Scythes

When I came to, I was in my soft, cozy bed. The covers were over me, and I noticed my top had been removed, a large bandage wrapped around my center, a crystal was tucked into the fold. Aine sat in the corner of the room, asleep with her head in her hands, leaning her elbow on the coffee table. A line of drool descended her chin. I smiled and snorted. Sitting up, I tossed my legs over the edge of the bed. Rising, I searched for a loose tunic from my inventory to throw over top of my bandage. As soon as I was finished dressing, I heard the bedroom door open. I froze. The scent of cinnamon and cloves assailed me, heavy footsteps pounded against the creaky hardwood of the floorboards. I heard him stop.

"How are you feeling?" His deep voice chimed. I closed my eyes and sighed. I slowly turned to face him. His silver hair was shaggier than before, hanging down in front of his eyes. His face seemed slightly gaunt, but he stood strong and solid in my bedroom. His black duster covered his massive frame, revealing a scale armoured tunic and breeches beneath. Both of his swords were strapped at his waist like usual. His metal gray eyes narrowed on my side with concern.

"I'll live. I'm surprised you were there and are still here." I raised a brow. I struggled not to flinch at the cutting tone in my voice. He probably saved my life, again. His lips were set in a grim line and he nodded curtly.

"It is my job to keep an eye on you, and I was actually there investigating something else." He ran his fingers through his hair and paced the room.

"Oh? And what were you investigating in the woods?" I folded my arms over my chest. He looked up. I resented the fact that I was his job to keep an eye on me like a toddler to be minded.

"There are a guild of criminals performing player-killings and especially targeting the Lost Souls." He said gravely. My jaw dropped; I rubbed my arms to fend off a sudden chill.

"They're murdering the Lost Souls. How do they know who they are?" Vane waved in the air in front of him and opened his menu, I saw him load up various web browser pages that projected in a large image in the centre of the screen. On the screen were videos, I noticed the clip of Aine and I in the dungeon battling Raezar. Another screen had a large man with a sword and shield circling a large Cerberus beast with snapping jaws.

"All social media outlets have been live streaming the battles of the Lost Souls amongst the gaming community. Hyperion and all of our subsidiaries, as well as most of the gaming nation are aware of our Lost Soul champions. They don't know the secret that they are really dead, but they know they are elite selected for the purpose of beating the game and taking away their potential freedom. The criminals want the reward for themselves, and they are targeting those who are getting in their way." He closed the web browser screen. "Those men in the forest followed you, they sought you out. They saw a young woman alone, unguarded. A lost soul ripe for the taking. They had planned to eliminate you after taking your gear."

"They had an insignia on their cloaks… Crossed scythes." I muttered. He nodded.

"That's them. And now… you killed one of them yesterday." Vane announced. I froze.

"Killed? But they were criminal players…" I stuttered and rubbed my chest, suddenly feeling tight.

"Hey, its okay. One of them was a Lost Soul, but they were going to kill you." He reassured me. I leaned against the wall with my arm. I closed my eyes and struggled for breath. I'd taken a life. I remember him, the man I stabbed through the stomach. I'd watched as his life fled from him, thinking that he would respawn back in Mikado. I felt a hand on my arm, I turned to look at Vane, I don't know what he saw in my face, but the next thing I knew I was in his arms. He hugged me tight, stroking my hair with his palm.

"Hey.shh...it's okay." I realized I was trembling. Tears were streaming down my cheeks. I immediately shook my head, pulling myself together. I moved away from Vane and wiped at my cheeks. Aine woke up in the corner and started, jumping to her feet. When she saw it was just us in the room she calmed down and took her seat again.

"I'm sorry. I just can't believe I took a life." I said softly. He nodded in understanding. Aine placed her hand on my arm.

"Fayre, they would have killed you! You did what you had to do." She exclaimed. I nodded slowly.

"Okay, so this organization has me on their hit list, as well as the other Lost Souls. What's the best course of action?" I tried to sound calm, in the face of a group of people looking to kill me for no other reason than to get me out of the way.

"That's the other reason why I'm here…" Vane began. He stood before the window and stared outside, deep in thought. "You're a criminal now, in the eyes of the game system. Performing a PK affects your cursor for a matter of weeks. I'm willing to bet that now you've flipped they'd be willing to have you on their team." He announced. I stared at him; eyes wide.

"You want me to join a group of players who are killing people?" I raised a brow, was he insane? He picked up a dagger that was lying on the table and flipped it around in his hands, testing the point with his fingertip.

"What better way to strike, then directly at the heart?" Flipped the knife again and threw it at the wall, it embedded itself a few inches deep into the wooden board.

"I refuse to harm anyone else." I said flatly. Vane raised a brow.

"You won't have to harm the innocent, right now intel suggests they are assembling an assault team to take on the boss of Mikado. Not many have broken through past this level yet, so player knowledge is limited, you have an inside scoop. Not to mention they say that Axel, the leader of the Scythes, is said to have a weakness for a pretty face." He reached his hand out and trailed his fingertips down my cheek. I felt my face heating.

"And what will happen to the Scythes?" I clarified; he had said I wouldn't have to harm the innocent… but I don't know if I could take another life. Vane moved away from me and sat down at the coffee table next to Aine and waved in the air pulling up his screen. A web page loaded, the buffering sign span in circles. A video began to play.

A small girl wandered through the woods; her arms were wrapped around herself. She appeared no older than Aine's age. Her gear was low level, and I recognized the dense brush of the forest from the area surrounding Vale. She carried a staff in her right hand, that she used to aid her in walking, she had a slight limp. Her mousy brown hair clung in streaks to her face.

Shadows loomed behind her; the bushes rustled. She spun around, clinging to her staff. I could see her tiny frame shaking, wracked with fear. Her large brown eyes looked watery and wide. Three men stepped out from the bushes. I recognized two of them. The familiar beady eyes, the sword strapped to his side. The last time I'd seen him his arm had been severed from his body. The orange cursor glowed over his figure.

The leader of the group approached the little girl, she trembled and stepped back as he grew closer. I saw her shake her head and scramble back, until her back hit a tree. The man loomed forward and pulled his sword off of his waist. He pointed it at the girl, and I saw his lips move.

"Drop your gear." He said. I gasped. My hand covered my mouth in horror. His arm reached out and shoved the girl to the side, so she flew and hit the dirt. She coughed and shook as she tried to stand. Her arms gave out beneath her. The man with the sword stepped forward and stepped over her. He raised his blade. I turned my head away from the screen. My fists were clenched. I couldn't watch any more, but I heard Aine cry out beside me. Vane waved his hand and the image disappeared.

"I can promise you don't have to be the one to end their lives, if you don't want to be." He assured me. I picked my sword up from it's resting place against the wall. I examined the sheen of the blade, my silver eyes reflecting back at me in the glint of the metal.

"I'll do it."