Chapter 1
“Alright,” Waf shouted, back against a wall. “All we have to do is get into that room and grab that vase.”
“Easier said than done with all these arrows coming from inside,” Kyotvr shouted, standing on the opposite side of the doorway.
“If you would keep your ogreish mouth shut long enough for us to think, we’ll figure it out,” Huntress argued.
Waf and Kyotvr continued to shout back and forth as Huntress weighed their options, thinking, “We’re missing half our team. Monos would be great; his size alone could deflect the majority of these attacks. His skin is too thick for these weak arrows. But he took Rowley and Sylvar to secure our escape. Lavina could cut them down quickly if he could get close, but is useless at range. Waf and Kyotvr are-”
“Enough of this,” Kyotvr shouted, stepping away from the wall and looking it top to bottom.
“What are you doing?” Huntress blurted.
“Ending this,” Kyotvr replied.
“Wait, I have a-” Huntress tried to stop him, but he didn’t listen.
Kyotvr used what little momentum he could generate and slammed into the wall a little down from the doorway. His shoulder crumbled the structure under his strength, and he erupted into the room.
“Gods damnit, Kyotvr!” Huntress shouted.
She quickly drew her bow and rotated into the doorway, releasing an arrow and immediately eliminating one of the archers inside. When Kyotvr burst through the wall, he drew everyone’s attention to the side of the room, giving Huntress and the others a chance to rush in safely.
Within seconds, the dust settled, and the archers lay dead. Huntress looked around the room and saw Waf grabbing the vase. Lavina was checking the bodies for useful loot. Kyotvr was breathing heavily, blood falling from one of his arms due to an arrow wound in his bicep.
“That could have been avoided,” Huntress snarled.
“Probably, but then we’d still be standing in the hall, planning. At least now we can get a drink,” Kyotvr laughed, placing his greataxe on his back.
“What an idiot,” Huntress thought, looking at the foolish man in front of her. “What a Gods damned idiot.”
Kyotvr was larger than the average man, but he wasn’t a giant. His gruff appearance was his usual, as he never put much effort into showmanship. He was reckless and had a penchant for getting himself into trouble, but he always survived. He had been in the group for longer than anyone except for Waf, which gave him leniency with the boss, but it was no less infuriating to Huntress.
“Why can’t you ever wait?” Huntress barked.
“I wait when I need to,” Kyotvr disagreed.
“Enough, you two,” Waf interrupted. “We have the vase; let’s get going and collect our payment. We’ll be eating good tonight.”
“You buying?” Kyotvr asked.
“In your dreams,” Waf laughed. “You’d eat and drink every coin I had. If I wanted to go broke that fast, I would retire.”
“You are getting up in years,” Lavina teased, putting some gold in her pocket that she found on one of the archers. “You could always let one of us take over.”
“Fat chance,” Waf dismissed. “You’d have to kill me. And that wasn’t an invitation.”
“I know better than to try my luck with you,” Lavina chuckled menacingly.
“Grab anything left that’s useful and meet me outside. I’m going to meet up with Rowley and the others to let them know we’re done,” Waf instructed.
“Another job, another success,” Huntress thought. “But I wonder when our luck is going to run out.”
**TWO WEEKS LATER**
“Alright, everyone. Listen up!” Kyotvr shouted from the front of a dingy and dirty room.
“Or what?” Lavina asked, her voice as sharp as any blade.
“The boss has a job for us,” Kyotvr replied, staring the woman in the eyes.
“Tch,” Lavina huffed as the room quieted down.
Kyotvr waited a moment before he took his seat, staring out at the small group of people before him. He stood straight, carried himself with purpose, and kept his shoulders back. He was prideful, but not overly so.
“You’re not special; sit down,” Huntress growled from the side of the room.
Kyotvr looked over at her and opened his mouth, but Waf, their leader, placed her hand on his shoulder. He turned toward the boss, let out a quiet, defeated sigh, nodded, and took his seat.
“Alright,” Waf announced, clearing her throat to gather everyone’s attention. “We have a new assignment.”
Waf was a half-orc and spoke with a gravely yet feminine voice. She looked out at her company, which had dwindled in number due to some tough jobs or people taking their payments to retire. Only seven remained, including her, but that was more than enough to press on.
