Bears and Whelps

Sophia watched the giant man barreling past the cleaved Warden. Her hand gripped the hilt of her sword. In addition to her training as a mage, she had been taught how to fight with a sword from her grandfather since she could remember. After her general education Sophia underwent the grueling training to become an Inquisitor, which involved a lot of practical combat magic. All in all, she had bested a lot of opponents, fellow students and even instructors, in a duel. Sophia looked at the oncoming enemy. His face was painted in sheer bloodlust, and his eyes were fixed on her with murderous intent. It took Sophia longer to pull out her sword than normal. Somehow it seemed way heavier than usual. Gunther was already in striking range and did so immediately. Sophia doubted her ability to stop the opponent’s blade with just her own, so she pooled her magical energy in her free hand for an incantation-less spell. With rising panic, she stared at the sword cutting through the air, directly towards her. Unstoppable and way quicker than she anticipated. Sophia had to dodge backwards, but her body would not move. Frozen in panic she stared at the oncoming blade and didn’t even notice the mark on her shaky sword hand react.

Blop

A sudden gust of magical energy occurred in front of her, and Gunther vanished from Sophia’s sight. She stared in surprise at the naked and scarred back before her eyes. Between the scars were thin lines of glowing scripture, slowly dimming out. Kieran had appeared in front of Sophia out of nowhere. He had simply caught Gunther’s blade with his bare left hand. Kieran’s right arm was hanging to his side, lazily holding a longsword.

“MOVE!” Gunther roared and pushed on his sword.

The weapon did not move. Gunther grunted and leaned his whole body into his sword. Blood began to ooze from between Kieran’s fingers. The weapon still hadn’t moved one bit. Kieran slowly raised his right arm and put his sword to Gunther’s throat. Sophia saw the scripture on his body beginning to glow again.

“That’s enough, whelp,” Kieran said with a quiet, cold and dark voice.

Sophia felt the energy surrounding him, giving the unseeming man quite an intimidating aura. A cold shiver went down her spine. Sophia had been in the presence of a few powerful mages throughout her training, but she never sensed magical energy as imposing like in that moment. It was cold, dark and ominous, but she felt strangely fascinated by it. Kieran’s front seemed to invoke other emotions, as Gunther, on the other hand definitely felt no fascination. Where moments ago crazed bloodlust reigned supreme was now pure dread. He let go of his sword with eyes wide with panic. The giant’s legs gave out, and he plummeted to the ground, his gaze fixed on Kieran in sheer terror.

“P-P-Please…” he stuttered, “Don’t…”

Gunther, a man of giant stature, boisterous about his sword skills, who just had killed someone in cold blood and had clear intention to continue his murderous rage, began to weep. A rabid predatory beast, wildly swinging his sword reduced to a whining whelp, sobbing and rambling in fetal position. Kieran let go of Gunther’s sword, which clamored on the ground. He relaxed his body and turned slowly around. Kieran had his usual stoic look back, completely unintimidating. Sophia wondered what kind of face Gunther saw and got very curious. Kieran looked for a brief moment into Sophia’s eyes, then at her hand, with the sword and then at the other one.

“That would not have been enough to stop him…” He said quietly, sounding slightly reprimanding and nodded towards her left hand.

Sophia just now noticed that she still had a sphere of magically compressed air in her palm. With a quick wave she let it dissipate harmlessly and sheathed her sword.

“You don’t know that…” Sophia answered slightly annoyed, then cleared her throat, “I had everything under control.”

Kieran right eyebrow went up, but he said nothing. The door swung open and a group of prison wardens in full armor came in. The leader gave the room a quick scan and saw the corpse of the dead warden. He gave some orders and two men picked the body parts up, before vanishing with them out of the door. The leader then came up to Sophia and bowed.

“I apologize for the inadequate service of my subordinate. Maybe he will be more useful after joining the Death Corp” he said in an unemphatic manner, “I hope no harm has befallen to you, Madame Inquisitor.”

“No, I’m fine.” Sophia replied curtly.

The leader of the Wardens looked at Gunther, who now just stared blankly on the floor.

“What should be done with this creature…” he asked and turned his head back, “Madame Inquisitor?”

Sophia looked at the giant man on the floor as well. Blood was still slowly seeping out of the wounds that Kieran had struck. Sophia went a bit closer. Gunther looked up at her standing in front of him but was unresponsive otherwise. Sophia took a deep breath.

“The punishment for disobeying a direct order… killing one of the prison wardens and… attempted murder on a member of the Inquisition… is…” she paused after her voice got slightly shaky and took another breath, “Death.”

Gunther’s eyes went wide for a moment. Sophia saw the realization in them and his gaze became distant. She turned away from him and looked at Kieran, who stood next to her. He met her eyes for a second, then sighed and gripped his sword tighter.

“Hold him down,” Sophia said quietly as he began to move.

Kieran paused and looked at her again.

“What?”, he asked slightly surprised.

“I said, hold him down,” Sophia repeated the order with a firmer voice.

The marks on both of their bodies began glowing slightly. Kieran dropped the sword and went behind Gunther. He grabbed the giant by the arms and forced him into a forward leaning kneeling position. Gunther did not resist. His body was limp and his head lowered, exposing the back of his neck. Sophia went next to him and drew her sword with a shaky hand. Kieran watched her very intently, while holding Gunther up. Sophia’s sword shook quite noticeably as she placed it on the bare neck to take aim. She hesitated and looked at Kieran, who watched her with a slightly skeptical expression. Sophia then looked up at the prison wardens, who all had a satisfied smile on their faces.

“What were his crimes before today?” she asked.

“Raiding and plundering multiple villages. As well as numerous murders and raping some peasants,” the leader of the Wardens replied.

Sophia closed her eyes for a moment and breathed. Her hand steadied and her sword stopped shaking. Sophia opened her eyes again and raised her arm, preparing for the strike. She focused and swung her sword down. The sharp sword cut through the neck swift and cleanly, without any blood splatter.

Thunk

Gunther’s head hit the floor and rolled to the side. It stopped face up, directly staring at Sophia, who froze up seeing the broken gaze in his eyes. Kieran dropped the limp body, burying the head under it. Sophia sheathed her sword again, slowly and with shaky hands. The Warden’s leader gave a quick order and his men grabbed the dead man.

“Well, if you have no further need of us, Madame Inquisitor…”, he began.

Sophia shook her head slowly.

“Good, then you’ll excuse me. I’ve got paperwork to fill out now… It was an honor to have you visit us, Madame Inquisitor”

The Warden’s leader bowed again deeply and then followed his men out of the room.

“First time?” Kieran asked after they were alone.

“Huh?” Sophia inquired distantly.

“First time killing a man?”

“He was not a man. He was a criminal, murderer and rapist!”

“Does that matter?”

Sophia snapped around at him.

“Of course it does!” she exclaimed very agitated, “There is a huge difference between an innocent person and a criminal!”

“Really? In the end they’re both dead, regardless of whether they are guilty of a crime or innocent. Death is death. Killing is killing.” Kieran said with a defeated voice.

They looked at each other for a few moments. Sophia then began to chuckle sinisterly.

“I really don’t need a lecture of morality from you, Mage Murderer,” she sneered and glared at him, “Let’s go… We’re done here and we have work to do.”