Blackrock Mercenaries

Sasha found the note that held the recipe for the cure first, not that Jackal had made it difficult to find. It was written on the same type of fancy paper as his last missive, and I stood and watched her face as she read it. Penny stood beside me, and we both sighed in relief as she gave a curt nod.

"Any issues?"

"The ingredients might be expensive, but they aren't rare." She paused and looked at me. "We'll have to—"

I waved her off, surprised at how little I cared about the fact it would dip into Rita's bounty fund. "We do what we need to do. How much should we have to spend?"

"Ten gold."

"Ha."

"That's funny?" She gave me an accusatory glare as Penny moved about the stable, investigating every section.

She moved soundlessly, and I couldn't help but let my attention drift to her as she stopped to investigate some discarded hay. I didn't know what, exactly; she expected to find, but I hoped it would help. When she moved out of view, I returned my focus to a still annoyed Sasha.

"It's how much Rita and I earned our first time here. There is something fitting about it, is all."

"A bad time to grow a sense of humour, Chad." She crossed her arms, her tail flicking with obvious displeasure behind her as her yellow eyes narrowed.

"My apologies." I looked back towards the door. "How quickly can you get what we need?"

"Depends on who's around."

I couldn't help but laugh again. It seemed the best way to get rid of my rising panic. "Doesn't it always? Ask Jasper and get the Mayor to help. No. Scrap that. I'll get The Mayor. I need to get him out of the carriage, anyway."

"On it."

Neither of us worried about Penny as we moved off to do our individual tasks. I moved towards the horses, glad to see no obvious signs of tampering. I would have to check them before we went. They may not keep up with a single horse over a long distance, not with the coach load, but in a short sprint, we had them dead to rights. His lead wasn't that long, and I knew these horses.

"Mayor." I called out as I banged on the door. "Get out here."

He didn't keep me waiting long, and I tossed all propriety of the window when I grabbed him and pulled him out. His spluttering and protests fell on deaf ears as I pushed him towards the chest. Only after he got started helping me with the ropes did, I explained the situation. At the mention of what Rita had done, his eyes went wide.

"She left willingly?"

"Did she truly have a choice?" I had to hold back the urge to snap at him as we got off the back of the coach. "Come. You need to keep an eye on things here while I go after her."

For a moment, I thought he was going to argue. Then I spotted him looking behind me. When I whirled, I saw Penny, gun in her arms, and watching me with a blank stare. She didn't need to ask the question.

"We're going as soon as we get the chest inside. Get anything out that could slow us down."

She nodded. "I'll rip the chairs out."

"No." I winced. "Don't destroy it. Any clothes or the like. Anything anyone packed goes inside."

"Fine."

There was a petulance there, but I knew she wouldn't go overboard. With her working, I helped the Mayor drag the chest in, and then handed the key for it to Sasha. She barely glanced from where she was, informing Jasper about his role. For his part, anytime he got a word in edgeways he was offering reassurances and pleas in equal measure.

Sasha was having none of it, especially not as Maddison and Theo groaned nearby. It took a moment to get her attention.

"Do you need anything else from me?"

"No." She shook her head. "Go get her."

"On it."

With nothing left to say, I returned to the coach and hopped into the driver's seat. Penny was already there, gun in her lap, and facing away from me. I raised an eyebrow and nodded back to the coach.

"You don't want to sit inside?" A quick flick of the reins, the sound of hoofbeats slogging their way up to a canter, accompanied my question.

"That'll just impede my shot. He's going the same way we were. It's the quickest way to get to Peol if he veers off through the grasslands around Crecia."

I laughed as we raced through the streets and out the gate. My reckless driving forced a few people to jump out of the way, but I found I cared little. My mind was elsewhere. Jackal had taken Rita. We needed her back. I needed her back. Not only because she was my boss, but we had a contract that I had to fulfil.

It would be bumpy with Sasha having to dip into our savings, but that wasn't a big issue. How hard could it be to earn another ten golds? I knew that wasn't the real reason I was worried, but it worked as a distraction all the same. My hands tightened on the reins until they hurt.

"We'll get her back. We have to."

The thought came with an emotional blow that made me stagger as we raced out of the gates, ignoring the guards that shouted after us. I ignored them, even as Penny shouted something back. It didn't matter. Rita did.

As soon as the sound of hooves hitting dirt instead of cobblestones filled my ears, I urged the horses faster. Their breathing was steady as they pulled us along, the roadside getting blurry as we picked up speed. My legs shook, and I thought about how I felt when we had faced the Tyrant for the first time.