Her group was called the Ravens of Battle, or Ravens for short, and their name was known all across Altomir for their untarnished success rate. When they took a contract, they delivered, every single time. Kyotvr knew Waf took pride in it, and she never took a contract she didn’t think they could handle. Her passion grew into a dedicated team of tight-knit warriors. Even though they didn’t always get along, they respected Waf’s commands as law.
“It’s time for us to kill Cyrus,” Waf stated plainly.
“Cyrus the Conqueror?” Monos asked, his booming voice matching his giant frame.
“Yes,” Waf replied. “It’s been a long time coming, but I don’t kill for free. Someone’s finally had enough of his shit and wants him dead.”
“Who?” Lavina asked.
“Someone named Godfrey, a noble from New Cresthill,” Waf replied.
“Isn’t that playing a dangerous game?” Sylvar asked in a surprisingly calming tone. “Sanctuary is right around the corner from New Cresthill. What if Burgrunde catches wind of us?”
“She shouldn’t,” Rowley interjected. His accent was incredibly thick, but everyone was used to it. “Burgrunde is too preoccupied with her wars ta the east. She won’t be payin’ any attention ta settlements under her control.”
“Precisely,” Waf agreed. “We will be fine. We just need to get in, eliminate our target, and get out. I’ll lay out the plan.”
Waf pulled out a map and used two daggers to pin it to the wall behind her. She pointed to a building at the edge of the map, then turned back toward her people.
“This is where we’ll strike. Our information suggests this is the best place to avoid crossing blades with the guards. If it comes down to it, we’ll carve our way out, but I’d rather avoid it,” Waf elaborated. “Lavina.”
“Yes?” She replied almost seductively, with an eyebrow raised.
“You and Sylvar are taking point on this one. You are the slipperiest ones among us, so we’ll need you to get in, eliminate the target, and get out. Don’t waste time looking for precious goods either, Sylvar.”
“You know me too well,” Sylvar replied with a smirk. He continued in an overly sarcastic and dramatic voice, adding, “I’ll keep my dirty, thieving hands in my pockets.”
“Rowley and Monos, you will be our diversion,” Waf explained. “Get to the center of the village and make a scene.”
“Well, that’s just grand,” Rowley sighed. “Why do ya always have ta pair me with the giant?”
“Because it’s funny,” Monos chuckled.
“Because the two of you together are sure to draw eyes even if you just stood there. Consider your size difference the best kind of distraction,” Waf replied.
“Very well,” Rowley digressed.
“What about the rest of us?” Kyotvr asked.
“You and Huntress are with me,” Waf answered. “We’ll stick to the outside of the building to respond to anything that may go sideways. If we’re lucky, we’ll never have to grab our weapons.”
“I don’t consider that lucky,” Kyotvr argued.
“That’s because brutes with one setting aren’t even able to consider,” Huntress barked. “The less combat there is, the better for all of us.”
“Some of us don’t like to hide away in the bushes,” Kyotvr growled, looking over his shoulder at Huntress.
She was human, just like him, but that was all they had in common. He glanced at the bow she carried and saw she had enough arrows to down a small army. He noticed her trademark hooded clothing, but her piercing blue eyes peered from underneath. Her clothing concealed her well, which he knew she preferred.
“That’s because you lack basic self-preservation,” Huntress dismissed.
“Enough, you two!” Waf demanded. “You should just stop talking to each other; you clearly have nothing useful to say.”
Kyotvr stared at her a moment longer, her eyes locked on his, until he let out a long sigh and turned back to the map.
“Now, we leave in the morning, so drink light and get some sleep. We travel at dawn,” Waf ordered. “Until then, your time is yours.”
Waf left the room nearly as fast as she entered. Everyone else stirred immediately, except Kyotvr. He stared at the map a while longer. He kept his eyes trained on the building, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
“Yer lookin at that like yer waitin’ fer it ta tell ya somethin’,” Rowley said, walking up to Kyotvr.
“I’m just trying to commit it to memory,” Kyotvr replied. “I do this every time.”
“Ya, and every time I think yer crazy,” Rowley laughed. “Ya know we don’t need ta worry about these sorta things. Waf’ll let us know if the plan changes.”
“It doesn’t hurt to be too careful,” Kyotvr replied.
