《Alliance by Marriage》Chapter 20
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I jump aside, turning around, raising my sword, and, sure enough, there's a man flying straight at me. I almost slash at him before I realize that he's falling, not jumping.
Only barely missing the tip of my sword, Hugo crushes to the ground and remains there, motionless. On the back of his head, blood begins to filter through his messy hay-colored hair.
I look up from him in time to see Messenio come at me.
There's a moment of utter incomprehension, my brain scrambling for explanations. Perhaps he thinks that Hugo has attacked me? Or that Hugo has kidnapped Emilio? I'm on the verge of addressing him when he swings his sword. Instincts throw my hand up, steel clashes on steel, and it becomes clear his intentions are anything but friendly.
We separate, and he charges again, determination in his eyes. My mind is still in turmoil, but my body moves on its own accord. It's well familiar with the dance, both from the real fights and the training sessions, where Messenio has too often been my partner. He knows my style. I can tell by how he repeatedly feigns swings before coming at me for real that he's putting his knowledge of my swordsmanship's weaker spots to good use.
Still, I'm able to block his swings, and a window or two present themselves when I can slice at his neck or stab him in the chest. Yet I hold my hand. My mind is still grasping at the hope that this must be a mistake. Why would Messenio, my general, my friend, my blood –
"Because of him?" I growl as our swords clash again, bringing his face close to mine. "You did this to get him?"
It makes a semblance of sense, given his interest in Emilio that manifested in his constant sleazy jokes and comments. Perhaps he's decided to act on it at last, intending to get rid of Emilio to conceal his crime. It could explain him attacking me now, for he knows the punishment for compromising the honor of my wives.
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He doesn't answer, and our blades clash again. We circle each other, our feet occasionally slipping on the treacherous mossy surface.
"Talk to me!"
He only slashes at me again. I avoid him easily. He's panting, trails of sweat running down his face and neck, disappearing under the collar of his shirt. His attacks are getting clumsier as he's getting tired—but he wears me out as well. We must wrap it up, and yet I can't find it in me to stab him.
It's Emilio who finally pushes me into the right mindset. As we move about, my eyes fall on him, registering once again the bruised face and the torn clothes. Messenio did this, knowing full well that he was mine, unarmed, unable to protect himself. Rage rises in me again, lending strength to my hand.
I press Messenio toward the trees with my blows. He backs away at first, parrying them, then stops.
"Die already," he growls, swinging at me.
In a swift motion, I step into the ark of his swing, and bury my sword under his ribs.
A momentary rush of triumph quickly dissipates in the realization of what I have done. This is Messenio, my childhood friend, one of the dearest people in my life. I stand there, numb, as he collapses at my feet. His sword sticks upright in the moss and remains there, forgotten.
"Why?" I say, getting on one knee next to him. "Messenio, why?"
He doesn't answer, turning his face away, pushing it into the moss. Shivers run through his body. His breaths become shorter and farther in between. His body tenses one more time, and then it becomes limp, tilting slowly to one side.
I sit there, numb, staring, fighting the ridiculous impulse to touch him, to pat him on the shoulder, like I did so many times. Yet I shouldn't feel that way. He tried to kill me. He's betrayed me. He doesn't deserve my grief.
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Small choking noises reach my ears and I look up to find Emilio curled on the ground, his shoulders shaking. I watch him numbly for a while, then wipe sweat out of my eyes and get up, using my sword for support.
The birds that went briefly quiet during our fight are beginning to chirp again. I bend down briefly over Hugo's prostrate body to check his pulse. It's beating steadily, but the gush on the back of his head looks nasty. He will need help. He's not the only one, though.
I kneel next to Emilio and try to turn him to his back, but he remains curled on his side, his muscles locked, his face hidden, his body shuddering with sobs. I reach for the ropes binding his wrists behind his back. My sword is too long for this job, so I put it away, retrieve my dagger and begin to cut. The steel is sharp, and soon the rope falls to the ground in pieces, exposing the chaffed, bloodied skin underneath. I let go of his hands and he brings them to his chest, completing the ball shape.
"Hey," I say, patting him on the back. "Calm down."
Yet he's too far gone to obey. My fingers encounter one of the many tears on his clothes, and feel the damp, shuddering flesh underneath. The way his clothes are partly torn and partly missing—was there a fight?
