Grace felt the eyes of the twelve men walking behind her. They let her walk a few yards ahead, moving in formation as both Knights walked point with the two men that had been on horseback with Michael bringing up the rear.

A few citizens stared for a moment as they walked through the side of town where life seemed to go on. No one here felt the pain she felt. They didn’t have to wonder where food might come from. Her people had to pay higher prices and trade whatever they could still find in the burnt-out sections of town.

The jobs offered to them were not ones anyone else wanted to do, and the rate they were offered was barely worth the energy expended.

Every time she walked past the main street separating the four quadrants of town, Grace felt the world reverting to what she knew. Life wasn’t fair, and it sure wasn't easy, but for some reason, Balethem had given her a chance to save her brother and get revenge on those who had taken her parents and life from her.

“How much further?”

Michael’s voice grated her nerves, but Grace turned around, motioning to the east. “I would say at the speed we’re walking twenty minutes?”

“Was that a question or an answer?”

“Forgive me,” Grace replied, forcing herself to look humble. “Twenty minutes is my answer.”

He grunted and turned back to the other knight, Edward, and began discussing things in a hushed tone.

Grace glanced and saw a shape up ahead darting down an alley.

Good girl, Lilly! Get into position!

Everything was in place. Lilly had done what she wanted her to after only showing her once.

She is brighter than most of the people I know. Her eyes…

Looking at all the burnt houses lining the streets, Grace knew she would be safe.

Her eyes sparkled at what was about to take place.

Time to die, Michael…

“You’re certain that they are in there?”

Grace faked a cough and nodded, ignoring the look Michael gave her.

“Past the window!” one of the guards said as he pointed at the second floor. “There was movement.”

Michael turned and looked at the man and saw a few other guards nodding in agreement.

“Ok, spread out. We’ll go in from all directions. You two stay here with this one and make sure she doesn’t go anywhere.”

The two guards who had been with Michael on horseback nodded, each moving to flank her.

Grace forced herself to shrink a little, slouching to decrease her stature, doing her best to play the last role she anticipated she needed to.

“Shout if you see anything. Everyone else move out.”

Knight Edward took four guards with him to the back of her chosen house. After she had reinforced it slightly, the door was going to take some work to get through. A few traps were ready for them, but Grace wouldn’t let herself smile about those. Two could play at the game Michael had started.

The front entrance was going to be a real treat. Lilly was doing what she had taught her, holding them off until she could join the fight.

“Why are you shaking?”

Grace hadn’t realized she was shaking from excitement.

“Sorry, just a bit scared. I don’t really like blood. I remember the last time I saw them go into a house chasing someone.”

The guard grunted and said nothing more.

Knight Michael whistled like a bird, and the four guards with him rushed into the building through the front door.

One… two… three… four… five…

A horrible scream came from the inside of the house, and Grace bit her lip.

Another four seconds and a second cry erupted from inside the house, this one cut off a bit sooner.

Both guards next to her moved forward, no longer next to her side. Each looked at the other and the house where shouting and noise were coming from.

A shape crossed the window on the second floor again.

Both men took another step forward, forgetting about the girl they were supposed to be watching. They moved closer to each other, almost shoulder to shoulder.

Without hesitating, Grace pulled her dagger out from under the back of her tunic. She attacked the guard on the right, kicking his knee forward and driving her blade into the man’s spine below the back of his head.

Putting everything in that thrust, the blade had sliced through the chain armor, killing the man instantly.

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His partner started to turn, hand on the handle of his sword, preparing to draw it when Grace was on him.

She grabbed his right arm, yanking down on it. A popping sound came as the shoulder was pulled out of the guard’s socket. He groaned, but Grace continued jerking the arm toward the ground.

The force of her attack sent him shoulder-first into the stone street. As he bounced once, her hands were already on his head, snapping the guard's neck in a second.

Breathing hard, Grace glanced around and saw no one coming out of the house. There was more yelling from inside, but no one had come out yet.

Drawing the sword from the man she had just killed, Grace moved toward the front door.

Another shout came, followed by a crashing sound and some cries.

The back door is sealed… which means

A loud crash came, followed by grown men howling in pain.

Should always check the floorboards before one charges inside.

Halfway across the street, two shapes appeared in the doorway, and Grace froze, seeing Knight Michael helping a bloodied guard impaled by wooden stakes out the front door.

“You!” he shouted, dropping the man he was helping to the ground.

The wooden stakes in his side and legs were driven deeper into his body from the fall.

“You shouldn’t have tried killing me with that trap!” Grace shouted. “The poisoning of my family was even worse!”

