Chapter 17

Deals Behind Others

The guards posted at the outside of Grand Ravine were expecting a regular day on the job with nothing interesting happening. However, the two guards were shaken out of their boredom by the sight of Erin and Ryle walking up to them while looking worse for wear. Even if wandering around the area wasn’t usually a big deal, the two bounty hunters were carrying a decapitated head with them. The scent of blood attracted beasts to them from afar, forcing them to fight for survival more than once.

Without even saying a word, the two ladies stopped in front of the guards and pulled out their ID cards, hoping to get the whole checking thing out of the way so they could get home and rest.

“Ummm… Thank you for your cooperation,” one of the guards said awkwardly as he checked the cards before looking at the bag that Ryle was carrying. “I do have to ask, though. What is in that bag? It smells strange.”

The blonde woman let out a frustrated sigh as she pulled out Balrus’s head without saying a word. At first, the guards were shocked by the sight of a decapitated head, but upon recognizing who it belonged to they relaxed somewhat.

“O-Oh my! You actually managed to take out quite the notorious bandit leader!” the guard said as he remembered who Balrus was. “You’re free to enter! Thank you for taking care of that criminal!”

Erin and Ryle didn’t even say a word in response as they walked past the guards and entered the town. They stopped at a more quiet place in order to discuss their next course of action. The two of them might have been very tired, but they still needed to bring Balrus’s head to the proper authorities. They could do it later, but te idea of carrying a decapitated head around wasn’t exactly a pleasing thought.

“We should go to whatever place it is that we need to bring this head to and collect our bounty,” Erin said. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to have that thing with us any longer.”

“Hey, I don’t like this thing anymore than you do. Not only does it smell like blood, but it has the horrible stench of its owner mixed in it as well. And remember, my nose is way stronger than yours,” Ryle said as she glared at the bag she was carrying. “But can’t we do that tomorrow? It’s not like the bounty office is going to suddenly disappear, right?”

“Okay. Let me ask you this then,” the redhead said in a somewhat stern tone. “Do you want to sleep next to that smelly thing and not only risk having the smell get stuck on you, but also having someone steal it? Personally, I’d rather avoid both of those things as much as possible.”

“Fine! You take it to the bounty office then, since you’re so concerned,” the blonde said as she offered the bag to her partner.

“I would, but I have no idea where the bounty office is!” Erin stated. “Look, let’s just go there together and get this whole thing cleared out. Then we can go back and get some rest finally.”

Ryle cursed under her breath as she began to lead the way with Erin following behind her. The two bounty hunter didn’t walk far, until they met Zeke on their way, who seemed to be waiting for them.

“Hello, you guys. I’m glad to see that you’re both alright,” the blonde youngster said with a smile. “I was starting to get worried when you weren’t returning. It’s a relief that neither of you seem to be badly hurt, even if I can tell things didn’t exactly go easy with you.”

“Awww… You don’t need to worry about me! You know I can-,” Ryle began to say as she stepped closer to hug her brother, only for him to back away.

“Sorry, sis, but you kind of smell,” Zeke said while still smiling. “What exactly happened with you two?”

“Oh, come on! Don’t you think you’re being a bit too harsh to your sister!?” the blonde woman whined. “Besides, we just went through a lot of trouble in order to get this bounty. Not only did Balrus turn out to be much more difficult to handle than we thought, but we had to run from all sorts of beasts just to get here! The freaking blood from the head had all the animals in the area coming after us!”

“That’s unfortunate and I would love to make you feel better, but I’d prefer to keep the smell of blood and whatever else is mixed in that off my body,” the boy said before turning his attention towards Erin. “Thank you for helping my sister. I wouldn’t have ever let her take on such a task on her own.”

“It’s alright. She helped me out quite a bit as well,” the redhead replied. “The way I see it, I owe her just as much as she owes me. In other words, we’re even.”

“Yeah! You should have totally seen us in action, Zeke!” Ryle exclaimed happily as she put an arm around Erin’s shoulders and pulled her close. “We were totally kicking ass out there! I doubt those bandits are going to continue in their line of work after what we put them through!”

“I’m not sure if I completely agree with that statement, but I’d say we did pretty well,” the redhead said with a smile.

“I’m happy to hear that. By the way, were you two about to go to the bounty office?” Zeke asked to which he received a nod from both women. “Actually, Ms. Erin, could you go back to our place ahead of us? We’ll take care of the bounty.”

“I don’t see any issue with that, but why do you want me to go to your home first?” Erin asked. “Shouldn’t I come to the bounty office with you two?”

“This is just a precaution on my part. I just don’t want anyone to recognize you and try to claim the bounty on your head,” the blonde boy explained. “I also wish to discuss something with my sister in private. Is that alright with you?”

“I’m fine with that,” the redhead replied and started to walk back to where the two siblings lived. “I’ll see you two later then.”

