My Vulture Axes were magically crafted, enchanted in a collaboration between Lydia and a magically-capable blacksmith we had saved years ago.

They were doubled-headed throwing axes, with a glistening silver coating affixed to the blade. They were heavy, heavier and longer than a throwing axe should be, but that gave them more impact.

They were not large enough to be considered battle axes, themselves, but the dark metal of their shaft gave them the strength needed to parry blows from heavier blades if needed.

And, of course, they were quite intimidating apparently.

The clearing was quiet, the mercenaries having regained their composure after the miniature campfire storm had died down.

And then, the form of the leader, Doh, began to shift and grow smaller.

“Uh, um, there’s been a bit of a misunderstanding…yeah?”

Their form deflated, their tan skin fading into a paler skin tone, and the clothes that had fit their previous, borrowed form so well, now sat loosely against a now petite, softer frame.

Her eyes were as dark as her hair, and she held up her hands in surrender with a playfulness that did not hide the tension in her body.

I watched on, glancing at her companions, “Misunderstanding?”

The shapechanging woman nodded, “Y-Yeah, uh, huge misunderstanding. We’ll get you the writ, ok?”

Kal, the large man, frowned, “What about our riches, Doh? Our feast?”

The woman shot him a look, hissing, “Shut the fuck up, Kal!”

None of the other mercenaries looked happy at the concession, but neither did they seem willing to fight against my threat or Doh’s lead.

She slowly lowered her hand down to one of her loose pockets and rummaged through it, taking out a leather tube casing.

I nodded, “Throw it to the ground at my feet.”

She did so, tossing the leather tube over to me. I kept my eyes trained on them all, not letting my gaze falter for even a moment. Appearing vulnerable would only incite a fight.

A fight I did not have the time for.

And yet, I still had to know one thing for certain.

“Why did you steal this? Were you tasked with this by someone? Did someone pay you to do this?”

Doh blinked, “Ah, no. We’d been hanging out in Jonston for a while, uh, just doing stuff. You know, keeping the ole’ ears open? Heard some new nobility was coming to collect their papers and…”

And had taken the opportunity for what it was. It seemed that if this was a part of some Velbrun plan, then these folk were not knowingly a part of it.

I frowned, “How did you know what I looked like to take my form?”

She shrugged, “Some of the people in town knew what you looked like…? I’m kind of talented in…memory magic.”

Even though Doh kept her hands carefully in view when she said that, but I still tensed. Magics of the mind, even something as innocuous as memories, were worrying.

Someone with the skills of a doppelganger and memory magic…no, I could not get involved.

With a sigh, Doh shook her head, “Kinda wish I’d dug a little deeper now though. Images don’t quite tell the whole story, huh, Lord Velbrun? So, uh, you gonna let us go? We’re very sorry.”

All of the mercenaries had become more and more tense, ready to go out with a fight. I had what I needed and the more time I spent here was more time away from my children.

I nodded, “Take a walk. I’ll be gone by the time you’re all back.”

She smiled, relaxing, “Sounds good, my Lord. Come on, guys, let’s get out of his hair.”

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And yet, as the leader stepped away, looking happy to leave this whole situation behind her, the others weren’t quite as cooperative.

Kal’s fists were tight, “We are just going to run away? Again?”

The twins, both of them giving me dark looks, seemed to share a glance, the female stating coldly, “A duster shouldn’t be given the grace of nobility.”

The thin man standing beside Kal looked the most nervous. His hands were fidgeting closer and closer to the jewel around his neck.

Doh looked resigned, “Kal, Erika, come on, I got a bad feeling, ok? Let’s just all take a deep breath…and walk away.”

The female twin, Erika, sneered at Doh, “You promised us riches! You’ve run us ragged from one scheme to the next…we’re done walking away, Doh.”

The look she got back from Doh wasn't impressed, “Well, I’m gonna walk away. I’ve never made you follow me. I’ll be back in a bit.”

And without another word, Doh began to shuffle out of the camp, with the nervous man beginning to follow her…

“No, Victor, you stay.” Kal’s large hand landed on his shoulder, stopping him.

Victor gulped, “Ok…”

I bent down to pick up the leather tubing, clipping it onto my belt, before looking at the remaining mercenaries, “So you intend to fight?”

The idea of being away from my children was distasteful. I was going to need to finish this fight quickly.

