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The Tales of the Scarlet Suns - Ch 7: The Death Contract

The sound of the hissing and impact had stirred up the surrounding as the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps could be heard and Tavia looked around before throwing out one of her water fists to grab onto Irving before pulling him and the rat with her through any small place she could fit them all through until they arrived near what seemed to be a small cliff leading down into the mine shaft.

Putting them down onto the ground, Tavia saw the rat standing up before looking at her, "What made you come back here?" Tavia looked over at Irving, "He did. Lorna, this is Irving, my little brother and the leader of the village of Ampwick. Irving, this is Lorna Skaven, someone I worked with in the stables here." The rat leaned her head to look at Irving with an eye, "I can see that he is your brother. He has your family's features." Irving felt unsure about Lorna's behavior, "Thank you, I guess?" Lorna looked at Tavia, "So you came here just because of him, so what about that?"

Tavia sighed before sitting down, "Well, you remember that I ran away from my village since we were under attack by raiders? Well, Irving was still in our mother's womb and three people from the Guardsmen of Ampwick helped her give a birth to him, as unbelievable as that may sound." Lorna didn't seem disgusted by it, "They made a great decision then." Tavia nodded, "But enough about me now, I wanna hear why you ran off like that."

Lorna looked at Tavia, "I don't remember. I came to it when you called out my name." Tavia nodded before she took the hood on Lorna's cloak, "Let me see your face after all this ti... By Bafai's tidals! What happened to you?" Irving could have sworn that if he had just eaten, it would all be resting on the ground now. Left side of Lorna's face was burned away, but her eye seemed to work as she looked at them both, "It is just a small accident that happened when I was working in the stables."

Tavia didn't believe a word as the burns looked like they had been made recently, "What happened?" Lorna didn't seem to wanna talk as she quickly covered her face with the hood. Irving looked confused at Átta as it didn't react to her, "Odd, I could have sworn that my blade picked up on something from her." Tavia looked at Lorna, who scratched her head, "What was it that I was going to do again? Oh yes, I was supposed to meet quartermaster Forayday."

Tavia and Irving looked confused at her, but decided to not question it as Tavia nodded, "We will join you. We left some of our friends back at the trade district." Lorna gave them a nod and stood up, "Feel free, but beware that I might need to hide you both, the other Deadwalkers will think I am skipping duty if I walk with you two." They made their way back to the trade district, but Irving and Tavia couldn't shake off the feeling that something was up about all this.

When they were halfway there, Irving couldn't hold back about asking, "What are the Deadwalkers?" Lorna stopped in her track before taking off the cloak to reveal the black rogue-like attire underneath it, "The Deadwalkers is the extermination group of Doladriand. Our job is to finish up the business that others cannot." Irving nodded, "Like the Nightclaws of Ampwick then." Tavia sighed, "No, at least the Nightclaws have a policy to not play with the food." Lorna nodded, "Yes, Deadwalkers love to scare the victims before taking them out when they least expect it."

Lorna suddenly felt her head hurt, "I... remember now... I saw someone running off and when I traced them, it suddenly went black when I saw something looking like a red-skinned feline with glowing yellow eyes and a toothy grin." Irving's eyes closed, "Seems like you were controlled by a demon and used as a scapegoat." Irving's right hand began to shake before it calmed down when he saw Chae and Naphalee approaching, "Irving! Tavia! You are okay. We were so worried! Did you catch them?" Irving shook his head, "No, they got away, but we found one of Tavia's friends instead." Lorna gulped and smiled, "H-Hi."

Both Chae and Naphalee smiled to Lorna, "Hello there. No need to be worried, a friend of Tavia's is a friend of ours." Lorna nodded, still a bit unsure about the friendliness, but it was all she had to trust for now. The good time was interrupted by a screech from the trade district, making Irving and the girls run towards the noise before arriving at the scene of a gruesome discovery, "By Garazir's almighty winds!"

What awaited them was a cloaked rat laying dead with fire burning through a hole in the chest, in the place where the heart should have been. Most of the Deadwalkers on duty stood there and looked over the scene before one of the traders called out from his tent, "I saw who it was that did this! It was the fruit vendor! He has been making deals with the demon that runs rampage in the village!"

The fruit vendor looked shocked, "I have never done such a thing!" The trader called out, "Then what was it the demon gave you that you stuffed into your right pocket then?" The fruit vendor grunted, "I have made no deals with a demon. I will prove it to you!" He reached into his right pocket and looked in shock as he brought out with seemed to be a gem containing a green flame, "Where did this come from? I have never see..."