Michael drew his sword and moved toward her with a speed far different from that of the other guards she had faced.

He swung his sword when he got close, and Grace rolled sideways under it, swinging her sword as she got near him.

The man flickered green, and her sword slammed into the plate armor of his leg, bouncing off and leaving no scratch.

Michael laughed, slamming his sword down at Grace. She was out of position and had no way to parry.

[ Evasion ]

It took Grace a second to realize what had happened, but one moment, she was close to Michael, a sword coming at her, and the next, she was four feet away, somehow moving out of the way as the blade slammed into the ground.

“You’re a–”

“Emmisary, yes!” Grace shouted, ignoring Michael's look of shock and rage.

He didn’t hesitate as he attacked again, his slash missing as she moved sideways, barely avoiding it. She attacked, and Micahel didn’t dodge, allowing her to strike again, her blow doing nothing again as it hit him.

Michael lunged forward, his eyes wide as he drove his weapon forward, Grace sidestepping as the weapon passed her.

She punched him with her left hand, connecting with his jaw, and it felt like she had hit a mountain.

Juggernaut! He has juggernaut!

She felt herself slowing down.

[ Evasion Expired ]

“You’re mine–”

[ Juggernaut ]

The grin that Michael had worn for a single second was gone, his face now in shock as the attack he had expected to kill her slammed into Grace, bouncing off as every one of hers had on him.

Dropping the sword she held, Grace tackled Michael, wrapping her arms around him and not letting go. He tried to fight back, hitting her and slamming the pommel of his sword into her back, and yet nothing happened.

Grace counted in her head and when she knew there was only a second left, she reached up and grabbed Michael’s throat with her right hand.

“Die, you bastard!” she screamed.

His body flashed green once, and the second it did, Grace used every bit of strength she had and dug her nails into his throat, grabbing his windpipe.

A gurgling sound came as Michael stared into the darkness of Grace’s eyes.

Yanking her arm back, a tearing sound came, and Grace had in her hand the front half of Michael’s throat. Blood squirted everywhere as the man’s eyes bulged, and he choked on his own blood.

A sound came, and Grace felt something hit her back.

Letting go of Michael and turning around, Grace saw Knight Edward was there, his sword coming at her again.

Grace accepted the blade, swinging her fist, holding Michael’s windpipe at the knight.

His sword glowed green as it came at her, her fist matching the color as she punched at him.

[ Empower ]

There was no time for the knight to react as the sword stopped again, disbelief in his eyes as he expected to cut Grace in half. Her fist hit his chest, tearing through his armor and slamming so hard her arm continued until it was buried up to her elbow inside him.

He stumbled backward as Grace wrenched her arm free, blood covering it, and watched as the knight glanced at her and then the hole in his chest. Gurgling sounds came from his mouth as blood came out his mouth.

[ Juggernaut Expired ]

The guard tried a half-hearted swing of his sword as she flickered green.

Jumping back, she avoided the blade as the man fell to his knees and then onto the ground.

A scream came from inside the house, followed by some growling, and after a few seconds of agony expressed by a man crying in pain, it ended.

Whistling, Grace let the trophy she had taken from Michael fall to the ground by her feet.

Less than a minute passed, and Lilly came from out of an alley near the house, her head covered in blood. The dog trotted to where she was, saw the piece of flesh she had just dropped, and began to devour it.

“Good girl,” Grace said, her voice sounding cheerful for someone who had just killed two other emissaries.

“Are all of them dead?”

Lilly finished chewing her treat and then barked once. Sitting on the ground next to Grace.

It had taken only a few minutes, but Grace found the money on both men and tried not to consider what kind of wealth she held.

One gold and thirty-three silver… How can we even spend this without drawing attention…

Not waiting to deal with that problem, Grace deposited the bodies into the house.

Blood ran across the street, where she dragged them to their final resting place.

Once everybody was deposited inside, she moved to the other house, gathering the wood and fluid she had collected before heading to find Michael.

Striking the flint and steel, a spark ignited the liquid she had poured, and soon the house began to burn.

“Let’s go, Lilly. We need to get cleaned up.”

She had been walking for about a minute when Grace saw the red window that had popped while taking care of the bodies. Part of her wanted to look at it then, but she had a job to do. Now, she could enjoy the moment and find the reward for her actions.

*****

Quest Completed

—

The Gift of Revenge: You killed the one who attempted to take your life.

Reward: For completing this quest within the time allotted, choose a stat to increase by two.

* Physical

* Mental

* Spiritual

*****

Grace took a deep breath and let it out. It was time to get stronger.