Blackrock Mercenaries

Jenkins lectures on weapon safety were all that stopped me from pulling the trigger the moment I saw it. My heart pounded in my chest, and I watched as the hand withdrew. One, I realised after a moment, that wasn't anywhere near as big as the Tyrants. Was this a junior version, or something else? Either way, it was trouble.

With my gun in my hand, I straightened and tried to peer into the dust cloud. Inside, I could hear Penny fire her weapon, and the sound of steel on wood told me that Rita was fighting. A part of me wanted to run the same way I had when faced with the Varglatog, but there wasn't anywhere to run to.

"Bag," Sasha said from beside me, her words so quiet that I almost missed them.

I picked it up, and she quickly rummaged through it. As she did, I heard Callahan shouting and people scrambling about. A glance in that direction let me spot the workers hurrying towards the bigger of the two buildings as Callahan ran for the smaller one. By the time Sasha had grabbed out a clay ball that was warm when she shoved it into my hands, the wolf man reappeared.

He was holding twin axes, and he let out a howl as he sprinted forward. A thought that I should charge him less for the job with Mr. Linson flashed through my mind. Sasha tugged at my arm, pulled me away from it. She shouted, trying to be heard over the various sounds.

"Throw that! Now!"

"What about the others?" I asked, gesturing to the dust ball.

Sasha shook her head. "They know. Toss it!"

The ball grew hotter in my hand, and I didn't continue to argue. I tossed it as hard as I could, and it flew into the cloud. As it did, Both Penny and Rita scrambled out. Both looked tired already, though I swore the fighting hadn't gone on that long. Rita met my gaze, and she opened her mouth as though to say something when there was a soft whomp behind her.

Fire bloomed, and the dust scattered. By the time I blinked away the effects of the explosion, the others had gathered around me. My attention shifted from a serious-looking Penny to a passive Rita, before the monster's roar stole my focus. When I glanced its way, I found myself both terrified and relieved.

It wasn't as big as the tyrant, nor did it exude its general air of menace. While it still had the basic lamia shape, it was clear it was younger. The wood that made it up didn't have the rotten quality, and the leaves and other foliage that acted as its hair and mane were still a fresh green.

Flames licked along its tail, but it slammed it repeatedly into the ground, clearly trying to put it out. While it did, it didn't appear to be focused on us, a fact I was grateful for. Across the yard, the sound of machinery started up as Callahan reached us, axes held as though ready to swinge.

"Can we kill it?" he demanded.

"Not easily." Rita gestured to it, and I spotted scars, the injuries healing already. "We could probably take it down given enough time, but not while it's regenerating."

Penny's tone was sharp. "The saw then?"

"You think we can get it to stay still long enough?" Sasha demanded, as she struggled to climb to her feet.

I reached out and helped her up, earning me a grateful look as Callahan gave her a shrug. "Maybe? But my boys aren't going to stick around to help out. I don't pay them for it, and I don't expect it."

That made sense to me, and I nodded along with his words. If I wasn't part of the company, I wouldn't be staying either. Though as I glanced at the injured Sasha, I wondered about that. The beast roared, derailing my thoughts, which caused me to spot that the flames in its face were almost out.

"Far be it from me to call a meeting short," I said. "But perhaps we should make a plan?"

Penny let out a small laugh as Rita nodded. "Fine. Let's head out, worse comes to worse, it'll give us things to dodge behind."

We moved as one the best we could. Rita took the front, setting a quick place, as I moved behind her with a limping Sasha. Penny and Callahan took up the rear, and I heard the occasional sounds of combat. A glance showed me the corpses of the occasional baby Timberain littering the ground.

The shadow of the building loomed over us before we made it inside, and I found myself impressed by what I saw. There was an assembly line for logs that fed them towards a large circular saw. It wasn't on, and I saw no signs of the workers. A control room sat above us, at the top of a set of rickety stairs. There was a small pile of logs against one wall, with spaces for more.

Without waiting for instructions, I began taking Sasha in that direction. If I was lucky, the window would be rated for enough damage that we might live a few extra seconds if the Timberaine Prince? I didn't know its name. For whenever the monster undoubtedly decided us being alive, or even nearby, was a problem. No one stopped us, though I heard Penny's gun fire before a roar sounded out.

Underneath my shoes, the metal squeaked, the enchantment on my clothing doing nothing to mute the sound. I set Sasha in a chair, who gave me a grateful smile.

"Thanks," she said, her words slurred.

"It's what I'm here for," I said without thinking as I glanced at the controls. "At least they made this for idiots."

There were three buttons in total. An emergency stop, one to turn it on, and another to set the conveyor belt speed. I had no idea if that was normal, nor did I care. Not when the Timberain Prince forced its way into the building. It was barely small enough to manage it, and it had to stoop down as it slithered forward.

A thick arm lashed out, and Rita ducked under it as Callahan brought his weapons into the monstrosity's tail. Large gashes, bigger than the axe head themselves, appeared along the moss covered wood. He ran as it whipped towards him. Penny bounded on top of the pile of wood, and I watched as she reloaded her weapon with blinding speed.

