"Listen, guys, I know we can work something out." I pleaded while dangling from the shoulders of a brute.

"Are you carrying five thousand Nyra?" A woman called out from his side.

She was about half his size and dressed in black from head to toe. A cowl slacked low on her face, only revealing her features when she glanced over to talk about increasing her bounty's reward. I hadn't even realized she was a she until she spoke, not that I had an issue with it. Even women had the right to hunt humans for a cash reward.

"Not on me." I lied.

"But!" "But." "But."

The three of us said in unison, causing my sentence to fall dead in its tracks.

"Save your breath, Wizard." The man said in a mocking tone. "We've heard it all before."

"Hard to believe this is is the man worth four thousand Nyra, right Lex?"

"Don't drop your guard." He replied, bouncing me on his shoulder to adjust my weight. "He burned down a third of Salinel in one night."

"Right. Hard to believe he was being as cavalier as he was."

The two continued to converse, pretending I wasn't even there. The mercenaries were right, though. I had walked straight to the nearest port, not avoiding any major roads or dodging any interactions. I told these strangers my real name, not even thinking of the consequences of my actions. I was high on confidence after successfully burning a man alive as well as dozens of homes and businesses, apparently. I learned my lesson though it was far too late. I would spend the rest of my life-

"Wait, did you say four thousand Nyra?" I asked, interrupting my train of thought.

"Yeah." The black-clad woman smiled with the brute before he tossed me up, securing his grip.

"Four thousand," I said, allowing the number to bolster my confidence to ignorant levels once again.

The look of the two bounty hunters changed from glee to confusion as I repeated the numerical value of my worth.

We camped out in a forest about a week's walk away from Salinel. The fire roared in between the three of us. I lay on the ground with my arms and legs bound. Lex stood furthest from the fire, effortlessly splitting pieces of wood with ground-shaking swings of his axe. While Clea sat on the other side of the fire, her eyes never left my presence. Her cowl was off, revealing pointed ears cutting through her blond hair.

I had a plan, not complex but required my presence to go unnoticed long enough for me to dash blindly into the surrounding woods. It wasn't a great plan, but it was better than nothing.

CRACK

Lex split another log, and I could tell his eyes were trained on me too at that moment.

"Don't even think about it." He threatened while setting up another log to split.

"Think about what?" I lied. "My hands and feet are completely restrained. What could I even do right now?"

He wound back and thrust his axe forward in a downward arc.

CRACK

"Just know, your bounty is dead or alive, but we get paid more if you live."

He set up another log. While Clea took her eyes off of me to watch him swing, enamored by his brawn. I felt like the third wheel, but I know both of them would definitely prefer me there, not for the fun reason.

Lex lifted, flourishing his axe a bit before getting into position.

"So just stay there, shut up, and-"

CRACK

Clea jumped to her feet as a vine wider than a fire hydrant struck Lex, causing him to slide ten feet through dead leaves and branches. She threw up her cowl and put herself in front of me with twin daggers drawn and crossed before her.

"Show yourself. Coward!" Clea shouted into the darkness.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Instinctively, I broke down the bindings on my hands and feet, waiting for the perfect opportunity to flee from my captors. Out of the darkness, a figure emerged. Each step echoed through the forest, causing the ground to shake. Whatever it was, it was taller than a bear and had far sharper features. A face peered back through the darkness of a demon face cut from bark. As the fire illuminated the creature, its features bent and twisted into an unnerving smile.

Fuck the perfect moment.

I ran into the woods as fast as I could, Clea turning quickly, shocked at my unbound state. Lex, however, was much more aware. He smashed the handle of his axe into my face, shattering my nose almost instantly. I hit the ground, clutching my face and pulling back blood-covered hands. Standing over me, Lex flipped his blade and prepared for another log-splitting chop. Except for this time, the log was less wooden and more handsome.

"Lex, help." Clea sputtered out.

Head first, she was lifted in the air. Vines hung down from the treetops above and wrapped themselves snugly around her neck. Lex grunted and threw his axe, breaking the vines and dropping her back to the ground.

I stood in awe as the two mercenaries stood side by side against this verdant behemoth. However, I quickly realized I was waiting for the victor to take my own life. As blood gushed down my face, I scampered off into the woods. Passing through the treeline, I could hear a loud thud followed by high-pitched screams, both noises incentivizing me to run much faster.

Suddenly my leg was thrust into the air, with the rest of my body following suit. Looking down, or rather up, I could see a vine clasped firmly around my ankle. I reached up and wrapped my hand around the vine, attempting to deconstruct it. However, it remained unchanged and swung back with the momentum of my updraft. My face landed squarely into the trunk of a tree.

I awoke the following morning with my body swinging gently in the breeze—this time with my body aligned horizontally instead. Sat nearby with their back against a tree trunk was a beautiful... person? They had long blonde hair, sharp features, and large luscious lips. They placed a blade of grass to their lips, releasing a sound more beautiful than any woodwind I'd heard. I rolled on my side in admiration as my body swung gently between the two trees. They noticed my movement and turned in my direction in response.

"No, why'd you stop?" I asked.

Laughter was their only response. Their laugh seemed fueled more by confusion than genuine humor.

"Am I dead?" I asked, remembering my previous night and the juxtaposition of the total bliss I felt.

"No." They replied, showing that beautiful smile to which I've already grown accustomed.

They handed me a small cloth bundle containing some dried meat and a slice of bread. The bread was a little tough, but the company made it taste sweeter than any pastry.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Neverel Raist." They laughed as if someone followed her introduction with a joke. "But my friends call me Nev."

I laughed reflexively. "I'm-"

"Mersault Hood." They finished my sentence.

I struggled in the hammock, trying to escape in fear of another bounty hunter. They turned in response, looking around for any sign of a threat.

"Are you... here to capture me?" I asked.

"Do you... want to be captured?"

"No?"

"Then no."

I laughed in response as I sat upright in the hammock, allowing my feet to touch the ground. That's when I noticed the helm by their side. Instead of metal or leather, it looked like it was carved perfectly from a wood block.

The helm's face held a smirk, twisting and gnarled like something inhuman.