This wasn't quite the same, but it was closer than I would like. Penny was shooting me a look. Ones of approval, perhaps. I couldn't focus on her, though. The horses had all my attention. They couldn't stumble now. Not now.

A hand touched my shoulder, and the pressure there was all that told me I was sitting hunched up. Penny's voice filled my ear, her tone determined and sure.

"He's gone this way. We'll get him."

"How can you be sure?"

I knew I shouldn't be questioning her, but I couldn't help the worry. What if Jackal had gone off the road? Doubled back to pull some kind of trick? We didn't know who he was reporting to, or why. This was blind hope. It gnawed at me; I hated to be without a better version of a plan.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a choice. We had to catch him. Penny's hand gripped my shoulder tighter, and I felt claws digging into my skin. I didn't protest the feeling, leaning into it. The sensation of keeping me grounded and making it easier to look after the horses.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Because there is nowhere else for him to go. He mentioned the Peol Mercenaries, and they are stationed in Peol itself. He'll take the main road, because it's patrolled and monster free. As a courier, he'll have a readymade excuse for the guards, especially if he claims he's fulfilling a bounty."

Her words weren't her usual airy ones, feeling more like something I would say. I took the chance to glance at her, and she wasn't looking at me. No. Her focus was on something in the distance that I couldn't see.

"Besides, he won't want to risk getting involved with roaming monsters. That will delay him and give Rita a chance to escape."

She was right, more than likely, and I knew it. My emotions settled somewhat as I thought about that goblin that had attacked me. It wouldn't pose a threat to someone like Jackal, but it would be an annoyance. Rita was smart too, and strong. There was no way she wouldn't use it to her advantage.

"Good. Keep us steady. I'm going on the roof. I want to be in position for when we spot them."

"On it."

My tone was flat as she climbed onto the roof, and I heard her position herself after setting up her gun. Around us, I saw the start of the grasslands, and the dirt road I had run along. Ahead of me, the horses were breathing harder. Though they were sharing the load, none of them were truly built for sprinting while pulling a coach.

"Come on," I thought, as I urged them on. "A little more. That's all you need."

"There!" Penny yelled from behind me.

I couldn't see what she did, but I trusted her judgement. My gun was burning a hole in my pocket. It wanted to be used. That wouldn't be necessary. Penny was the marksman. She could make the shot.

Hubarrah was the only one not breathing heavily now, but I didn't let them slow, not when I saw the dot on the horizon. The dot grew bigger and bigger, and soon I could just make them out. Two people on a horse that looked like it was slowing down. I couldn't tell if Rita was bound, or who was sitting where, but I knew I didn't need to.

"Just a bit more," I heard Penny mutter. "Come on."

I couldn't do much else, but keep us steady as we raced ahead. Meter by meter, we caught up with them, until I could make out more details. The horse wasn't doing well, and Jackal was bent over Rita, who was sitting sidesaddle, and bound with rope.

"Now."

To my shock, Jackal appeared to shift seconds before I heard the crack of Penny's rifle. The bullet took him in the shoulder, and he let out a cry of pain. He swayed, almost falling off the horse, but he stayed on. In his arms, Rita struggled, but the way she was bound left her little chance.

"Damn him and his skills," Penny snarled.

Though I shared her sentiment, I kept us on task. Thundering hooves filled the air, and I smiled as I spotted something in the distance. My old coach. With careful movements, I grasped the reins with one hand, and then reached into my pocket and pulled out my gun.

"You can't kill me," Jackal said, his voice still sounding too normal to my ears. "Let's make a deal. You let me go, and we'll cut you in. That's more your style than all this, isn't it?"

Another look at the coach, broken in the grasslands, hurt. Back then, I had been the one at the end of a gun asking for a deal. My assailant hadn't taken it. Thus, I suppose, neither would I. Fitting, in a way.

"No."

This time, he didn't dodge. The bullet slammed into his mask and cracked it, knocking him off the horse. Rita fell with him, her body collapsing on top of his. His horse screamed and bolted, and it took a while to get mine to stop. When I did, I saw Penny had jumped off, and was helping untie Rita.

"Is he still alive?" I called back as I walked the horses back to them.

"No. You did a good job."

Rita gave me a full smile as she got to her feet and looked at the man lying there. He seemed smaller now, somehow. Less of a threat. Roughly, she pulled the mask away to reveal an ordinary-looking man.

"This reminds me of the graveyard," she said, with a shake of her head. "It wasn't a monster then, either."

I nodded along with her words, unsure how to say that I was pleased she was alright. "That it was not. So, boss. What do we do now?"

