Linry stood still, her breath shallow, as the spellswordsman cautiously returned to the clearing. An ethereal blade shimmered in one hand, whilst his other kept an arrow nocked and ready. His gaze swept the area, narrowing when it fell upon the charred corpse of his companion.
'Why's an Ikshari attacking us?' he snapped. 'Did your master not fill you in on the deal we made?'
Thinking quickly, Linry seized the chance to weave a lie. She raised her hands slowly, feigning shock at the destruction she'd caused. Her expression softened into one of innocent confusion, her voice trembling.
'I–I don't…No one told me anything!' she said, stammering just enough to sell the act.
The mercenary eyed her suspiciously, watching her every move.
'You must be the runt of the litter,' he sneered, lowering his guard just slightly. 'Still, it's ridiculous they wouldn't tell you about the arrangement.'
'I–I'm really sorry. I acted on instinct…I didn't know.'
The man sighed and glanced back at his partner's corpse. Scattered around the body were a few dropped trinkets – clear signs of looting. That, no doubt, explained why he'd been caught off guard and taken down by a student.
'His greed got him killed. For someone like you, though, this was a lucky break.'
'Y–You think so?'
'It's not a matter of thinking. It's a fact, young lady.'
Linry shrank back just a little, folding into the role. 'W–what happens now?'
'Nothing. Just an unfortunate casualty of circumstance. You're free to go your own way…or come along.'
Linry parted her lips to respond, but the mercenary spoke over her.
'Actually, on second thought, I'd prefer if you joined me.'
'I–Is that so?' she stammered again. 'I'm not much help, really…'
He chuckled. 'On the contrary. Having you by my side will likely ease the suspicions of your fellows. I'd rather not have a repeat of this,' he gestured towards his dead companion, 'incident.'
'I see.'
Outwardly, Linry nodded with apparent relief, playing the part of a grateful survivor. Inwardly, however, she bristled. This alliance was anything but convenient. If any of her fellow students saw her traveling with the mercenary, they'd reveal her swaying loyalty to the academy. Worse, there was no telling how this man might behave towards her going forward.
It was a precarious situation. Still, she'd have to make it work.
'Shall we get moving?' the man asked, giving her a nod. 'Time's wasting.'
She gave a quiet nod and followed him into the tunnel he'd first emerged from.
The path ahead was littered with the corpses of small creatures, likely slain during his earlier passage. Judging by the nature of their wounds – needless and cruel – it became clear this man was not just efficient, but merciless. His calm reaction to his partner's death made even less sense now.
Linry kept her composure, inching forward with careful grace. As they walked, she maintained a measured distance – close enough not to rouse suspicion, but far enough to react if things went awry.
When more creatures appeared – floating, bulbous things glowing with a sickly light – he dispatched them with ease. All fell with a single shot.
'Annoying pests,' he muttered, swatting another out of the air with a flick of his wrist.
Their pace quickened as the mercenary grew visibly irritated by the growing number of creatures lurking in the tunnels. Cold and silent, he didn't speak a word to Linry throughout the winding march through the stone corridors.
But silence never lasts forever.
Lost in thought, Linry didn't notice him come to a sudden halt and bumped into his back. He stood still in the middle of the passage, eyes fixed ahead into the dark.
'Sorry,' she said quickly, then glanced past him. 'Why did we stop?'
He didn't respond. Instead, he raised his hand and fired a glowing projectile down the corridor. The brief light traced the contours of three faces ahead, hidden until now by the darkness.
'Trouble…' he muttered.
A volley of spells answered, shooting from the far end and narrowly missing him as he ducked. Linry flinched and dropped to a crouch behind him.
More spells came flying through the black. Each one sparked briefly, revealing the silhouette of their attackers.
And Linry recognised them – not as fellow Ikshari. No, the assailants wielded a mixture of elemental magicks. They weren't from the academy.
They were Gorleans.
The mercenary wasted no time. The moment he spotted an opening, he struck back.
A flurry of radiant arrows burst from his hand, streaking towards the enemy. They lit up the passage as they struck either stone or the glowing wards of their targets.
'They're trained,' he said, shielding himself from a fresh wave of incoming fire. He raised his arm again and loosed another volley of arrows without missing a beat.
There wasn't much Linry could do. Two choices lay before her – stand with the mercenary against the Gorleans…or turn on him.
The latter appealed more. It would free her from his company. But there was no telling how the Gorleans would react once the dust settled.
Without wasting time, she rose and struck.
Her hand, ablaze with searing heat, plunged into his back, burning deep into his flesh. The spellswordsman cried out, his scream cutting through the corridor as the stench of scorched meat spread.
But he didn't fall.
Enraged, he spun around, tearing her hand from his side with a violent blow. His eyes were wild, teeth clenched in fury.
'You…' he snarled, voice warped with wrath. 'You've been playing me this whole time.'
Before she could prepare another spell, a shimmering blade of magick formed around his palm – already mid-swing.
'Fuck you…'
Then, just as his arm came down, a barrage of spells slammed into his back. The force hurled him over Linry and into the ceiling with a sickening crunch. He dropped to the ground moments later, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Linry trembled, her thoughts catching up with the chaos.
'Hands up!' a voice rang out from the darkness. She obeyed at once – three against one meant certain death. 'Try anything and you'll be dead before your fingers twitch.'
Heavy footsteps approached.
'No sudden moves,' another warned.
'I won't,' she said calmly. 'I'll comply – as long as you don't harm me.'
The three figures stepped into the light. It was the first time she'd seen them up close.
They exchanged glances, clearly unsure what to make of her.
'No lies,' one of them said. 'Why did you attack the man?'