Unforgivable Page 10

  “Merciless gods woman!” Hank cried out, his sword ringing loudly in the still night air. “You’re gonna pay for that you little bitch!”

  Sofia sank back in a low crouch, Hank’s blade missing her neck by a mere finger’s width. She could tell he had expected to land the strike as he failed to reverse the blade to renew his guard and the arrogance killed him. She launched herself forward, both her blades buried into his midsection…nearly out the other side. She looked up into his eyes, relishing his surprise, and did not see his thick, scabbed fist. Pain erupted in the side of her face as the power of the blow sent her sprawling. She fell on to all fours.

  “I am going to see you… dead before I am!” Hank growled as he staggered towards her, his blade near dragging on the ground with the effort, as life was slowly slipping away from him.

  Sofia’s blinked back the disorientation just in time to see Hank lifting his sword. Instinct reacted and her leg snapped out, connecting with his knee with brutal force. He pitched forward, bellowing in agony as his broken leg could no longer support him. Sofia rolled to the side as Hank crashed down. He was still and did not move again, the scarlet stained tips of both her blades protruding from his back.

  “Why are you two so damn quiet all of a sudden? You guys didn’t pass out already did ya? You two had better of left me some more to drink or I’m gonna be pissed!” A drunken voice mumbled from the treeline. Sofia’s attention went to the scrawny, dirty man who stumbled out of the trees onto the road. “Can you two believe it I actually got lost in there trying to find a good place to take a leak? I didn’t think I was that...” His voice trailed off as he took in the scene of carnage before him. “What in the hell is going on here?” he mumbled in disbelief and seemed to sober immediately.

  Sofia’s eyes went from the newcomer to Hank’s fallen sword and back, murderous intent plain across her face, even in the low light of the moon and crackling campfire.

  “Sweet mother of the Gods, don’t kill me! I didn’t do nothing I swear it! It was all their idea!” The man cried out as he turned and began to run as fast as his drunken legs would carry him.

  Sofia snatched up the worn sword and gave chase, knowing he would not get far....

  Unforgivable II

  Part Two

  Delmar City

  Sofia stepped into the log cabin, blood and gore staining the walls and soaking the body strewn floor. She moved forward carefully, placing her feet to avoid as much of the splattered carnage as she could. She tried not to look down at the mounds of corpses that beset the small room. There seemed to so many more bodies each time she was forced to come here. Some she recognized as the fiends she had sent to the afterlife, others were faces she could not place, yet felt she knew somehow.

  Sofia wished she had not entered the cabin again but she never had control of where she went within this forced, vivid hell. She stumbled and fell on a stray mangled limb, her hands slipped in the slick blood as she tried to push herself upright. Her eyes locked with a set of cold dead blue eyes - eyes which she knew she had observed before. They were attached to the body of a young man no more than a handful of years older than her, yet she could not place why she knew him. She couldn’t suppress the gasp that escaped her and fell back into another body, again familiar lifeless eyes stared back at her. Sofia knew, no matter which of the butchered bodies she looked at, they all would be connected to her somehow, yet she doubted she would ever truly know how or why.

  She hauled herself to her feet, fighting the waves of nausea and raw emotions that threatened to overwhelm her, even here. She plunged forward through the horrific, violent scene knowing she needed to reach her destination if this was all to end. Sofia threw her shoulder into the thick door leading to her father’s room and felt it give way a little. She knew it would take two more such hits before it would allow her to enter. The door flung open and she forced herself to enter on unstable legs, knowing well what would greet her.

  Fresh tears stung her eyes, making wet trails down her soft cheeks at the sight before her. The mutilated body of her father - as she had found him so long ago, lashed to a tree - laid on a wooden bed. The grey and white goat skin blanket beneath him was stained wet with scarlet, from the fatal wounds that had ruined him. She edged herself closer, wishing with all that she was that she did not have to relive this moment yet again, but for it to end she had to - it was the only way.