The fruit vendor didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before one of the Deadwalkers cut his head off and faced the rest, "A fitting end for a vile betrayer." The Deadwalkers quickly moved out from the scene and Lorna looked in shock, "He was in league with the demons? He was always so nice." Tavia looked at him, but soon felt the wind picking up and how Irving was pointing Átta towards the trader that had made all the claims and Lorna noticed him and quickly made her way over to him, "Hi Quartermaster Forayday."

The trader looked at her and grinned, "Well, if it ain't my favorite Deadwalker. Here to pick up your weapons?" Lorna nodded, "Yes, I have been waiting for them for a long time now." The trader just grinned wider, "And payment?" Lorna handed him ten gold coins, "As promised. Now give me them!" He quickly handed over two bows, two swords and six daggers to her and some arrows, "A pleasure as always."

Lorna smiled and moved away as Irving approached him slowly, "Excuse me, but I could have a moment of your time?" He gave Irving a look up and down before grinning, "Most certainly. After a good weapon? Maybe a sword? Or a shield? Or why not a crossbow? Very popular right now." Irving shook his head, "No, I am more curious what your business is with the demon."

The trader's money-loving grin turned into a grin reserved only for nightmare fuels as he looked at Irving with a killer's eyes, "I am not dealing with demons. I am a honest merchant making a living from selling weapons." Irving lifted Átta up a bit, "My greatsword is not agreeing with you. Now, tell me, because I won't ask again. What is your deal with the demon?"

The trader's grin turned more sadistic before a rock shattered near Irving's helmet, but a direct left hook connected with his side and even when being the superior affinity compared to the trader, Irving felt the full force and grabbed his side before he heard the twisted and corrupted voice of the trader, "You know too much." The entire merchants around them began to evacuate and soon Irving called out, "Tavia, Naphalee, Chae! Protect Lorna. I will handle him!"

The trader laughed before the demonic feline appeared next to him, "Is this the one you tried to make a cover for me to trick? Well, seems you failed!" The demon hissed before punching the trader through his chest, draining his life out before tossing the dead and empty shell that once was the trader before looking at Irving, "You have come far enough. It is time for you to die! Minions, servants of the great demon lord, raise and carry out our master's bidding! Eradicate this mortal scum!"

Tavia and Naphalee raised a water and air barrier around them and Lorna, but Chae watched as minion after minion appeared at the demon's call. Giving her mace a few practice swings, she looked back at Tavia and Naphalee, "Protect her. I'm going to help Irving!" She didn't listen to their objections as she charged right in when seeing the demonic minions leap at Irving, her mace soon getting to work when she caught one of the minions on her mace and spun around to throw it into four others, "Hey, you demonic sacks of excrement. Fight me!" The demon laughed at the battlecry, "That girl has some spine. Will be fun to hear that spine shatter! Minions, leave the otter to me. Have fun feasting on his lady friend!"

Irving unsheathed the other greatsword and charged right in with fury in his eyes and hands holding the blades before he felt the impact of a massive glaive striking both of them as a fog began to spread around the field of battle, leaving Irving unable to see a thing. Shutting his eyes, he began to listen to every moment and soon parried a blow from the glaive that was aimed for his waist.

While Irving was dealing with the demon, Chae was parrying swings of swords from the minions while her mace went to work ever so often to knock a blade out of the hands on one of them and with another swing she slammed the head down into the chest on the minion, watching it fall over dead before she tackled the next one.

Irving and the demon kept exchanging blows and soon Irving attempted to create a powerful gust of wind to blow the fog away, but it didn't even seem to get any thinner. The demon's cackling laughter, "You are not that clever. You cannot fight me in this fog!" Irving grunted before he realized something, "Hey Chae! On my command, let out a good flame."

Chae heard Irving and nodded, "You got it, Irvie!" Chae swung her mace around, decapitating eight minions in one single swoop before knocking the sword out of the hands on one, capturing it in a motional flow before stabbing it partially into the skull of the minion as her mace came and struck the bottom of the hilt, launching the sword right through the brain and out the other end of the head before the demon fell forward, making Lorna gasp out in shock by the rather gruesome, but impressive kill.

Irving gathered up the water before calling out, "Now, fire it up!" Chae spun around as her blue flame poured out the mace and ignited the air, spreading not only an aura of blue fire that burned every demonic minion within its radius to death, but also exposed the demon to Irving, who quickly charged in at it, "Impressive, but you left yourself open!" Irving got ready to defend himself, but soon he heard a scream of pain and turned to see Tavia standing impaled through the arms and legs by her own shield before it broke down and Tavia fell forward as the cackling laughter of the demon was heard, "Awww, I missed. Next time I will make sure it is ending."