Once again, another crack, a round hole, appeared in the stump that made up the monster's face. It smoked, and I caught sight of small flames that licked at the insides. The monstrosity lunged at her, and Penny scrambled to vacate her perch. As it reorientated itself, its arms drifted closer to the conveyer belts and my finger hovered on the button.

"Come on," I muttered as I watched the fight below. "Get closer."

It didn't, instead choosing one more to lunge for Penny, who again scramble away. In response, Rita slashed at it, her sword raking down its back. A growl escaped her, though it was lost in the sound of splintering wood. She shifted, barely moving to avoid the counter blow, as Callahan smashed his axes into its tail once again.

The way they fought couldn't be more different. Rita was fluid, moving just enough to not get caught. Callahan, in contrast, didn't seem to care how much energy he spent. He simply wanted to hit and hit hard. They worked well together, and a part of me wondered if they had done it before.

Behind me, I heard Sasha let out a pained breath, and I refocused. Though none of us had really talked about it, I knew my part in this operation. I simply needed it to get close enough. Around and around they saw they fought. Penny was a ghost, vanishing and reappearing as she peppered it with shots. Rita and Callahan slashed at it, but it seemed reluctant to move too far from the doorway.

As I watched its wounds close over, even the flaming bullet that Penny had shot into it finally snuffed out. Though they tried, it was clear it wasn't working. I glanced at Sasha, and an idea came to mind. One I didn't want to have anything to do with. But I knew sometimes the only way to get a client to use your company was to make them flee another. The same logic might work here.

"Do you have another one of those fire bombs?" I asked Sasha.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

She nodded weakly. "Bag."

"Thanks."

I dived in and grabbed one. It was warm to the touch, and I didn't know how long I had with it. My hands trembled as I moved to the stairs and glanced at the door. It was several feet away, further than I could throw it if I wanted it to land outside. Penny materialised beside me, making me jump.

"Money Man, what are you doing?" She asked, attention locked on the creature.

"We need to get it to come in. The plan was to toss this out the door, but…"

I trailed off, and she nodded. "Can't make it from here? Leave it to me. But I'll need a distraction."

"Those two aren't distracting enough?" At her look, I shook my head. "Fine. Give me a second."

A glance around showed me there wasn't much aside from the pile of logs. Ropes held them, and I sighed. The idea I was having was a stupid one. My gun slid out of my waistband with ease, and I aimed at the rope. Penny took the ball and nodded.

"On my mark?" She asked, tone deadly serious.

"Of course."

"One."

As my breathing hitched and I forced it back to normal, the way Jenkins had lectured me about.

"Two."

My finger rested on the trigger, not jerking it the way I wanted to.

"Now."

I fired, and my bullet snapped the rope. The pile moved, but it didn't collapse. Penny was gone, and I scrambled to reload. The bullet clicked as it entered the chamber, and I refocused and took out the other rope. This time the logs fell, and the noise had everyone, including the monster, turn to stare in that direction. In seconds, a fire started behind the creature, who yelled and pushed its way further in.

Without further study of the situation, I raced back to the control room. My hands moved to the controls, and I watched the fight with me continue. The Timberain Prince moved closer in, placing one hand on the conveyor belt as it swiped at Rita. I switched it on, turning it to full power. A mechanical whine filled the air as the belt shifted the arm forward.

Momentarily, I thought it would overbalance, but it steadied itself. An arm swiped at Callahan, who dodged backward at a speed that made me sure he was using a skill. The monster roared, a sound that only grew louder as Rita jumped onto the conveyor belt. It rocketed her forward, and she used the moment to slash at it, her weapon digging deep into its shoulder.

"Go Girl!" Penny shouted as she fired another round, direct into the same point.

The Timberain Prince whirled on her, but she was gone, though it gave Callahan a chance to dig his axe into the same spot. With a sound of tearing wood, the entire arm came off. It rocketed down the conveyor, and the monster jumped on after it. With a grim smile, I switched on the saw blade.

What Rita's sword couldn't do, the massive circular saw could. The monster screamed and tried to roll off, But Callahan and Rita wouldn't let it, slashing at it whenever it tried. Instinct made it try to avoid the blows, which left it hitting the saw at max speed. A mechanical grinding sound filled the air, and I thought for a minute it wouldn't work.

I watched with fascination as it spun against the creature; the saw lodged into the stump that made up its face. It didn't seem like it would be enough, as though there was something stopping it. Penny fired at it again, chipping off a bit of wood, and then Callahan ran up to its head.

He dodged a swing as his axes glowed, and he brought them down. A bright green rock flew out from the newly created gap, skidding along the sawdust covered ground. The saw no longer had any trouble breaking through. In moments, a bisected monster made its way off the conveyor belt and onto the collection point.

"Turn it off!" Callahan shouted up at me.

With a nod, I did that, and the world seemed to fall silent. A check on Sasha showed she wasn't doing well, and with as much care as I could, I brought her down. Rita took the stone, a monster core, and shoved it into my spare hand.