  She reached the side of the bed and her eyes refused to do anything but take in the appalling sight before her, no matter how hard she tried not to. How tormented he looked even in death, as if everything that had haunted him in life had followed him to the other side. She could not restrain the tears at such a thought and the falling drops mingled with the blood that blemished him, nearly head to foot. Her heart screamed at the loss of him and she nearly succumbed to madness. But she couldn’t, she had to continue on, had to avenge him so that his tormented soul could finally know rest. That when she looked into those lifeless eyes, she would see peace.

  Sofia reached across his body for his cloak, knowing the key to ending this nightmare lay wrapped hidden within its tattered folds. Her fingers tightened around the worn-out material and she began to pull it towards her, her fear rising as she knew what was about to happen. She could not contain her scream as her father’s hand clamped down on her arm. Her eyes locked with his emotionless, dead gaze.

  “Sofia don’t!” Jamus groaned.

  The aged wagon bumped and jarred awkwardly, not keeping any form of rhythm - with every rock and pothole it met, it swayed again. It made its way up the final stretch of road. At the end of the wide road rose a high defensive stone wall that had been built nearly a hundred years before, when the neighboring Kingdoms were at near constant war with one another. Behind that great wall was the capital of Faer-Tri Kingdom - Delmar City. It was the largest city within the kingdom with a growing population of nearly two-hundred thousand and home to Faer-Tri’s King, King Delafon.

  The city was built within a wide ravine, all sides blocked off by sheer cliff walls, making Delmar nearly impenetrable. There was only two known ways in and out of the vast city. The northern and southern entrances - both protected by thick, man-built stone walls - were guarded by a score of armed soldiers.

  Sofia wiped the tear-crusted dust from the corners of her eyes she struggled to adjust to the brilliant light of the morning sun. She had fallen asleep again against her will; she shuddered as the haunting fragments of her nightmares played in the back of her mind. She knew she had not slept long. She never did when she was forced to sleep without taking the herb.

  Her attention was caught by the calls of several large vultures overhead. They flew low enough to descend upon wagons, at any sign of an easy meal. “I am long from dead.” She muttered coldly.

  Sofia rode the wagon in through the massive gateway, under the two thick iron portcullises. She blinked away the remaining dust from her bloodshot eyes as she tried to recall how she had actually gotten this far. The last thing she could truly remember was walking through the night fighting the wave of exhaustion, though ever fiber in her body demanded something else. The aching cramps within her feet and calves were statement enough that it was truth.

  A trio of guards stepped in front of her to halt the wary wagon.

  “What do we have here?” The tall broad shoulder guard asked, his voice full of concern as he inspected the gruesome load within the back of the wagon.

  “By the mercy of the gods!” Another cried out his hand nearing the hilt of his sword in trained reflex. “What the hell happened here?”

  He quickly turned his head away from the bloody load, in fear of losing the contents of his stomach.

  Sofia pulled the tattered hood of her cloak back, allowing her dusty blonde hair to go free. “I was travelling down the road on foot, early this morning, when I came across their camp. Three highwaymen had attacked and killed them and were going through their things.” She climbed down from the wagon, her body beyond
numb from fatigue. Random images flashed through her mind - echoing to her what her lips had already implied.

  The tall soldier raised his brow in question as he glanced at the bodies and back at the haggard blonde woman. “How did you manage to get the wagon and their bodies from the killers?”

  Sofia gripped the side of the wagon to keep her balance as her legs adjusted to having her weight upon them once more. “I had full intentions of minding my own and just walking by,” A flash of crooked black smiles and wicked drunken laugher coursed through her thoughts, “but they attacked me, so I had to kill them. You will find their bodies about ten miles north.” Sofia truly had no idea how she knew this for certain yet the words rolled from her tongue effortlessly. “I am exhausted and have been travelling on foot a long time, I figured I would take the wagon with the two traveler’s bodies and bring them here. I have to assume they came from here or were coming here and that someone might be able to identify them as friend or kin.” The words rolled out so effortlessly that she knew they had to be truth yet she could not remember the act at all.