Irving's eyes narrowed and he looked at the demon before his eyes began to glow, one white and one blue as Átta began to gather more air than ever around Irving, "You son of a demonic hooker's bad fuck. I will kill you!" The demon laughed, "Bring it on!" Irving was about to run ahead when he saw Chae charging by him with the final demonic minion in her right hand, watching as the minion was impaled on the glaive by the demon as Chae took a leap back and looked at Irving, "This should pack an additional spark." She landed and snapped her claws before the minion burst into blue flames.

Irving rushed over towards the demon that attempted to get the minion off his glaive before the wind on Átta caught on fire and the minion soon got impaled and rammed into the demon who growled in pain as Irving impaled him before he spun around, having the demon and the minion follow around to the velocity of making a tornado of blue fire engulf them both completely before they got savagely pulled off the greatsword and into the air as the air began to tear them apart and the final screech of the demon echoed as a massive blast of demonic energy broke free from disintegrating corpse until nothing was left anymore.

Irving slowly sheathed his weapons before a blast of air came past him and the cloaked being stopped to collect something from the trader's corpse before it blasted away with air again, making Irving look confused, "What is that?" Lorna looked at Irving in pure amazement, "So awesome." Chae walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, you okay, Irvie?" Irving nodded and smiled, "Yes, just a little sweaty." Lorna quickly called out, "Come on, lets go. We do not want to be here." No one questioned her as Lorna quickly took the lead and brought them through many thin streets until they arrived at what seemed to be a hot spring and like Tavia had said, it was orange. Lorna was quickly removing everything down to the underwear and jumped into it.

Not questioning anything, Irving and the rest removed their armor and clothes until they were in their underwear too and climbed into the spring and felt the warm water covering their bodies as they sighed, "This is wonderful!" Lorna smiled, "This is a hot spring that is off limits for anyone I do not know, so we can relax here." It was then that a splash was made near them as something really fluffy suddenly came out of the water and leaned back as Lorna smiled, "Well, if it isn't my favorite beast. How's business, Ambi? Any information?"

The strange beast replied to Lorna, "Yes, someone took down the demon. I was hoping you would do it, but seems we couldn't have that luck. Also, who are these people that have entered your hot spring? New friends?" Lorna nodded, "Yes, the otter girl there is the one I told you about. The one named Tavia." The beast looked at Tavia, "Well, nice to meet you then. You do not look like a fighter though."

Lorna smiled as Tavia didn't seem to really like what she was told, "And the otter next to her is Irving, her brother." The beast looked at Irving, "Well, nice to meet you too then. You look more like a fighter than your sister." Lorna smiled as she looked at the beast, "He is the one who took down the demon." The beast glared at him, "An outsider?" Lorna nodded, "Yes, but he is good in heart." The beast grunted and nodded, "Whatever. I overheard that some of your lovely Deadwalker allies have placed a death contract on you. They want you dead because they think you are with the demon."

Lorna gave a sigh in defeat before lowering herself down in the water, but Tavia was quickly pulling her up, "Then why don't you come along with us then? We can use your skills in our crusade to save the world from demonic scum." Lorna looked at Tavia, "You mean it? Even after all these years, you still want to protect me?" Tavia smiled and nodded, "Anything for a friend." Lorna smiled and moved over to hug Tavia, "Thank you, I accept it."

It was then that the beast laughed, "You gonna take down demons and their followers? Then count me in! I am already a death contracted one as it is." Lorna smiled before looking at them, "May I introduce the spider... sergal of the web of assassinations, Ambidexa Zink." Ambidexa smirked, "Don't forget skillful cleaner of evidence. Silent kills are better when they are silent."

Tavia smiled and bowed before they could hear the sound of footsteps approaching and Ambidexa quickly leaped out of the hot spring, "They are here. Quickly, gather your armors and weapons now!" There wasn't any time to question why and as soon as they grabbed their things, Ambidexa quickly cast a shroud over them and brought them from the shadows of the hot spring to the shadows of the wall before the others put on their armors and Ambidexa quickly got into her leather armor and when Naphalee had gotten Corinth back from the stable, Ambidexa quickly teleported them onto the mountain road again. Irving looked at Ambidexa and then at Lorna, realizing that those two would be necessary in the fight against the dark forces. But now it was only to walk back along the road and the journey had only begun.

A distance away in the sands of a desert, a weak girl was walking, gently coughing from the lack of water as she had escaped from a gladiator camp a few nights ago and earlier that day had eaten up the last food and drank the last water she had. And now, she was coming to the barren wasteland that was known to most as the scene of a giant massacre. The location known as the Hellgate Waste.

To be continued in chapter 8: The Return to Hellgate.