"Hold this."

When she was sure I wouldn't drop it, she turned back to Callahan, who was investigating the corpse. The warehouse was a mess, but he didn't seem to care much. He focused on the beast before him, and he nudged it with his boot. A piece of it dropped away, and I was grateful to see that it didn't return.

"How did this happen?" He asked, and while he didn't direct it at anyone, Rita answered.

"They grow when left alone," she said. "This is proof The Howlers weren't doing their job."

Callahan growled, a deep noise in the back of his throat. "Aye, it is. He can't talk his way out of this one. Not with how people might have gotten hurt. My workers will sort the corpse out. Get Sasha healed. You staying in town?"

"For a day or two, if we can." Ritta nodded.

"Good. You'll be at the meeting, and you have that other job to do."

"Other job?" She glanced at him, but I stepped in.

"A discussion for another time." I gave a small nod to Sasha. "We should get her to Healer Anna."

"Fine."

With a quick round of goodbyes, we made our way back to the coach. Sasha didn't look well, and we were careful to load her in. I made my way to the driver's bench, and we were off. Two guards stopped us at the gate when we reached it, just like I knew they would. Byron wasn't with them, and they appeared nervous as I slid from the driver's seat and approached them. Their apprehension doubled when Rita appeared beside me.

"You're banned by order of—" One began, but I cut them off.

"My bodyguards stay with me, as I negotiated with the mayor last time. We have injured. Surely you heard the commotion at the Lumber Camp? Let us in. Now. Otherwise, I demand to speak to Captain Roderick this instant."

"He's busy." The other guard said, and I looked him over. He was middle aged and a touch portly. "You don't get to make demands."

"Well I do, I have, and I will. Get him. Now. Or move. If she dies because I'm arguing with you, I'll make sure the most important thing you spend your life guarding is a latrine." I snapped at him. "Go!"

"Wait, weren't you the one who brought Reeds back?" The first guard said, a younger man, with bright eyes, and a long skinny tail.

"Yes."

"Oh! Yeah, let them in. Standing orders from the Captain." He saluted. "Sorry, sir."

"I'm sure."

The older guard glared at me, but he didn't stop us from heading inside. It was a slightly different route to Healer Anna's, but we found our way. I parked outside as Penny and Rita took Sasha inside. Anna herself met them at the door, her expression displeased. When she saw me, her scowl deepened.

"Are you going to keep bringing business to my door?" She snapped.

I stroked the side of Thruit's head, and the horse snorted. "When I must. How much?"

"Bah." She snorted. "You couldn't afford it."

"How much?"

My tone seemed to snap her out of it, and she paused. "Four silver."

"Done." I reached into the coin purse that Callahan had given me and counted out the coins.

Healer Anna took them, not bothering to check them as she ushered Sasha inside. I let them go, making sure the horses were well. None seemed worried, and each appeared rather less shaken up than I felt they should be. It made me wonder what these animals had seen. A glance around showed me a group of Howlers had arrived, though none approached. It didn't take long to see why, when I spotted Byron and a few other town guards watching as well.

I nodded to him, and he saluted back, grinning. Time passed, and soon Penny came strolling out by herself. She moved over and leaned against the coach next to me, her hazel eyes locked on the door.

"You found us another job already?" She asked at the same time I asked. "How's Sasha?"

We looked at each other, and she gave a small nod. "Fine. It looked worse than it was."

"Yes, I found us a job," I said when I realised she wasn't going to say anything further. "And I mean us."

"Aww, you want to spend more of your day with me, Money Man? I'm honoured. Here, I thought your morning kisses were enough."

Penny puckered up, and I stepped away from her, earning me a laugh. With a shake of my head, I pulled out the contract that Callahan had signed and showed it to her. She skimmed it and then shrugged before she handed it back to me.

"And?"

"This isn't the actual contract," I said as I stowed it away. "Just a decoy that we'll show Rita if she asks. The proper job is he wants us to break into Mr. Linton's home and find his books. He thinks he's skimming off the top, or something else is going on. I figure you would be interested."

"Also, you thought Rita would turn it down."

I met her grin with a nod. "Yes. Was I wrong?"

"Not at all." She paused. "Tonight?"

"That would be ideal. If we're being dragged to a meeting to deal with the mayor, having more information on our side would be best. Does that work for you?"

She shrugged. "I know the place. Most of the places. Do you have any plans to get inside?"

"No." I shook my head. "If I needed this done, usually I paid people."

"So why are you going yourself this time?"

The question knocked me for a loop. Why was I going by myself this time? It wasn't like I needed to. I could send Penny. She would get it done, I knew she would. But it didn't feel right. She watched me and then grinned.

"Aww, someone has the taste for excitement now," she said, words dripping with amusement.

"That's not it. I just need to see the books myself. We can't remove them, and you won't have time to copy down all the information. One of my skills can."

She snorted with laughter. "Sure. Whatever you say. We'll go tonight, but try not to slow me down."

"I'll do my best," was all I could say, as we waited for Sasha to be alright.