The Price
A raised eyebrow from the hunt master as proof of the Xaela woman's latest kill thudded onto the desk before him.
"Did you slay this yourself?" he asked, recognising a behemoth horn.
"Of course!" Ruby said with a cocky smile.
Of course she did, my beautiful girl!
The hunt master nodded, impressed, and paid out the bounty. Ruby pocketed it swiftly, thinking how pleased Kira would be with the income as she headed out onto the busy Emerald Avenue. A month after Maral came to her, there had been no mark she had even struggled to take down, and Maral himself had been singing her praises. Finally, the nagging fear of being unable to protect Kira had faded into the background.
Don't forget to check the hunt board, Enkhutuya.
Her smile faded. Stopping in her tracks, she turned and looked up at the board, perusing it for a few minutes. Selecting a few, she pulled down the bills and set off again.
What? Those marks are pathetic!
"There wasn't much of a choice. Besides, with the gil from the last one, I don't need to go after much more this week." She replied under her breath, sensing the shade of Maral close over her shoulder. He had been pushing her to hunt more and more since a few days after he came to her. She had enjoyed the challenge, but the mental fatigue was setting in fast. Maral kept his demands up even in her dreams.
Gil is not the only price you need pay, Enkhutuya. Have you forgotten the aether?
"Haven't you had enough for a while? I need to rest, I've barely seen Kira in days…"
Are you trying to back out of your side of the bargain?
"That's not it!" Ruby burst out, then glanced around quickly. There was a couple of odd looks thrown her way, so she upped her pace. "I can't keep this up forever, even with the strength you give me."
It's your own fault, you keep choosing these aether-poor targets. Beasts are no good, Enkhutuya, you should find a person…
Ruby cringed, every fibre of her being recoiling from the thought.
"Out of the question."
Just find some wastrel who deserves it.
“I said no!”
Then you had better get back to work, stupid girl.
The hunt bills in her hand crumpled as she balled her fists, feeling tears pricking the corners of her eyes.
“I need to sleep at least.” she mumbled, setting off for home.
((At home with Kira))
Ruby reread the hunt bill again - some kind of mutant drake, spotted in the vicinity of Little Ala Mhigo. This was the last one. One more, and then she would be going home. Nausea washed over her at the thought of the scolding Maral had given her, only silenced for a while by the aether from the last mark. She bit her lip to keep it from trembling, not knowing how she was going to deal with the shade in the coming days. But she could worry about that later, for now she had one more hunt to focus on. Climbing down from the rock she was perched upon, she headed towards the ruins where it was rumoured the beast was hiding.
Hearing a noise ahead, she picked up her pace, drawing her axe from her back. As she cleared a rocky outcrop, she spied another hunter clashing,and struggling, with the creature pictured on the bill. The man was struggling to put an arrow to his bow as the giant drake charged at him - a purple glow formed in Ruby’s wake as she charged forwards, deflecting the beast from the struggling archer.
You could kill him. No one would ever know. Everyone would think this pitiful beast killed him.
“Shut up.” Ruby growled, stepping forward and swinging her axe in a wide circle. The drake reeled back then snapped forward only to be met again by the black-and-gold axe again as momentum carried it and its wielder in a full circle, the blade biting into its scaly shoulder.
DO IT.
The archer had scrambled a few yalms back, a fresh arrow to his bow. Ruby yanked her axe back and prepared another attack.
Kill the stupid archer, Enkhutuya!
Ruby shook her head; in the moment of distraction, the drake drew back its claws and swiped at her. Blocking with her axe at the last second, the blow still sent her flying backward, landing beside the archer. She spat out a mouthful of blood and got back to her feet dizzily as the archer loosed an arrow. The drake roared as it struck it in the eye.
“You’ve got this, go on.” She heard the archer shout through her daze. Taking a deep breath, she readied her axe, watching the beast flail in pain. Picking her moment, she dashed in and swung her axe in a high arc. Blackish purple and red flashed through her veins, the power Maral gave her filling her muscles to drive the blade down into the drake’s neck, severing the head. Her heart pounded, the dark aether still filling her body as she turned back towards the archer.
“You did it! Thank you, I was sure I was a goner!”
Kill him.
Ruby’s feet carried her towards the man. She was unsure if she was moving them herself or if Maral was puppeteering her. Her hands tightened on her axe again.
KILL HIM.
“No…” she whispered. The archer was looking concerned now.
“Are you alright? That was quite a blow you took.” He leaned forward, trying to catch her gaze.
KILL HIM!
“Maral, I don’t want to!” Ruby shouted, closing her eyes tightly. More than anything, she wanted the shade in her head to be quiet, to stop demanding things of her.
KILL HIM NOW YOU STUPID BITCH!
All she had to do was this one thing and he would be quiet, he would leave her alone, let her rest. Tears streamed from her closed eyes, her arms raising her axe above her head.
KILL HIM AND FEED ME HIS AETHER!!!
The axe fell.
The clang of metal against rock, and then a sharp, stabbing pain in her side. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw the arrow, punched through her leather armour and embedded in her abdomen. As she raised her head, she could see the archer running from her as best he could, blood pouring from a leg wound.
"Dusk Mother… let him reach a healer…" she whispered.
GO AFTER HIM. FINISH IT!!
"No." Ruby shook her head, still filled with Maral's power, she raised her axe and swung it down into the rock. "No. No. No! No! NO!" Building to a screech, the blood stained blade pounding against the stone with every word until it jammed, blunted and twisted.
Useless. You useless, pathetic little bitch. How are you ever going to protect your precious little wife when you can’t even kill one weak little man? Maybe you should just kill her yourself and get it over with.
In a rush, the power left her, her head swimming as she staggered back from the rock, yanking out the remains of her axe. Clutching her side, she summoned up what little remained in her and willed herself somewhere, anywhere safe.