----------------------------------------
ɸᴪɸႹ ☩♀ ⟪ƍᏡᖵɸᖵᛞ ͶᕒШɸႹȣᖵ ⟪¥Ⴙᛞ ͶШΘᚷᕒɸ Шᛞ Ꮱᚷᛞ
----------------------------------------
ᛞϟɸ♀ ȣᏡႹᛞ ҂ႹᏡ⅄ ¥Ⴙ♀ᛞϟШႹΘ ¥⩞Ꮱᚷᛞ ☩ɸ
----------------------------------------
That felt good.
He wasn't going to be an unknowing accomplice to some royal lackey like Jacquie any longer. And this new trinket, if what he eavesdropped was true, was going to be a fun one to use.
The only problem was getting it to work.
Zeph traveled a good distance away from where he got shot, and he was lucky to make it out with just a minor shock. He never felt too shaken when getting hit by lightning, but that was some powerful magic. A burn mark firmly rested on Zeph's back, aching and throbbing as it certainly bruised. Rested on a branch far away from where he got shocked, his new objective was working the device somehow. It was about the size of a large squirrel's head. It was metallic and shaped like an eye. The glass in the front looked like an iris, letting him gaze into the dark device. No light. Nothing. When Jacquie had it, something seemed to activate it. Electricity? Zeph had seen synics similar to something like this before, but never this weird. He punched a few small buttons on the device's side randomly. Clicks and mechanics inside seemed to act, but nothing happened. “Tricky little eyeball…” he murmured under his breath. Fidgeting with every button and switch attached to it, nothing seemed to do much of anything. Zeph struggled to suppress a little anger growing within him, hoping the device didn't have a failsafe specific to locking intruders from use. “Nearly every other synic I’ve seen around has got an easier way to turn on, you little—"
Suddenly, a blue haze began to fill the glass.
The eye shape glowed a bright blue, with faint pulsations in its light. Its glow was quite weak, but Zeph’s face gleamed with excitement as it came to life. What exactly did he say? Or... was it what he hadn't said? “Oh, so you like someone sweet-talkin' you? Hehehe.” He snickered. “Well then, that’s all I need to know.”
Hinode 24, Midnight - No Registered Voices
So you’re listening now, right? Hah! Sure ain’t natural how I’m talking to a hunk of metal and it's listening, but hey, leave it to freaky magic to work its stuff.
Now, if this is working as intended, then some chump is gonna find and hear this someday. A perfect capsule of time for me to rail all my stories out there and nobody has a choice to get rid of it. Hehehe. Now, to the lucky chump who finds this, you better hold on tight to this. When I'm long gone, you're gonna have the private rantings of a legend right at your fingertips. A journal that you listen to, if you will. Couldn’t be bothered to throw a quill to paper for hours, but lemme tell you, this is gonna be way easier. And if I ain't dead yet, then you better watch your back. I tend to like my stuff.
Besides all the chumps out there who have been around firsthand, this eye is the only record that I'm keeping behind. Cus life as lethal and interesting as mine? I’d say I’ve lived more life than most chumps will in a lifetime. Hell, you better make a book out of me once I'm done here. This is my little gift to the chumps too scared to get a taste of something really special in their life. People looking for something. Those joe schmoes stuck that are stuck dying from taxes or whatever. You get to hear my stories and crazy life, and I get a little fun of my own while I make fun of you for being a lazy cog in the system. Now, if you're a skeptical type, go find some other chump to drop this thing off to. You best believe this is a legend's story, and I got plenty of daring adventures you'll scarcely believe. And... If this is left to dust away in a dungeon? Well, guess I'm the only one getting the fun then. Sucks to be you.
Now, where to begin? Well, first, you gotta know who the handsome devil that’s talking to you.
My name’s Zeph. Strongest batfolk out there. Seen more places than most, left bounty hunters crying for a pay raise, revolutionist, and the worst thing to ever happen to rich self-aggrandizing nobles. Hehe. Man, this whole talking thing is gonna be great. Somewhere in the world, you have no choice but to listen to me talk to you, and you just gonna sit and listen. If you know what's good for ya, you might learn a few things. Course, there's-
A sound.
