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WARNING: Contains violent content.
Kneborg Kingdom outskirts, one month ago.
So they had another mission for me? I couldn’t complain about that. It would garner me some good money.
Time to shut up some beasts.
I briskly stalked through the forest outside my homeland’s dominion. Yes, I was fully equipped with all that I needed: chain mail armor, some rationed food in a satchel, and my weapon of choice known as the Blod Jomfru [pronounced Blod Yom-frew]. That would be my precious bladed weapon that can function as three different tools for combat.
Aha! Suddenly I heard some roaring in the distance. I just smirked when that caught my ears. It was my signal to charge in and do what I would be paid to do. I ran toward that loud bellowing in the sylvan terrain, while grasping Blod Jomfru firmly in my right hand. I felt the rush of the wind as I veered ever closer to my target, or rather, in this case, targets.
Hmm…they didn’t tell me that I’d be dealing with three. My employer had better give me a damn good bonus after I’m through with them.
Indeed. There were not one, but rather….three darkly golden dragons. They were hulking on all fours and about the size of peasant’s houses. Their scaly hides shimmered a bit in the full moonlight, and their eyes glowed like bloodstones as they all stared menacingly at me.
The one in the middle roared again, but before it could do anything, I threw my trusty weapon right at its neck, which sliced that open and left it gagging. I laughed to myself as Blod Jomfru flew right back into my hand. I certainly lived up to my nickname, and I hadn’t even been there for a minute. The center dragon became incapacitated while its comrades roared, and then decided to go after the person who’d dealt their companion some throat surgery.
Both of them started to breathe fire, but I dodged their infernal shots. I pressed a button on Blod Jomfru and it switched forms. There was a string that came out and the frame expanded. I held it vertically and pointed to the dragon on the left. I clicked the bowed form of my weapon and an arrow flew out and became lodged in the reptile’s throat. It collapsed and was left choking until it suffocated.
I reveled in the melodies of that throttled beast. No composer could ever match the dulcet tones of a dragon’s agony before it stopped complaining. It almost sounded like more coins headed my way.
There was only one dragon left now, and it bared its fangs at me.
Sorry, but your friends aren’t coming back, tough guy. However, I was more than happy to help it join its cold-blooded, yet hot-breathed, brethren in the ten levels below, if there was such a place. I switched up Blod Jomfru to its third and final form, where it converted into a long sword. Okay, dragon. I wanted to have some fun and prove that I’m not cowardly.
I rushed in at full speed. It tried to slash me with the claws on its forelegs, but these only caught in my chain-mail. I felt the force, but knew I hadn’t been gutted yet like a fish. It must have been just a scratch or two for me. I readied the sword form of my weapon as I came within close proximity of that monster, before stabbing it right in the throat.
Oh! But, it wheezed while struggling to breathe. Go on, you stupid beast. Sing for me your swan song. I heard timid shrieks emit from its mouth before I proceeded to stab it repeatedly over and over, as its blood spurted all over me in crimson fountains. I couldn’t help but giggle to myself as its life force eroded at my hands. I wondered how it thought about me, since it was being slain by a woman like me. Finally the dragon lay motionless, while half of my body was now stained crimson. My giggling became louder before crescendoing into a loud and overdramatic laugh of victory.
Whew. All finally became…deathly quiet.
That was the only thing better than the distressed calls of any monster I was assigned to dispatch. I then butchered their bodies to extract their hearts, and put these in a bag to take with me back to Kneborg Kingdom. I figured that this evidence would snag me that due bonus for sure. Oh, Runa. You know how to do your job better than anyone else.
If there was an afterlife, I’m sure that my father and mother were looking down and smiling on me at that time. They knew this little career of mine would be the right path for me, given what had happened to them.
I arrived back in town with a huge smile on my face, while some people who were still loitering around after dark gasped at my gory visage.
“Relax, everyone. That’s not my own blood.” I consoled the passersby as I made my way to the castle. I knocked on the door using its huge black iron knob.
“Who goes there?” A booming voice echoed out.
“It’s Runa, and I’ve just finished my job.” I explained. “If it pleases the Emperor, I’d like to prove to you that I came back. Just don’t mind my being reddened, though.”
“Proceed.” The doors creaked open and I walked in to the gasps of his majesty’s servants over the sight of my bloodied, yet gleeful self waltzing right in. Some servants immediately gave me towels to make me more presentable, which I understood. I wasn’t even royalty, but I felt like a monarch sometimes, whenever I completed my missions.
Once a good deal of the gore was gone, I went over to a secret room that only a few other people in my profession knew. There was the Emperor himself, and his servant who gives people like us our livelihoods. The emperor was a tall man with a red and white robe, dark brown hair, and a fancy red and gold diadem on his head. He was totally buff and he could beat the tar out of anyone with his bare hands. His servant was about my height, not that I was a tall woman to begin with, and dressed in a simpler outfit that was a light gold color, being himself conversely of a skinny build.
“Greetings, your Majesty.” I bowed to the emperor. “Pardon my bloodied self. I just came back from my mission.” I then handed over the bag with the evidence inside. “Feel free to take a look. The servant opened it and saw the three hearts that were still warm to the touch.
“Oh my. I only thought there was one.” He replied to me.
“That means more money for me, right?” I questioned him. “I mean, I did just slaughter triple the amount that I was commissioned to dispatch.”
“Well, that wasn’t in the plan, and…” The servant fumbled over his words before the emperor nudged him and glared at him. He then gulped. “Fair enough. You’ll be receiving triple the promised amount.”
“Now you’re speaking my language.” I said to that servant who’d tried to stiff me. I then looked at the leader of Kneborg. “Thank you very much, O great Jephtah.”
“The pleasure’s all mine.” The emperor spoke. “You’re our best slayer in the kingdom, so I don’t mind giving you some extra gold and silver, knowing that you keep our kingdom safe.”
“Yes, your Majesty.” I bowed again. Some more servants came in and brought me triple the amount of my original pay in some bags.
“You deserve all of it. I’m not breaking the bank, you know.” Emperor Jephtah laughed a bit and patted me on the back. I was glad that he treated me as a peer and saw how good I was. “You’ve killed every monster threatening the Kneborg Kingdom, and which you’ve been assigned to destroy, with great success. We’re very proud of you for your work. Feel free to spend some of it on something you like.”
“It would be an honor, your Majesty.” I replied. This was so generous of him to do that for me. At least he’s not like other greedy royals that I’ve heard of around here. I envied him a bit. Not just because he was the leader of this kingdom, but also because I’ve never heard anyone say anything bad about him. He treated people with respect and knew what he was doing for the good of the kingdom.
Another mission completed.
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