  “Hmm,” the tall soldier mused, scratching his night grown scruff. “How did a little thing like you defeat three dangerous cutthroats? Almost looks more like an animal attack.” He glanced back into the wagon at the butchery.

  Sofia’s eyes hardened with bitterness. She pulled her cloak back revealing her bloodied twin blades. “I had help.” Her voice was deadly and sure.

  “You did the right thing then, I guess.” The soldier grunted out nervously. “There might even be coin in it for you if your story holds truth. We will put out word and if no one identifies the bodies and claims the wagon and horses then we will give you three silver and sell them. If we find the highwaymen up the road and can identify them as such there be a silver for each.”

  Sofia nodded her understanding, though she had hardly heard a word the guard had said, as she tried to take in the growing flow of activity around her. She ran her hand through her long blonde hair and noticed the blood that stained her hands for the first time - the sudden sight unnerved her noticeably.

  “I thought you said there had been two travelers?” The third guard, a short man with thinning brown hair asked, moving to the back of the wagon seeing the three bodies within.

  Sofia looked perplexed as she rounded the end of the wagon and saw the three stacked corpses. “There were only two travelers...I...” Her mind reeled as she tried to remember why the third body was there. Her hand gripped the wagon’s edge to keep herself up right as she tried to fight through her exhaustion, but nothing but violent faceless flashes were produced. “I don’t...” she muttered rubbing her eyes again.

  “Must have been three travelers and you’re just in shock after all you’ve been through.” The balding guard replied, seeing her clear distress. “It happens more often than not when faced with such a gruesome scene, if you are not use to it.”

  “You’re not looking so great stranger you sure you are alright?” The tall guard asked her his voice void of suspicion; instead it was edged with true concern. “I could have someone fetch a physician.”

  “I just need sleep. Where is the nearest marketplace and inn?” Sofia asked ignoring the man’s concerns. She just needed dreamless sleep.

  The guard eyed her for a moment longer as if fighting the urge to say something, the slight shake of his head showed the motion defeated. “Just follow this road up until the fork, turn left and follow it until you come to Fiddler’s Market,” he replied, “from there, there are inns a ‘plenty around the area.”

  Sofia didn’t even wait for him to finish before she was already shifting her way through the morning crowd towards Fiddler’s Market.

  Unforgivable II

  Part Three

  Gypsy Alley

  Sofia entered the vast square that made up Fiddler’s Market, her feet dragged across the cobblestone beneath her. The throng of people within the market were little more than a blur of colors and random facial characteristics. She needed sleep - sweet dreamless, restful sleep. Her hand fidgeted with the small leather pouch attached to her belt, a final furtive gift from her father.

  Sofia eyed the blurred merchant booths and stalls, looking for the mortar and pestle which indicated the stall she sought. The marketplace was huge, and in her sleep deprived state, she walked nearly the area twice before finally, she found what she was looking for.

  She moved towards the booth, but had to stop as her eyes blurred over. The clear sight of a kneeling man wracked her mind, as his terrified screams were cut short by a flash of steel. A thick line of red crossed his neck a moment before his head slipped from his shoulders. Sofia gasped out as her vision cleared. She found herself in Fiddler’s Market, surrounded by people once more her hands defensively gripping her bone handled blades. She cursed under her breath, as she shook the vivid delusion from her thoughts. Hideous, strange hallucinations had been plaguing her for nearly a month now, as her body received less and less rest.

  The short, spindly man looked up from his piles of trimmings to see he had a customer and smiled in welcome. “Greetings my lady.” He stood and went to the counter. “How is it that I - Morris - can serve you on this beautiful morning?” He eyed her closely, taking in her rough appearance.

  Normally she might have gone along with the exchange of pleasantries but she hadn’t the energy or the will right now. “I do not know the name of this,” she placed the leather pouch on the counter, “but I require more of it, enough to fill the pouch if you can.”