There was a faint sound of whooshing and a step on the ground.
Being a batfolk, Zeph was quite in tune with the small fluctuations in the ambient forest noise. That wasn't a small creature or critter, either. Without turning his head, he eyed the area and listened to his surroundings as the area turned into a picture in his head with echolocation. A figure. There was a figure approaching slowly from the darkness.
“You don’t suppose there's a way I can turn you off now, is there?” Zeph whispered close to the little eye, hushing his tone.
The device stopped glowing a moment later.
“Heh. Well, Good to know that at least someone's listening. Speaking of, I know you ain't Jacquie, so you can come on out. I’m sure you’re aware that I see you.” Zeph remarked into the distant forest, hiding the device in a small satchel he carried.
A lone figure walked out from behind a tree. It was a human, hidden within the veil of a long, flowy cloak. The tall stranger took a step forward and looked towards Zeph, obscured by a hood. “I’m not hiding, silly. If I were, your guts would already be spilling onto the floor." The dark-hooded fellow spoke with a lighter, gentle tone. He formed a smile as he tilted his head, making sure the moonlight didn’t shine on his face. “I am simply a shadow in the dark. The watcher of evil from lands beyond. I got a tip from a friend that you stole something rather important. Rather precious. And as a messenger, I have the task of simply asking you to return it.” He spoke with hostile positivity.
Zeph raised an eyebrow, smiling likewise at the stranger. This had the potential to get interesting. “I think you’re going to need to be a little more specific. I’ve stolen plenty of things before. Heh, what guarantees I haven’t pawned it off yet?”
“Oh, Don’t be dense.” The hooded human was quick to respond. “You stole one of General Jack’s projects not less than an hour ago. One that was clearly... undeserved. Now now, surely you remember playing with it not a moment ago?" The man slowly started leaning on the tree, smiling and licking his lips. A batfolk? This wouldn't be too bad. "You must be a forgetful one. Oh, how silly to forget who you mess with. And silly kids have to learn the rules.”
Zeph twitched a little at the stranger's mention of rules, but he smiled and played along. “What? You think a little sleight of hand is that bad? Jack and I are doin’ swell! All buddy-buddy, yknow?”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
The man lowered his hand towards his belt and slowly pulled out a small knife. But his approach went sideways, walking and turning behind the tree with a constant eye on Zeph. “Oh, you can cry all you want, little boy. But you know that isn't true. And people who lie deserve to be punished, don't they?”
Zeph's leg burst into agony even from the safety of his branch. With a sudden stagger, he fell as blood gushed from having his leg sliced open and the shock of injury. Pain. Flesh. Blood. As Zeph quickly recuperated from landing, he winced as he landed on the sore leg in the middle of the forest. The slice cut deep, almost enough to hit bone. Still standing and glancing over at his injury, he winced and gritted his teeth at the sensation. The quiet yet steady flow of blood gushing painted the grass as the air grew tenser.
Magic.
The man emerged from a distinctly different tree behind Zeph, fixated on his target. Without a moment's hesitation, it was almost as if he teleported. “You give me that synic, and you'll walk away with at least one of those legs intact. I'll even forgive you of your little thievery against our legion. Hold onto it, and I’ll watch you struggle as I carve a heart into your entrails.” The figure's tone was mocking, looking down at Zeph.
Standing back upright, Zeph turned and locked eyes with the shadowed figure. His expression started with frustration, angry at his hurt leg. But...
Something clicked with Zeph. He smiled a little. Soon after, it turned into a giggle. Despite the situation, Zeph was laughing and closing his eyes as his bizarre laugh echoed through the trees.
The hooded man furrowed his brow and frowned. What sort of tactic was this? “Trying to laugh me off, are you? Or are you so afraid you've lost all sense of reason? You're not just young, you're an idiot! Only animals like you would think of being so stupid in a life-and-death situation.” He brandished his blade, which now had a small coating of blood on it. “Well! If you don’t cooperate, I’ll be happy to decide for—"
Zeph burst in, breaking his train of thought. "Y'know, for all the talk you’ve been giving, you’ve only made one simple thing clear. You really want me to care about a small fry like you. That your little 'Oh I'm a scary little assassin' dance is good enough to scare me.” He crossed his arms, revealing the light claws that adorned his hands. Zeph turned his head to stare directly at him. Snarkiness dripped from his comments. “From how you sound, you might even be younger than me. Hehehe. The fact that you didn’t start cutting faster means one of you doesn’t want me dead yet. That, or you just like listening to yourself talk. Jeez, I thought Jacquie had something a little more threatening to send after me, don't you think?” Zeph gave a savvy wink right at him.
