“We are the Vermillion Company,” the man declared.
Artek made a face. “Never heard of you.”
“We are the keepers of the peace, you lout,” the young woman snapped. “Our mission is…”
“Erini that is not a productive tone of voice,” the elf warned.
“But master!” the woman protested. “The boy is wielding a Sword of Power. He should be summarily executed.”
Artek felt his hackles rise and prepared himself for a fight.
“Stand easy,” the elf said, raising his hands. “We wish simply to talk.”
He then turned to the woman. “Yes, the sword has accepted him as its wielder. If we attempt to use violence, we will not emerge unscathed.”
“All the more reason…” the woman began.
“However, he had the chance to kill several times, and stayed his hand,” the elf continued. “That shows that he has the will to control it. We have need of him.”
“But…”
“The Peace Breakers have grown strong,” the elf said gravely and turned his gaze to Artek. “And they pose a dire threat to life as we know it. Will you help us defeat them?”
“I am no one’s tool,” Artek replied defiantly.
“Watch yourself,” the elf’s tone hardened and for a moment, Artek thought that someone else had spoken. “You are powerful. Too powerful for us to turn loose unsupervised.”
Artek backed off a step involuntarily in the face of the elf’s wrath and cursed when he realized. The last thing he wanted was to show weakness during a negotiation. That had cost him far too many times.
“So my options are to be your slave or die?” he demanded.
“No,” the elf’s voice softened. “Things have gotten heated. Why don’t we discuss this like adults?”
“Sounds good to me,” Artek said.
“Why don’t we begin by putting our weapons away?” the elf suggested. When Artek didn’t move, he added. “Everyone, give us some privacy.”
Obediently, the woman and the red clad men backed off thirty paces. The elf sheathed his sword and held both his hands up. Artek eyed the others before doing the same.
“My name is Ereldrad,” the elf said before bowing with grace Artek didn’t think was possible. “I am the Captain of the Vermillion Company.”
“Artek,” he replied curtly and stared at the elf expectantly.
Eledrad nodded. “Let’s not waste time with niceties then. I offer you three options. One, join us in our quest to apprehend the Peace Breakers. Two, surrender your sword in exchange for a generous payoff.”
“How generous?” Artek interjected.
“Twenty sovereigns,” Eledrad replied without hesitation.
Artek let out a low whistle. That was what he had demanded from Gainan. Did the elf know, or was it just a coincidence? No, there were more important matters to worry about “What is the third option?”
Eledrad’s eyes hardened. “Die by our hand.”
Artek smirked. “You said you would not emerge unscathed if we fought.”
Eledrad sighed and nodded. “I did. I also said you were too powerful to leave unchecked. However, if you do not agree to either of the previous options, we will have to take the sword by force.”
“Over my dead body,” Artek said hotly.
The elf nodded gravely. “Yes, exactly. Though many of my men may die in the process, so will you. That is for certain.”
“If I joined you, what’s in it for me?” Artek ventured.
“I would train you in the way of the sword,” Eldrad replied. Though the elf was speaking softly, Artek could tell that the others were hanging onto every word, and several bristled at the suggestion. “You could be forged into a powerful tool for the Company.”
“But I could leave any time I want?” Artek asked.
Eledrad nodded. “But the sword would have to be left in our keeping.”
“And the pay?”
Eledrad raised a surprised eyebrow and Artek cocked his head, indicating that he was serious. The elf furrowed his brow and gestured to the woman. “Erini is given a grant of a hundred sovereigns a year for her service. I suppose it would only be fair for you to receive the same.”
Artek struggled to keep the shock from his face. A hundred sovereigns was more money than he’d ever earned over his entire life and was probably enough to support him well into old age. If he joined the Company for a year or two, he’d never have to work another day in his life.
“Say I agree to join you, I can decide I don’t like it and leave anytime I want?” Artek asked, deciding he had to be sure.
A confused look crossed Eledrad’s face. “Of course, we’re not slavers.”
“Then I accept,” Artek said, deciding it was a no brainer.
Awkwardly, the elf extended his hand. “I believe it’s your kind’s custom to shake on deals.”
“Oh yes, it is,” Artek said and took the elf’s hand gratefully. It was then that he noticed the smug look on the woman’s face.
Sensing danger, he attempted to withdraw his hand, but the elf’s grip was strong. Before he could wrench his hand free, something clamped around his right wrist. He held it up to see it was a thin silver bangle. When he tried to use his other hand to tear it off, he noticed that another bangle had been placed around it as well. He whirled around to see a thin man crouched next to him, smiling crookedly at him. Artek darted away and attempted to rip the bangles off, but they were stuck fast.
“I would be careful with those,” Eledrad warned. “They will explode if you attempt to remove them by force, or if the command is given and you will live the rest of your life without hands.”
“I thought the elves were above such petty tricks!” Artek snarled.
“Those bangles are only there to ensure you don’t attempt to leave without first surrendering the sword,” Eledrad assured him.
“Take them off!” Artek demanded.
“Only if you surrender the sword,” Eledrad replied.
“If I do that, will you still accept me in your Company?” Artek asked.
Eledrad shook his head. “I’m afraid we would have no use for you then.”
Artek looked down at his wrists and then considered the amount of money that was at stake. No, he could leave nothing to chance. “Fine, I’ll join you. But I want a year’s pay in advance.”
Eledrad shrugged and gestured at one of the red clad men who handed Artek a pouch. It was heavy. The boy opened it and his fury at being tricked evaporated when he saw the gold inside. “I’ve never seen someone part with gold so easily.”
“Ours is a higher cause,” Eledrad shrugged. “You will learn that soon enough for you are one of us now.”
Artek looked at the disapproving faces of the red clad men. Erini’s face was particularly sour, but Artek didn’t care. If enduring a few unpleasant looks was all it took for all this gold to be his, then he was happy to endure. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”
Eledrad nodded. “Welcome to the Vermillion Company.”