  Morris opened the pouch and dumped the remaining contents into his palm his expression growing grim as he fingered through the dry powdering herb. “Its Valerian, where did you come by such a thing?”

  Even in Sofia’s present state she could hear the judgmental suspicion within his voice. “That is of little matter, do you carry it?” She pressed anxiously.

  He replaced the herb into the pouch and tossed it down onto the counter fretfully. “I would carry no such thing within my booth even if it weren’t prohibited within the kingdom of Faer Tri.”

  “Prohibited?” Sofia stammered out in complete surprise.

  “Very much so, has been for most my lifetime.” He replied. “You smell of death stranger - you’re not from around here are you? Where did you come from and why do you look so familiar to me?”

  “Sorry for wasting your time.” Sofia said nervously grabbing her leather pouch but Morris’s hand was quicker.

  “By law I cannot return this to you.” He said his hand hold the pouch firmly to the counter. “I won’t report it but I will have to destroy it.”

  Sofia’s eyes flashed with unrestrained, raw anger. “If you wish to keep that hand you would do well to remove it from my property!” She warned.

  “I’m sorry but I ca-” Sofia’s blade flashed out from beneath her cloak and slammed down onto the wooden counter top, severing Morris’s last three jewelled fingers on the hand that imprisoned her Valerian. Morris staggered back his eyes wide in shock. His voice lost within the moment as he looked down at his crippled hand.

  Sofia snatched her purse from the counter and turned away quickly, vanishing into the crowd before anyone saw what had just transpired. She could faintly hear Morris’s voice crying out now for help, but she was too far away for anyone to suspect her of anything.

  Her heart was racing at the prospect that the drug she had grown so depended on, was for some reason prohibited. Quickly, her thoughts darkened to the new possibility that she would not be able to find more and once her final dose was used up - she would be forced to live with the hellish nightmares.

  Sofia’s hand slipped down to her belt to feel the small comfort of the leather pouch. Her hand touched someone else’s and panic over took her. She spun around to see the culprit, her pouch now in the hands of another.

  “Stop!” She cried her voice on the verged of desperation. The dirty, lanky youth smiled at her mockingly and took off through the sea of people.

&nbs
p; Sofia was quick to give chase, anxiety forced adrenaline pulsed through her veins as she pushed herself through the throng of Delmar citizens. Her eyes were locked on the orange bandana which bobbed through the crowded streets with ease. She knew if she lost sight of him she would never find him again. She watched the thief slip into an alleyway and quickly pushed through the crowd, no longer trying to be gentle.

  Sofia entered the lane and spied the youth looking back at her as he dangled her leather pouch in the air, taunting her with a broad, malicious grin. She snarled and took off after him, glad to be out of the crowded street - though the junk riddled alleyway had its own obstacles, as she quickly discovered. She cursed as she stumbled and slammed into the stone wall, but it only slowed her for a moment. Motivation fuelled her energy she should not have had, as she ran through countless alleyways and unused streets. The orange bandana teasing her at a distance, with every twist and turn.

  Sofia kicked the flimsy door open to the abandoned house. The young dirt-blemished street urchin sat half way up the curved stairwell, her leather pouch swinging in his hand.

  “Just give me my pouch back and I will forget all this.” Sofia wheezed out, her lungs burning with each deep jagged breath.

  “I am not even sure why you want it back, nothing of worth in here but some dried herb.” The youth replied his strange accent was thick. “I had thought it was a coin purse or even jewels by the way you hacked off Morris’s fingers like that.”

  “Then just give it back.” Sofia held out her hand as she stepped closer to the stairwell. “It is of little worth to you.”

  “Hmm, don’t think so.” He smiled down at her as he toss the pouch up in the air and caught it quickly and tucked it within the folds of his filthy brown shirt. “But I am going to need your coin purse before I let you leave here.”

  “Kid, I am in no mood for this! Give me what’s mine, or I will take it!”