We came back the next day ready for battle with our armor and weapons strapped on. I made sure Shadow stayed at the inn as I didn’t want her to be put in danger. The plan had been hashed out before even visiting the auction house to sell our items. The easiest thing would be to have our hired guards escort us back to our inn but that wouldn’t solve the main problem. It wouldn’t be feasible to have Lux’s friends guard us forever, so it was best to take care of things now.
The inn was safe because according to Lux, it was connected to the rulers of the city who wouldn’t tolerate any trouble. A thief or troublemaker would face serious repercussions if they dared to tarnish the sanctity of the inn. No moves had been made against us at the inn so I could only assume our adversary didn’t have enough pull to do so. The inn definitely got 5 stars in my book even with the corny name.
The auction receptionist led us into the same room as before and counted out our money in private. It was a good thing we had made room in the magic bags since we had earned enough gold to fill up an actual treasure chest or maybe two. We weren’t ready to sell the rest of our loot even though the receptionist practically begged us, hoping for more treasures for the auction.
After our current troubles were behind us, we would decide if we wanted to use the same auction or try our luck in East Harbor. I didn’t know enough so would leave the decision up to Lux and the girls. There was a back door to the auction, but we would be walking out the front. Our Red Fang tail had followed us here so there was little point in trying to sneak out the back, plus that wasn’t part of the plan.
I still didn’t know my way around the crazy streets of Ashen, so Lux had come up with our route. The rest of us just had to keep up. As we walked out of the auction house, I could already see Red Fang members standing in the street waiting for us, quite a few of them. Lux didn’t waste any time and ducked into a nearby alley with the rest of us hot on his heels.
I heard a shout behind us but had to concentrate on keeping up with everyone. Needless to say, they were all much faster than me. I could tell Lux was taking it easy which I appreciated. We had a head start plus we didn’t want to lose them completely so didn’t need to go all out. I followed along the twists and turns and was soon lost, trusting entirely in Lux’s excellent sense of direction.
When I first heard the plan, I thought it may be a little too obvious and that we should have at least one or two guards with us to make it more believable. Evidently Lux was right, and the Red Fang wasn’t the brightest of the mercenary companies. We entered an alley that ended at the back of a warehouse like building – a seemingly dead end.
Our pursuers poured into the alley which was about two cart lengths wide. They started grinning and laughing at our predicament. We turned around and faced them with our backs to the wall. The mercenaries advanced on us four abreast with weapons out. There were no orders to drop our loot but there were jeers about what they were going to do to the girls after they killed Lux and I.
When it looked like the last of them had entered the alley Lux whistled loudly. The mercenaries looked confused at first but when nothing happened, they just grinned wider and continued advancing. Their grins were wiped off their faces as warriors appeared on the building roofs behind us and along the sides of the alley.
The same thing happened behind the Red Fang members as several warriors appeared as if by magic, cutting off their escape route. I counted roughly 15 members of the Red Fang. Our forces numbered around 20 all told. A particularly rugged looking individual dropped down by Lux and nodded at us briefly. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.” He said to the startled Red Fang members. They seemed to recognize him and started swearing amongst themselves.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
The moment was broken as the Red Fang members charged toward us screaming. The warriors on the roofs started firing arrows into them and we joined in. Lin with her bow and Ann and I with our magic. A few of the Red Fang had shields which saved them from the arrows but soon Lux and his friend entered the fray as did the warriors behind the Red Fang.
I stayed back with the girls and tried to pick targets of opportunity. The ones in the lead were quickly killed by our magic but then we had a tougher time as Lux jumped into battle. I was still able to fire off a spell here and there, but it was over pretty quickly. The Red Fang stood no chance, it was like shooting fish in a barrel. Lux and his friend waded through them like they were harvesting wheat. Not a single Red Fang left the alley alive.
I had been a little worried that we might get into trouble for such a one-sided slaughter. Lux assured me that the city guard had no love for the Red Fang who constantly caused trouble in town. Lux’s friends would also vouch for what happened. I couldn’t argue that it would certainly send a message to not mess with us in the future. With this, we had now wiped out the majority of the mercenary company or so I was told. When I heard the plan I thought that I may feel regret at having to kill so many but after saying they were going to rape Ann and Lin, I felt nothing but satisfaction.
I breathed a sigh of relief. It didn’t look like any of our side had been seriously injured. I watched as they picked over the bodies of the Red Fang members, not leaving any valuables behind. I guess they were mercenaries too, so it wasn’t that surprising. Lux and his friend came back over to us. “I would like you to meet Narsus, we go way back.” Lux said. His friend was a hulking human, about the same height as Lux and equally muscled and scarred.
“Hi uncle Narsus.” The girls said together. “This is Matt, my daughters’ mate. He’s the one I told you about.” Lux continued. “You two look as lovely as ever. I’m glad to see your old man hasn’t lost his touch. Nice to meet you son, I didn’t think this old fossil would ever allow anyone near his daughters. You better take care of them now or you’ll be hearing from me.” Narsus said cheerfully, clapping me on the back.
“Oof. Of course, although you’d probably have to get in line as Lux would want to kill me first.” I replied. His strength was no joke. I’m sure he could snap me in half just like Lux. I was a little taken aback by the mate comment, but I suppose it was true. To my knowledge we hadn’t officially been married yet. I didn’t know if wolf kin had ceremonies or not so I may be mistaken. Maybe Lux accepting me was all that was needed? Something else to ask the girls later.
“Ha, Ha I like this kid. Now, let’s get you back to your inn and you can buy me a drink.” Narsus said, smiling. I had learned earlier that Lux was friends with the leader of one of the other mercenary companies in town who all competed with each other. If I remembered right, his was called the Silver Comets. Their members all had a mark consisting of a silver colored shooting star on their armor.
We picked our way through the bodies and made our way back to the inn. On the way we met the city guards who had been notified of the battle and were on their way to investigate. We had to give statements then were allowed to go on our way. They didn’t seem too surprised or upset about the slaughter. They knew where we were staying and told us not to leave town until the investigation was over.
At the inn, Lux started drinking with Narsus while the girls and I retreated to our room. I was ready for another soak in the hot spring but the girls had other ideas. It seemed the battle had got their blood going and they weren’t done letting off steam yet. Shadow must have chosen to sleep in Lux’s room which was a good decision. The bed was soon occupied by our sweaty bodies while the girls ravaged me. It had been another exciting day.