Erika stepped forward, her daggers drawn and her stance low, “Let’s see how far your fancy magical toys ge-guh!”

Her head recoiled backwards from the force behind the Vulture as it sank an inch into her skull. As her body fell backwards, hitting the ground lifelessly, the camp burst into motion.

“You murderer!” The male twin ran towards me, heavy daggers drawn, and dove at me, his blades slashing visible arcs of energy in the air.

I stepped out of the way of the arcs, tasting the unrefined Vitae behind the attacks, before clenching my fist and sending a punch straight into his sternum, hearing bones break.

“Raaagh!” Kal, his large battleaxe in hand, rushed at me with a wide downward swing. I rolled to the side, only feeling the wind disturbed by the force behind the blow.

I lashed out with my Vulture still in hand, tearing into the back of his leg and sending to him knees as I rushed to my feet and dashed past him, towards one of the more dangerous mercenaries.

Victor, his hand on his necklace, continued to utter words under his breath, “-imbus strength, inner energy, Strike of Lightning!”

From his other hand, a bolt of lightning lashed out in my direction, my Vitae thrumming as I flexed my hand and altered the flow of vital energy within it, activating my Redirecting Hand Technique.

Throwing my empty palm out, my grip met the magically fashioned electricity, the energy flowing through my hand and only my hand as I gathered up every last drop.

Victor blinked, horrified, “W-What!?”

I gave no response as I reached him and grabbed him by the face and released some of the tension in my static-covered hand.

Victor screamed as the electricity from his own magic flowed into his form, frying and short-circuiting his entire body, starting with the head.

My hand, somewhat smoking, released the corpse and let it fall to the ground. I glanced back at Kal and the remaining twin, both of them regaining their composure.

Kal, standing again, growled at the sight of Victor’s corpse, his skin beginning to glow red, “Holt, we need to flank him.”

Holt nodded, breathing heavy from the punch, “On it. Nightingale Shift Technique!”

I took out another Vulture as Holt suddenly disappeared from sight. Not from speed, no, but some sort of stealth technique.

Kal roared, “Colossal Might Technique!”

His clothes ripped as his form almost doubled in size, his battleaxe being held in a single hand as he rushed at me, his blade held high.

I breathed deeply, finally taking my Dancing Stars Stance, “I hope that you are remembered by someone.”

My Vitae shimmered within my form and I did a sharp twist of my body, throwing one of my Vultures out straight at the rushing form of Kal, the behemoth moving to dodge…

And then I pulled, the spiraling, thrown axe suddenly stopping still in mid-air before it changed trajectory, spiraling downward and sinking deep into Kal’s spine.

The goliath crumbled to the ground mid-charge, rolling to the ground as his face filled with pain, “Gah, I…I…”

I ignored him, lashing out with a Vulture into thin air behind me and feeling it sink into flesh. With a shimmer of Vitae, the dark form of Holt revealed itself once more, my weapon deep in his neck.

Gurgling on his own blood, Holt gritted his teeth, “H-How?”

I removed the Vulture, letting him slink to the ground cradling his fatal wound, “No technique is perfect. I simply heard you coming.”

Holt’s eyes were filled with disbelief and anger until that fled his body, alongside his life.

I walked over to Kal, the large man’s form unable to move with such a grievous injury, and ended his life with another quick, efficient chop.

I put my Vultures away, grabbing the one lodged in Ericka’s skull, before giving the corpses a look, “Your names will be remembered in the stories I weave.”

It was the only rites I had the power to give them.

With that, I left with the writ, thinking of how Lydia would have handled that situation much better than I.

----------------------------------------

“Bluh,” Daka was in my lap as I cleaned my weapons, the writ of lordship tucked away safely inside my packs on the wagon.

The child was staring at the bloodied Vulture, looking unhappy.

I gave her a kiss on the head, “Do not worry, Daka, I simply had to defend myself.”

She began to pull at my clothing, looking at my dark skin as if scanning for any injuries. My children were certainly strange for their age, being concerned for their father so early.

“There were thieves, mercenaries who took the writ of lordship. Their names were Doh, Kal, Victor, Erika, and Holt.”

I began to weave a story about the encounter, trying to honor the life of the criminals as best as I could with a proper narrative.

A Storyteller I was not, but if my children were as intelligent and aware as they seemed, then perhaps it was good for them to learn early the proper ways to honor a life taken.