After waving goodbye to her friends, Erin began to think about some of the things she had learned about Zeke from Ryle. The blonde woman had claimed that her brother had serious trust issues due to a rough past. However, from what she could tell, this didn’t seem to be the case at all. In fact, Zeke had been nothing but kind and polite towards her. Not to mention, he had even trusted her with his sister’s life. The redhead didn’t know whether Ryle had exaggerated her stories or if Zeke was simply being trustful towards her due to some circumstances. Whatever the case, she couldn’t help but smile, as she felt like things were finally looking good for her.

As she was walking, Erin suddenly stopped upon noticing a sweet smell in the air. She turned her head and saw a bakery that seemed to be offering all sorts of sugary goods. It was then that an idea hit her. The redhead still had some money on her, so she could buy something nice for Ryle and Zeke in order to show just how grateful she was for their hospitality. Not only that, but she could get something for the kids that had helped her when she had been recovering as well.

With a smile on her face, Erin entered the bakery, not knowing that this one decision was going to save her life.

Back with Ryle and Zeke, the two siblings were walking together. The older of the two was waiting for her younger brother to start talking, as he claimed to have something he wanted to talk about with her, but had been completely silent so far. The silence was starting to get a bit awkward, so she decided to break it.

“So, Zeke, what did you want to talk about?” Ryle asked her brother with a smile. “You know that you can talk to me about anything that’s on your mind, right? No need to be shy about it. Also, why did you need to speak with me alone? I’m sure whatever it is, I doubt having Erin around would be such a big issue.”

“Actually, this is a bit of a personal thing for just the two of us, so I’d say it’s better for her not to be there,” Zeke replied. “After all, what I want to talk to you about is in regards to her.”

“What is it?” the blonde woman asked with a raised eyebrow before an idea popped up in her head. “Oh Zeke… Don’t tell me that this is about your trust issues. Take it from someone that has not only been saved by her but also worked with her, you don’t need to fear betrayal from her at all.”

“That isn’t the thing I wished to discuss with you,” the younger sibling said. “While this does concern her, it would probably be more accurate to say that this is more about the two of us. Erin just happens to be connected to what we need to talk about.”

“Okay? I’m not sure I completely-” Ryle began to say, only for her to notice that they had just walked past the bounty office. “Hey, slow down a bit! We just passed the office and I need to bring this head there to get the reward!”

“Oh right. The bounty on Balrus,” Zeke said calmly before taking the bag from his sister and dumping in a nearby trash can. “No need for that anymore. Come on.”

“WHAT THE HELL, ZEKE!?” the older sibling screamed angrily. “Do you have any idea how much trouble Erin and I went through to get that!? You might be my brother, but I’m not about to forgive something like this easily!”

“You will. Right after you see what I have prepared for us,” the younger sibling said with a smile. “What I’ve got for you will make the bounty on Balrus look like pitiful pocket change in comparison.”

Ryle was confused by what Zeke had just said but followed him regardless. She wasn’t sure what he exactly had planned, yet went along with him anyways. After all, he was the one person in the world she could trust no matter what.

Eventually, the two siblings arrived to the walled off area where the town’s elite lived. Ryle wondered for a moment if her brother had gone in the wrong direction or something, as she couldn’t imagine either of them ever being allowed inside. However, Zeke surprised her by walking up to the gate and speaking to the guard.

“Hello. Could you contact General Lune?” the blonde boy asked the guard. “Tell him that Zachary Rafford is here with his sister to discuss business.”

The guard nodded and went inside the guard post where the gate was controlled. Moments later, the gate began to open, allowing the two siblings to walk in.

“Come on, Ryle. Let’s go inside,” Zeke called out to his sister. “We shouldn’t make the general wait. I’ve heard he isn’t exactly a patient man.”

“Y-You’re going to meet with Lune?” Ryle asked with wide eyes. “Why!? What’s going on!?”

“It will all become clear soon enough. You just need to trust me, okay?” the younger sibling answered and offered a hand to his sister. “You do trust me, right?”

Despite hesitating for a moment, Ryle took her brother’s hand and allowed him to lead her inside the walled off area of the town. The blonde bounty hunter couldn’t help but be worried over whatever her younger sibling was planning, but she still trusted him above anything else and couldn’t help but follow along.

It didn’t take long for the two siblings to find the residence at which Lune was staying at. The general himself walked up to his two guests while offering a smile that sent shivers down Ryle’s spine, as she could tell just how fake it was.

“If it isn’t Zachary! I’ve been hoping to hear from you ever since our little talk,” Lune said happily to Zeke. “I trust that you have the person I’m looking for at your home right now?”

“That is correct, general,” the blonde boy replied with a smile. “Your men should be able to get her easily. Not only is she unaware of your attack, but she is also quite tired right now and the slums don’t have any viable escape routes. She won’t be able to slip through your fingers again.”

“Excellent! I am happy to hear that!” the general exclaimed with a wide smile. “With this, I am sure to get promoted to the highest position possible! I might even become a personal aide to one of our five lords themselves.”

Zeke was about to say something, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He was turned around to stare into the horrified eyes of his older sister.

“Zeke, what the hell is going on!?” Ryle asked in a panicked tone. “What is this deal that you’re talking about!? Just what have you done!?”

