Promises of Glory

“The world is as small as you make it, and as big as you wish it.”

-The First King, Mellake

With a flick of her wrist, her dagger went tumbling into the air, twisting and twirling in magnificent spirals. The dark of the night hid her face better than the hood over her head. Her voice came in a rough whisper, her natural ‘talking to clients’ voice. “What can I do you for?”

The woman trembled, scared beyond her wits end. Rhode wondered if it was because of her or someone else. “I-” she stuttered over the word. “I need you to kill someone.”

“Easier said than done,” Rhode kicked off from her slouching position on the wall. It was easy the way she slid into old habits, like that little part of her, the part of her that was becoming purer every moment she was with Livinus, didn’t exist. She saddled up to the woman with a predator’s ease. She flicked the blade with her thumb, saying, “I’m a thief, not a murderer.”

The woman was trying not to call out, knowing even if she did, she’d probably be raped in the thin alley way. They would say she was asking for it, being out so late at night, all alone. After all, Rhode wouldn’t stick around the moment the lady screamed. “I’ve heard rumors, that for a price you’ll take someone’s head.”

“For a price?”

She said more firmly, “Everyone has a price.”

Rhode smiled, “Are you talking about me or the person you want dead? Whatever you’re looking to pay is the price you’re giving their life.” She looked the woman up and down, she was slight, a fragile thing. Mostly likely a woman that had started selling her body to make ends meet. Rhode’s eyes narrowed at the hallowed, haunted look her face held. She was starved, probably putting all her money to getting food to her children and keeping a roof over their heads. Accepting anything from this woman would be hard.

“I know.”

“Don’t you know the consequences though? Putting a price on someone’s head is risky. I could be captured and your name could be beaten out of me.”

There was the slightest moment when Rhode was taken aback. The woman had stopped shivering and an evil grin had slid up her face, but it was for just a moment and back was the lady that was too scared to breathe. “I haven’t told you my name for that very reason.” She shook her head vigorously, “Listen, I just want this man dead! Any means necessary, at any cost!”

Rhode wondered for a moment what was wrong with the client, what this man had done to her, but the thought was quickly gone. She didn’t care what had happened, all she cared about was the money and keeping food in her belly.

The dagger quickly flew to the woman’s belt, slicing the string that held her purse in a solid movement. Rhode weighed the bag in her hand, “This should about be enough.”

“No, wait, that’s all I have.”

“You should have thought about that sooner.” The sly look that had slowly creeping it’s way into the woman’s eyes was off putting, but Rhode took the money. Whatever this lady wanted from her, whoever’s head she wanted on a platter, Rhode was going to accept.

The client grumbled for a second, then retracted the hand that had stretched out to grab the money back. “His name is Merek, and he’s a Fae.”

Rhode nodded her head, trying not to let the mask of ease and uninterest drop, “That’s a fool’s mission.” An assassin was always on their toes, but she was no assassin, and saying yes to something like that was a little more than she could handle.

She was about to give the money back when the lady clasped her hand around Rhode’s own. The money was secured tightly beneath their fingers. “You’re the only one in this god forsaken city that has a reputation worth anything. You’re the only one that can kill him.” The woman’s eyes looked deeply into Rhode’s, startling her. “You’re the only one that I can entrust this to.” The lady somehow knew exactly where to look into the darkness to meet Rhode’s eyes, it was off mildly terrifying.

Rhode blinked, thinking over all the possibilities in her head. It’d be hard to kill a Fae, especially one like Merek who was older than dirt and stronger than seventeen oxen, but something about the woman made her want to say yes. So she did. And the whole thing sat a little funny in her stomach, like a plan that someone or something had concocted. How often did the universe dump coincidences in her lap? Perhaps this was just fate’s game.

She stuffed her bag that night, knowing that the journey she was undertaking for both her client and Livinus was going to take her a little bit.

In her mind she debated saying goodbye, but it was pretty hard to think about. She might not come back after all. Not many people could say that they killed a Fae, and there was a reason for that. Even while in human form, Fae could use magic. And it wasn’t the dismal, menial magic that humans had been graced with, it was deep, saturated magic that could burn bones.

She mumbled to himself, “Why did it have to be Merek though?” Rhode thought of the ugly, chubby man, finding herself disgusted. She never understood why he took that form, maybe Fae looked like they did as humans. Either way, she hated that man. It was too bad that she found herself now on her way to him.

Last she remembered, he was staying in a human town a few days outside of the city. It would be a bother, and she’d have to go through the marshes, but she would do it.

She would hardly remember the trip anyway, not the way that her boots would sink into the mud, nor she’d run out of food two days in, nor even the nasty old inn keeper that would kick her out halfway through the night. She sighed, the memories of her trip to the city were clouding her upcoming adventure. She’d really have to think about trying to make some happy memories on the road.

So she set out the next day, after saying goodbye to Livinus, though she thought that she wouldn’t. He looked so happy when she left, like she was going on a great adventure and would come back with the crown itself.

Rhode didn’t have the heart to tell him about Merek, about the nasty man he was, about what she’d have to do to get that clue. If it was even a clue to the crown at all. She didn’t mention anything about the client, nor the task that she had given her. Rhode didn’t want to worry him, she also didn’t want to tell him the actual purpose of her first visit to his home.

And on the way to Merek, her shoe got sucked in by the mud.