A Dream of Empire Ch. 006

"Then both o' you animals will stay here on my count. No matter to me," the mayor shrugged.

"You'd be surprised what an animal is capable of if you corner them into a response, mayor," Talos replied coldly. The red-haired man stopped walking towards the door, and his eyes met the swordsman's for only a second.

The mayor frowned for the entirety of that second before his cheek unexpectedly met the pommel of Talos' sword, forcing him and a couple of his loosened teeth to the floor. Talos quickly turned to the outlaw beside him, throwing a punch to the man's face and a boot to his back as he fell. The hapless outlaw hadn't anticipated the aggression whatsoever, either.

"Hooray!" Emmanuel exclaimed, hopping towards the large safe behind the mayor's desk. "Took you long enough!"

Talos leaned over to pick up the fallen outlaw's club, deciding instantly that he would slay no men for the foolish bard this day. Talos swung at the second outlaw as he rose from his crouch, felling him with a strike to the shoulder, then brought another deft blow to his back. He glanced backwards as the two guards by the door neared him, finding Emmanuel kneeling in front of the safe.

"Aren't we just robbing them now?!" Talos shouted at him before turning to face the enemy.

"Nonsense! They're the thieves here!" the bard cried back, fishing his toolkit from his belt. Talos swung a heavy strike at the first to near him, kicking the man away just after. He side-stepped the next attacker simply, them slammed his club into the outlaw's back.

"Hurry up!" Talos demanded of the man pressing his ear against the safe.

"Oh, don't be like that," Emmanuel squinted, listening for the lock's tumblers as he raked against them with a thin pick. "We'll split it evenly, and I'll give you half!"

"Men of Pinkwater! Get in 'ere!" the mayor bellowed out into the hall. Talos rolled his eyes as he strode over to him, giving the sputtering man another two kicks to the back to silence him. Emmanuel had soon completed with his task, opening the safe hastily and shoving all of it's contents into a large pouch he had at his belt.

"There must be three hundred pieces o' gold in here!" Emmanuel exclaimed to no one in particular. Talos urged him to hurry once more as he spied the dozen or so men with clubs and swords advancing on him.

Talos didn't particularly want to fight all of them, but he figured he was now cornered into doing so. All of those advancing outlaws wore a welt of shame on their backs or skulls within the minute. Talos dispatched all thirty of his aggressors simply with his temporary armament as he trudged heavily back towards the gates of Pinkwater, Emmanuel skipping behind him and shouting words of encouragement as they made their escape.

-=-=-

Talos and Emmanuel galloped away from Pinkwater for the better part of three miles before they decided to let their horses rest, slowing to a trot. Talos glanced in the direction they had come from, realizing no one was chasing him. He groaned, then fixed his glare on the grinning bard beside him.

"Get out of here, Em. Keep your ill-gotten gains."

The bard tilted his head. "Excuse me, Talos? I don't understand. Are you so kind of heart that you would refuse gold?" Emmanuel asked, urging his stallion to stop trotting. Talos turned his own horse about, stopping just before him.

"No. I refuse to kneel to the level of one so foolish," Talos replied coldly. "You used me. You lied to me. You knew that things would escalate, which is why you needed me here. Or, rather, you needed my sword arm."

"No, no. You misunderstand entirely," Emmanuel accused waiveringly. Talos dismissed it by speaking over him, having plenty more to say.

"You hatched this scheme in it's entirety without thinking of anyone but yourself. And as someone brighter than me once said, you have to give a damn about others, for them to give a damn about you in return. Frankly, Emmanuel, after that?" Talos said, pointing in the direction of Pinkwater, "I don't give a rodent's ass about you. And I certainly don't have the patience to be your wetnurse as you make a fool of yourself all over the Empire."

Talos paused a moment, pondering his next words carefully to ensure the flamboyant man understood their gravity. Talos had received the very same lecture last year, and knew its importance.

"You asked me back in Catriona where your life went so wrong? Here's my answer. Every day the sun sets in the west. 'Cause for every sun, you commit some new self-serving act, like fuckin' the farmer's daughter, or taking advantage of the Ungern twins, or taking advantage of me. And I really don't have the time to waste on someone like that."

"But Talos!" the bard cried.

Talos raised a commanding finger to silence him. "And here's that in rhyme, in case you don't understand; get out of here Emmanuel, and never bother me again."

Talos let his silent glare fix on Emmanuel's wide eyes for a moment before he urged his horse about without another word. The bard gulped audibly after a moment, then cleared his throat.

"Uh, but Talos? Isn't Catriona that way?" he asked anxiously, pointing to his right. Talos didn't respond, and kept his glare turned away from him as Meadow cantered on.