“I’ve just secured our future, sis. That is all,” the younger sibling said calmly with a gentle smile on his face. “Turns out Erin is quite the wanted person. I looked into information regarding her and her bounty was actually recently doubled, due to her escape from Rockmoore. With that much money, we won’t have to worry about making ends meet ever again. That’s why I got into contact with General Lune and made a deal with him.”

“You… You sold out Erin to him?” the older sibling asked in disbelief before grabbing the front of her brother’s shirt. “HOW COULD YOU!? SHE NOT ONLY TRUSTED US BUT HELPED US AS WELL! HOW COULD YOU BETRAY HER LIKE THAT!?”

“HOW CAN YOU BE SO DAMN NAIVE!?” Zeke yelled back, shocking Ryle. She had never been yelled at by her brother before in her life. “In this world, the only people we can trust are each other! She might not have harmed us yet, but who knows what she would have done in the future!? Even if she would never do such a thing, betraying her was more than worth it.”

“Zeke, this isn’t right! Can’t you see what you’ve become!?” Ryle pleaded with tears threatening to fall from her eyes. “Don’t you remember how we were betrayed for just a few bucks!? How money was more important to people over our lives!? You’re basically the same!”

“I’m NOT the same! I just hold YOUR life far more important than anything else!” the younger sibling said, causing his sister’s eyes to go wide. “Do you have any idea how it felt for me? To know that you were going to all those dangerous jobs, hunting down vicious criminals for my sake, while all I could do was provide only very little to help you? Every time I saw you return with wounds and bruises on your body, I felt like my heart would break apart! All I wanted was for you to stop doing such work, but I knew you would never do so! Not until I was cured at the very least! But now we will have all the money we could ever need! You don’t have to risk your life anymore! Isn’t that a good thing!?”

Ryle tried to argue back, but she couldn’t. While she knew what they were doing to Erin was wrong, she could imagine herself doing the same in Zeke’s position. If her beloved brother was going around, risking his life for her sake, she would do anything she could to make him stop.

“I’m sorry to interrupt your little family discussion, but I’d like for us to return to the business at hand,” Lune suddenly called out to the siblings. “Now, Zachary, I believe you told me that the person I was looking for was at your home, correct? And that my men would have no trouble getting her?”

“That is correct. She will most likely go rest at our house after her journey,” Zeke replied. “I can give you directions and an accurate description of the building, so your men won’t have to waste time looking for it.”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” the general waved off the offer. “After all, my men will simply burn the whole slum to the ground anyways, so why bother?”

Upon hearing what Luna said, both siblings went wide-eyed instantly and pale. They turned to stare at the general in absolute shock, hoping that he had just not said what they think he said.

“E-Excuse me, General Lune, sir? I don’t believe that was part of the deal!” Zeke stated. “I believe you agreed to only arrest Erin and that’s all! No one else was supposed to get hurt!”

“I know that! I’m going to do exactly what I told you when we made our deal,” Lune said with a smirk. “I will only arrest Erin. That is what I promised you, isn’t it? I won’t arrest anyone else, but I never said anything about any other things I might do.”

“Why you dirty son of a-!” Ryle began to curse the general and was about to attack him had it not been for her brother holding her back.

“Wait, Ryle! Wait! I get that you’re angry, but that won’t do anything at this point!” Zeke told his sister. “I feel bad for the people in the slums as well, but there’s nothing we can do about that now! If we act up now, all that will do is make us more enemies than we could ever handle!”

“Yes, listen to your brother. He is quite smart, unlike you are,” Lune taunted the blonde woman, who was gritting her teeth from sheer anger. “If you were to strike me, the two of you would just end up dead, instead of becoming slaves.”

“WHAT!?” the younger of the two siblings yelled out of shock. “General, what the hell-!?”

Before Zeke could do anything, Lune pulled out a gun and shot the blonde boy in the leg, causing him to fall to the floor while screaming in pain. Ryle immediately went to check up on her brother, before looking up at the general with hatred burning in her eyes.

“YOU FILTHY BASTARD! WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL!?” the blonde woman shouted angrily. “DIDN’T ZEKE HOLD HIS END OF THE DEAL!?”

“Indeed he did, like a good boy. However, why would I have to do the same?” Lune asked. “Did either of you two really believe that you were somehow equal to me or some other nonsense like that? Let me tell you that trash like you are far beneath someone like me. I have absolutely no obligation to do anything for you, no matter what it is. You were just being used by me for my own convenience and that’s it.”

“I’m gonna-!” Ryle began to say, only to stop upon hearing several firearms get readied. She looked around her and saw several of Lune’s men with rifles pointing at her.

“Now, I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Even if you are fast enough to avoid all the shots aimed at you, I doubt your brother is, especially in his condition,” Lune said in a mocking tone. “Besides, I’d hate to harm either of you any further. I know some people that would pay good money for you, so I’d like to keep the damage to a minimum.”

Despite wanting nothing more than to go and smash the general’s head into bits, the blonde woman had to surrender. She knew that even if she was able to escape this predicament against all odds, Zeke wouldn’t make it through. All she could do was surrender and hope for a chance to escape.

As the handcuffs were put on her and she was taken away, Ryle hoped that Erin would be able to escape Lune’s men.