The traitor

"I don't know what you are talking about!" Yelled the vulpin as I held him against the stone pillar with the edge of my blade against his neck.

I was holding him pinned against the pillar, his back pressed against it while my weight and blade kept him in place. I was not afraid of threatening his life, especially since I knew he was the one planning to betray Kali, the Demon Queen.

"Stop lying!" I shoved him against the stone pillar with my weight.

"AGH!" He yelled when he felt my weight against his ribs.

"You were planning on betraying Kali!" I accused, but I knew this for a fact. Nayleth and Dara brought me to a talk he had with someone else. "So you better tell me, what happened here?"

"H-how did you…?" He said surprised that I knew.

"We knew! Kali knew!" I yelled, "If you ask me, she should have cut off your bloody head when she had the chance with that friend of yours, but for some reason, she decided to convince you with her actions!"

"She was going to get us killed!" he answered. His voice was shaking, keeping his eye contact on me "I needed to do something or-!"

"How many died that day because of you?! What did you tell Balor?!" I demanded.

"I… What are you going to do to me?"

"Answer and I will decide"

He looked scared. As he took a moment to answer, I pressed the blade a bit more.

"Answer!" I yelled again, losing my patience.

"F-fine!" He said "There is a secret tunnel! I sent a message and how to find it in exchange for my safety and my family!"

"Anything else I should know?" I kept my weapon on his neck, pressing. A bit of blood came out, but I knew it was just superficial.

"I don't know what you will do if I tell you!"

"Worry about what I will do if you don't!"

"I even told him about the group that got attacked when you died!" He said "I was part of it and let go by thw soldiers that attacked us! Then I heard that you got killed on that assault!" his eyes started to fill with tears "P-please! Don't kill me!"

Slowly, boiling inside of me, I felt the anger slowly rising when I heard his confession. Because of him I was killed, because of him the castle got attacked and everyone died.

He was filth, a smudge that needed to be cleaned up.

"I wonder…" I said in a low voice.

"W-what do you wonder?"

"How much XP are you worth after I cut your head off your shoulder?" 

Terror formed in his eyes when I said those words. It had to be done, I could not allow someone like him free in this world. It's what he deserved for putting everyone in the castle in danger. I prepared my arm, slowly putting my grip on the sword in position to make the cut that would snuff him out of this world. And I was going to when…

"Wait! I know about those children!" He yelled. Once I registered those words, I stopped and continued listening "T-the ones that always followed you around! They are at Jumbo village! They were taken there with the rest of the survivors! I don't know about Kali and her followers, but I know those children are there! Please, have mercy!"

They were still alive and within my reach?

The village is not that far away, I can go for it and rescue them. Last I remember, the village was under the control of the Sacred Army after we evacuated everyone. I was going there. But I needed to make sure of something.

"How do I know you won't tell anyone?" I asked him "What if I reach the village and they know I am alive and on my way?"

"N-no! I won't tell anyone! I swear!"

"I need to make sure you stay silent" I prepared once more to cut his head. The vulpin prepared himself, closing his eyes filled with tears and terror.

"D-dad?" I heard a voice from the entrance.

Once I looked in that direction I saw a little kid vulpin with similar fur colors to him, only his hair was black. He was looking at me, afraid and scared as he figured out what was happening.

"Kai! Leave!" his father yelled "D-don't get involved!"

I looked at Kai for a few seconds, and then at the vulpin I was holding in my grasp with his life in my hands. I hesitate, about to cut his neck to finish him for good. But in the end, I did not have what it took. I moved the sword away from his neck and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and pushed him to the side, causing him to fall.

"Be thankful I am not heartless enough to leave a child without his parent" I said looking down at him "But if they know I was going to the village, you better pray I don't find you as I won't be as merciful"

The vulpin turned towards me while he stood up.

"T-thank you! Thank you so much!" And then he turned towards his son.

I clicked my tongue "Tsk". All I could do was hope that the choice I just made was not a mistake while I looked as he ran towards his child and hugged him. I was not capable of taking his life knowing I would let him without a parent.

"One last thing," I said from the distance, causing both of them to look at me in fear of what I might say or do "Where is this secret entrance?"

I did not know about a secret passageway before my death, so it was news to me that it existed. If it was not compromised, maybe they would have escaped without a fight.

Now, I found it worth exploring.