For a moment, the man felt stunned. “Shut your little indignant mouth, you cur! Don't you recognize the peril that surrounds you? I can hit you from anywhere!” The man clenched his dagger and tightened his stance. “Steal from him and lie about me all you want, you’re sealing your fate by spouting this filth!” He crept behind the tree again, dashing to finish Zeph off. "
Zeph stepped to the side, turning to see a knife-wielding arm dash right past where he was standing. Crystalline portals. They had a form and shape that let Zeph see them appear with split-second echolocation. Grabbing the arm, Zeph started pulling it. The figure squirmed as he got pulled more and more through the lens, revealing his face. A young blonde man revealed out of the portal, his face peppered with fear and hate. The assassin tried to yank his arm free, but a swift punch sent Zeph's attacker crashing back into the portal.
“Y’know, the number of chumps who think they can backstab a batfolk is surprisingly high.” He turned to see him flying backward out the other end of the portal somewhere in the forest. “Not that I’m a particular fan of forestfolk, but you humans really don’t know much about 'em, do you?” Stronger than a regular bat's abilities, his echolocation gave him an almost instant mental map of the area where sound could bounce off of. Of course, most batfolk were severely nearsighted, which makes them almost blind at a distance if not for their reliance on sound.
“Don’t get cocky, brat. You haven’t seen what I’m capable of at all! I'm not just an assassin, I'm a magic user! A prodigy!” The tone the assassin had was panicked. He worked to get back to his feet, suddenly slipping his hand into another crystal portal.
Zeph dashed forward towards him, narrowly dodging the attempted stab from right behind. He punched the hooded man's face, followed by his chest, followed by another, and another. He didn't let him breathe or even get a chance to follow up. Every hit was like a small mace crashing into the foe's body. With an uppercut, the figure crashed backward into yet another tree with a loud crack of bark and bone. Crimson-faced with blood, the man collapsed. His nose gushed, breath rattled. He coughed blood, limbs barely twitching as he fought to rise. The knife painted with Zeph's blood fell to the side and stabbed into the dirt. Bullish grunts came from the man, followed by an angry, shriveled, and manic tone. “Ah! You... YOU! You idiot!!! You’re already dead, don’t you know that?” Suddenly, a portal appeared under the man. He slipped into it and dropped much further away. Every movement sounded painful with a crunch and sloosh of blood, but the man did it anyway.
“You think these injuries—" He coughed blood. His words were a little hard to make out past the coarse injuries he sustained "—matter? I can always get away, preparing your demise in the shadows! Do you hear me with those oversized flaps of skin on your head? You’re dead! Haha!!!! You crossed one of the most powerful men in the entire league!” He bellowed, his eyes blazing with a fierce intensity of spirit. “You'll never sleep safe again! Just you wait!”
Zeph smiled. He picked up the knife that had dropped and looked at it. “Hey buddy, you dropped this. Be a pal and pick up your trash.” Throwing it towards him, it jabbed into the assassin's leg as he yelped in pain. The floor beside him grew small as a portal formed. Screaming in woe, he slipped in and vanished out of sight as quickly as he came. It was only a little blip in the night, but despite Zeph's cool demeanor, his heart was racing.
And then…
Everything was silent.
The bleeding cut in his leg still hurt as the pain flowed through his veins. Adrenaline hid it long enough, but the threat was decommissioned for now. The batfolk pulled out a crumpled makeshift stretch of bandage from his satchel, wrapping it around his furry leg. A little pull of the fabric put pressure on the injury, stabbing this pain into him further. But that was how it had to be. The fresh blood seeped into the bandage and slowly stopped, lessening the pain for a while. It could have been worse, but...
“Jeez, all over this hunk of magic metal," Zeph mumbled to himself.