The Legend of Black Eyes 152 The Butcher of Sosalk – Part 4

I came here to get revenge on what they'd done to me, to Zoey, and to Nag. What I found was another reason to not hold back. Cristoph must have kept his most trusted guards in the mansion, and sent the others out to chase me or Jenkins.

That damned tanner played a simple game on gullible me…

I put my hand in my pocket and felt the jewel vibrating. My blood boiled. I remembered the kids playing in that basement, then imagined them getting butchered by the man they called Gunter. I remembered how he killed Zoey, and imagined the little girl that first came to Emma suffer the same fate. Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.

I tightened my grip around the jewel and heart faint chuckles. They were getting excited in there. I knew it, but I needed that anger to keep me going. I felt something scrape against my knuckles. It was the paper the merchant robber had slipped inside during the commotion I created.

I had some time to kill. I took it out and unfolded it. Someone had scribbled a short message in there. By the looks of it, it was hurriedly written.

"Don't engage Morrison directly," the message said. "Meet me in Merinsk. I'll find you when you get there."

Everything led me to that city. Was it a sign from the gods I no longer believed in?

I left the kitchen and stepped over the two dead guards. By the time I reached the intersection, I heard some voices in the distance. I hid by the corner and pricked my ears, extended my senses toward them too. There were three of them, speaking loudly and walking hurriedly.

"I didn't sign up to protect a fucking kitchen door," one of them complained.

"It beats being out there," the second one replied. "No one knows who the killer is, or how he'd done it."

"I would love to nail that son of a bitch," the first one said.

"You like playing hero, don't you?" the third one intervened. "But you always forget, we're no fucking heroes."

"A hero is who the people decide is a hero," the first one said. "If I nail the guy who killed that Bodrick guy, I'll be all over the news."

"That's all you care about," the second one scoffed. "Want to make the news? Tell them about what the mayor hides."

"I can be reckless," the first replied, "but I'm not stupid. I don't want those bastards from the underworld after me."

"Then quit your whining," the second one said. "And do your job."

"Let the man dream," the third one said. "He'll at least get women to notice him if he's a hero."

The second guard snorted. "They'd finally notice him yeah. With an ugly mug like yours, being a hero's your only chance to get lucky."

"Shut up!" the first one snapped at them. "What's heroic about guarding children? They spend their days playing, eating, and shitting! And we gotta carry their boxes outside. Give me a break! I'd do a much better job if I was in the search party."

That was more than I cared to listen to. They knew everything about the children business. I saw them, twenty feet away, heading in my direction. They wore the same armor as the ones I killed earlier. I came out from my corner as the second guard spoke once more.

"You don't even know if you're the killer's match!" the guard said.

The others didn't reply. They had stopped walking and looked at my direction in silence. The second guard, the shortest of the bunch, had his head turned. He didn't see me emerge into the gray, brick wall corridor. When he turned around, he drew his sword and pointed it at me.

"That's the one-eyed hunter," he said. "I was with Johann when we attacked him and that beast he calls a friend."

The others drew their swords and rushed toward me. I preferred it that way. I was tired of talking, trying to get to the bottom of things. It was easier to speak with our swords. I drew mine and patiently waited for them to reach me. I preferred to slaughter them here. I had more space to dance around them. Besides, I had a plan to slow the approaching trio down.

They all wore iron plates and iron leg guards. They didn't wear helmets though. Who would wear a helmet in a closed space? This wasn't an imperial palace after all. I drew three throwing knives from my belt and hurled them at the guards in quick succession. It was a lousy attempt at best, but it got the effect I desired.

I didn't hit anybody, mainly because I wasn't really aiming at them. One knife hit a guard's leg and bounced off the iron plate. The other hit a wall, while the third came close to the third, and tallest, guard's eye. That slowed him down, putting him behind his comrades. That was all I needed.

The shortest of the bunch reached me first, screaming his lungs out. He swung his sword toward my exposed head. I expected as much. The swing was too broad, too predictable. I dodged and punched his windpipe. He staggered backwards, enough for me to grab him and shove him at his approaching friend.

They collided and stumbled backwards. I followed them and thrust my sword down the short guard's nape. His friend watched, horrified, as I pushed the dead guard aside and took care of him next. I had to be quick, decisive. I didn't have time to waste on poorly trained guards.

The third one stopped right in his tracks. He saw how effectively I dealt with his comrades. He turned tail and ran, screaming bloody murder. I swore under my breath and gave pursuit. I reached him before he got to the end of the corridor. Then I sliced his throat open.

Every time I killed one of them, I got that overwhelming feeling of ecstasy. I wanted to kill more. I wanted them to pay for what they were plotting.

The image of the fifty or so kids playing downstairs played in my mind's eye. I saw the people they trusted lead them to the conjuring chamber. I imagined their fear upon seeing an otherworldly creature, of dying with that thought.

The words of that goat headed demon echoed in my mind. He said he loved frightened meat. I realized now what he really meant by those words, and I heard him chuckle, somewhere in a dark corner of my mind.

"Here!" I heard other guards shout.

They were running my way. I didn't try to hide or run away from the scene anymore. There was enough anger inside me to butcher everyone involved in this business. Cristoph had to pay for what he'd done. I had to get to him before he realized the danger he was in, before he runs away like Morrison did. I had to reach him and make him pay. I also had an agreement to uphold.

I turned to another corridor. I was heading for the guards' loud voices, for the mansion's main door. There were about ten guards waiting for me there. They all stopped in their tracks as they saw me walk slowly toward them. My face was painted red. My clothes were smeared with blood and bits of meat from the guys I'd just killed.

The old man named Klaus came running behind the guards. He looked at me and our eyes met for a second. I knew he knew. I knew he'd realized they were exposed. He also knew I had the jewel with me. Perhaps he saw the anger in my eye. Perhaps he felt the killing intent I exuded.

"He's frenzied!" he shouted. "Shoot him! Kill him!"

More guards came running from behind Klaus. Two were holding long bows, and were nocking arrows already. Two held loaded crossbows. There was nowhere for me to hide or dodge their attacks. I clutched my sword tightly and looked at Klaus with intense fury. I wanted to watch him bleed, wash my face with his blood as he lay down, dying.

"Fire!" Klaus ordered.

"Stop!" I mumbled.

Arrows and bolts stopped midair. The other guards stopped as well. Some had their swords drawn. Others were getting ready to unsheathe them and follow up on the archers' attack. I ran for them and started slashing. I didn't waste much time on each.

I got rid of the archers first. Then I turned to the guards. Thirty seconds doesn't seem like much, but it was enough to kill five guards and four archers. It also allowed me to reach the old man and the remaining guards.

When time regained its usual flow, arrows whistled until they hit a wall in the distance. Every guard I'd sliced open screamed then fell. I was upon the others in seconds. I slashed and danced around their poor attempts at pushing me away.

They were surprised to see me cross that gap so quickly. They were mostly afraid to die, but that didn't help them then, did it? I slaughtered them all while Klaus attempted to run away. I cut him off as he approached the main door.

"Going somewhere Klaus?" I asked.

Chapter end