“If ya say so,” Rowley shrugged. “I’m off ta get some ale, want ta join me?”
“Go ahead, I’ll catch up,” Kyotvr agreed.
“Suit yerself,” Rowley said, patting him on the back before walking away.
Before he left the room, he gathered Monos and Lavina to join him. Huntress and Sylvar declined. The dark elf, dwarf, and giant-kin left the building together, looking like the smallest collection of misfits.
“Something troubling you?” Sylvar asked as he sat next to Kyotvr, his voice smooth and charismatic enough to weaken the knees of anyone unsuspecting.
“Yes,” Kyotvr replied. “Something about this doesn’t sit right with me.”
“And what might that be?” Sylvar asked.
“Cyrus the Conqueror has been a bane to the region for years, but no one has ever even breathed a word against him. Cyrus also fills the plates of his allies, so why would a noble suddenly want him dead?” Kyotvr questioned rhetorically.
“This is a dangerous world we live in, Kyotvr,” Sylvar said in a menacing tone. “Friends turn to foes at the drop of a hat. He likely did something to slight the noble, and now we get a lovely paycheck for it.”
“As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with you, Kyotvr,” Huntress spoke up.
“That may be the most shocking thing I have ever heard,” Kyotvr remarked.
“Don’t let it get to your head,” Huntress dismissed.
“Both of you are worried?” Sylvar asked. “How pointless.”
“Worried isn’t the right word,” Kyotvr disagreed. “Just apprehensive.”
“That was a lot of letters for you,” Huntress insulted.
“Ah, and we’re back to being a bitch,” Kyotvr responded.
Kyotvr turned as he spoke and watched as a wave of anger washed across Huntress’ face. Her cheeks flushed, and her finger tapped furiously on the end of one of the arrows she carried in the quiver on her hip. Kyotvr knew it would piss her off, and he also knew she could draw an arrow nearly as fast as he could draw a sword.
“It can’t help but get the impression you two don’t like one another,” Sylvar noted aloud.
“Understatement of the year,” Kyotvr mumbled.
“Precisely,” Huntress agreed, staring a hole through Kyotvr’s head.
“But our personal grievances are irrelevant,” Kyotvr stated, turning away from Huntress.
“Until the day you retire,” Huntress added.
“Why is that?” Sylvar asked, clearly trying to stir up trouble.
“Because the moment your ass is no longer tied to Waf or the Ravens, I’m coming for you,” Huntress threatened.
“I’m not very experimental,” Kyotvr responded.
“What?” Huntress snapped.
“You said you were coming for my ass, but I prefer a more dominant role,” Kyotvr chuckled.
Huntress took a sudden, rapid step forward, pulling a dagger from her waist. She moved in toward Kyotvr, who matched her aggression and stood to face her, but she had her dagger at his throat before he could raise his arms. The moment he felt her blade touch his skin, he placed the tip of his shortsword he carried on his hip against the bottom of her jaw, just in front of her neck.
She leaned in close to him, nearly touching noses as she stared him in the eyes and said, “You disgust me. You rush into battle without a second thought and think you survive on your skill, not the efforts of the rest of us. You’re a damn liability. Oh, and never in your wildest dreams would I be interested in your ass, let alone anything else you have to offer.”
Kyotvr stared into her eyes; he could see the rage burning behind them, but couldn’t deny how easy they were to stare into. She also had a beautiful face to go with them. As much as Huntress frustrated and pissed him off, she was still easy to look at. If being this close to her were under any other circumstances, he might have been enjoying the moment. But with a dagger to the throat, he wasn’t exactly comfortable.
“Is that so?” Kyotvr prodded playfully.
“You’re not equipped well enough for that mission,” Huntress insulted, glancing down briefly and raising one eyebrow.
It sounded playful, but he knew she wasn’t. Before he could respond, she pulled her dagger away and turned for the door. As she walked away, she sheathed two daggers, which confused him. He took a short breath and turned to Sylvar, about to ask him, when Sylvar pointed to his groin. Kyotvr looked down and saw a tiny cut mark on his pants, just below his waist.
“It would seem you didn’t see the other one,” Sylvar teased. “At least that’s all she did this time.”
“Yeah,” Kyotvr responded. “That would have been unfortunate.”