Was there a rape?
"What has he done to you?"
The way he tenses even further under my hand gives an approximation of an answer. I sit there, torn between the pity for his suffering and the anger at the man who has caused it. Yet the man can't be killed again, while the suffering is real and begs for relief. I don't know how to provide it, though. I'm more apt in causing suffering than relieving it.
I lean over, put my hands around him, and move him a bit so that his head and his upper body rest on my knees. He's not struggling, but his body is rigid, unbending. I can't see much of his face, and when I try to brush his hair out of the way, the strands keep sticking to his dirty wet cheeks.
I look down, unsure of how to fix this broken thing. I wish I could simply order him to pull himself together, but he's way past obeying orders.
"Hush," I say, and run my hand down his shoulder, then brush it through his hair in an awkward motion, the way I saw nurses sooth wounded soldiers.
Yet his wounds aren't just physical, and I don't know how to reach them.
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8 76Somnium
Something happened to Ria, she was supposed to be dead. Now she is in another world. The world of Somnium. A mysterous place filled with adventure, fantastical beasts, dungeons, heros and magic. But it's not real. It's man made, and there are more people than just Ria here. Trapped or saved? Somnium is broken, it was never finished by it's creators and something is trying to take over, trying to remake and control the world and its people. Ria must make her way in the world, survive it's strange environments, monsters and fight to protect her new world. Because its the only one she has left. (update edit: 7/3/2020) there have been some changes in the chapter order made. Old chapter 3 is gone, chapters have been re-numbered to reflect this. this results in no plot changes as chapter 3 was not following the main character. Other characters shall be released at a later time and more fully fleshed out. - thanks
8 53Verbundener Geist
Yolthem. To be born here is a curse for some and a blessing for others.The Eldritch create havoc, “blessing†some with their power and driving others to utter madness. Spirits give people the ethereal power of Arcane, a force that no mortal can naturally wield that defies all laws of the universe. Blood and those that devour or revel in it reign supreme during the night and bide their time during the day. Mortals cower and pray to beings they do not understand for salvation that will not come while those of the cloth fight to protect them. None of this concerned our protagonist until their souls was bound to another against their will. Now they have two options.Help or hinder.Tags subject to change.**Once we get going past the set up expect very detailed description (of everything) and topics that may make you very uncomfortable. This may include but is not limited to: Religious fanaticism, extreme violence and gore, morally disgusting actions (torture, abuse, etc.) and more. You have been warned.**
8 90Tales From Mirthland: Swords for Hire
Desperate for cash, a pair of married mercenaries take an easy job with a huge payday. All they need to do is escort a publisher and his manuscript to the big city. But as they get closer to their destination, their "easy" job turns deadly. What secrets is their client hiding, and is that a ninja chasing them?
8 125The Mad, The Broken, and The Lost
A Half-Elf tortured and forced to become a dungeon core is out for revenge. Death has had enough of the upstart Gods that call themselves Kings. The Madman has chosen a vessel. They will not stop until the oceans are red with the blood of their enemies and tears stream down the faces of those that they hate.
8 148IPWTVC[COMPLETED]
DescriptionThe older sister flees from her wedding to be with her lover, and her younger sister is forced to take her place in marrying a very powerful man.As luck would have it, she ends up transmigrating into the body of that younger sister.Although the man that she weds is very powerful, he's the irredeemable final villain.All villains are doomed to a bleak ending. And, as this villain's wife, she's afraid that her ending won't be good either.Fortunately, the older sister had gone back in time after having experienced a lifetime of suffering. This prodigal daughter returns to the turning point of her life. Pointing at her younger sister, she demands for her younger sister to hand over her husband.Looking at this beautifully crying older sister, Ye Zhen swiftly yields and says, "Older sister, don't worry. I haven't even done anything with brother-in-law!"To her shock, she later discovers that she's pregnant.With tears in her eyes, her older sister says, "Didn't you say that nothing happened between the two of you?"Ye Zhen looks at the great villain that doggedly pursues her. She is utterly and totally doomed.There's a great villain lying next to her, and she's pregnant with a mini villain. How's she suppose to survive?!Later on, as Ye Zhen watches the great villain putting the baby down and changing the diaper, she sighs. "There's nothing that can be done. I've already missed the golden opportunity to turn things around. How can I leave now?"
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