"Put him with your other one and then return to Ophilim?" There was a small smile on her face.

"Right." I chuckled. "Are you going to blackmail me about this one as well?"

"Maybe simply offer you a job."

Penny looked between us, expression lost, though cheerful once again. With a shake of my head, I grabbed his legs, and we moved the body out of the way and into the grasslands. After stripping him of anything valuable, we left back to Ophilim and the chance to rest.

***

I sat on the driver's bench, Rita beside me, as we made our way closer to Crecia's gates two days after chasing down Jackal. Penny had wanted to leave immediately after we returned, but I vetoed the decision. Our horses needed a rest, and for more than a day.

Behind us, Sasha sat with a cured Maddison and Theo in the back of the coach as Penny heavily embellished the details of our chase. The mayor was with them too, and our newly filled chest, thanks to Maddison and Theo, pitching in. It seemed both had bloomed into quite the little entrepreneurs.

There was a line to get into the city, and we waited to drive inside. It felt odd once we made it in. The sheer amount of people was almost oppressive after spending so much time in small towns and hamlets. Rita was looking around, eyes narrowed as though she expected to be attacked at any moment. Not that I blamed her.

With care, we moved down the broad streets until we found the local bounty office. I hitched up the horses, and Rita moved to help the others out. That done, I led the small procession into the building itself.

The office wasn't much to speak of. A counter ran along the back wall, enchanted glass protecting those that sat behind it from anyone who didn't like the answer they received. Eyes watched us as we made our way inside.

"What are we paying again?" Maddison whispered to Penny, who laughed as she reexplained it to the children.

I initially hadn't wanted them to come, but they had wanted to see the city, and leaving them around Mr. Withers felt worse. With a confident air, I strode up to an occupied desk and sat as The Mayor took another seat nearby.

"Name?" the clerk, a middle-aged man, said, his suit immaculate but cheap.

"Chad Burling, here to pay on behalf of my employer, Miss Thrumlin. Physical currency, no barter."

He nodded, a slight look of respect in his eye at my speech. "If you'll wait for me to pull up the account, sir?"

"Of course." My gaze never left him as he moved to get a ledger, and then quickly leafed through it. His eyes flicked across the pages, and then a small frown crossed his face, one that deepened. "Sir. This account can only be closed by management. Would you be willing to wait?"

"Why?" Rita asked, before I could step in.

"Above my pay grade, ma'am."

His seat squeaked as he rapidly departed, and I sat, curious, as Rita crossed her arms from her spot standing beside me. All the eyes on the room were on us, but I ignored them, simply watching the door the man had vanished through.

Minutes later, an elderly gentleman with a cane moved through. Lion ears streaked with silver poked out of his mess of hair, and his tail dragged behind him like a wait. He waved off the assistance of our previous clerk before he sat down.

"Mr Burling," he said, his voice powerful despite his age. "You wish to close the Thrumlin account?"

I nodded politely as Rita scowled beside me. "We do. The money is here and accounted for. Is there an issue?"

"Hmmm."

The rumble was deep and seemed to fit the mood as he flipped through a heavy book. We waited for each of his slow movements, and then he pointed at a section. I leaned in, reading it, although it was upside down.

"Any payments must be made in full with amounts counted by—"

He covered the page and raised an eyebrow at me, and I shrugged in response. I wasn't concerned he had caught me. That we had to pay in full and with witnesses didn't shock me, either.

"We have the money. If you would be so kind as to count it out?"

There was a look in his eye, as though he wanted to deny me. I waited, curious to see what he would do. Then he smiled and nodded.

"My pleasure."

We worked together to count it out, and then he handed us the single most important slip of paper I had held in what felt like forever. I passed it to Rita, who stared down at it, slightly dumbfounded.

"It's done?" She asked, her eyes wide and her tail swishing with excitement.

"Yes." I stood and found myself shocked when she hugged me. "Shall we get these kids some proper food?"

Penny and the children cheered as we made our way out of the office, Mayor Gage in tow. As we were leaving, I looked over my shoulder and saw the way the lion man was watching me. How he tipped his head.

"This isn't over, I suppose."

Rita's tail flicked against me, and I found myself brought into the present once more. The rest of the day was touring the city, and then dinner. Penny and Sasha laughed as the two children ate their fill. I simply sat back and watched, thinking back to how this all started.

"So what's next?" Rita asked from her spot beside me.

"We return the horses to Reeds. Then I have a few ideas about how to earn some more money. I have a class upgrade to get, after all."

She smiled, and together we glanced out the window and thought about what would come next.

THE END