Green Eyes

Jael gasped as ice cold water was dumped over her, bringing her back to the world of the living. She coughed and sputtered as her soaking wet raven hair plastered itself over her face. Shaking her head, Jael blinked the water out of her eyes and looked around.

She was tied to a chair in a dusty back courtyard. Behind her she could hear the sounds of horses and mules, which told her that she was out behind an inn. Judging from the size and the architecture, Jael guessed it was the Full Belly Inn.

Great, she thought to herself. The Full Belly Inn was one of the largest nests of Bats in the city. It was rumored that the owner of the inn himself was one of the Bats ringleaders, but that was just hearsay. Either way, there was no help there.

Around her were arrayed about fifteen or so rough looking men and a couple women that looked equally tough. All of them were armed with clubs, swords, and a couple of spears. But none of them were pointed at her; instead their attention was focused outward as if they were waiting for an attack. In front of her sat a slender man, roughly 30, wearing stylish clothes and looking very intently at her.

“I am glad you could join us,” he said, his voice calm and smooth. “Although I do apologize for the rough treatment in bringing you here, but we need to talk.”

Jael narrowed her eyes at the man, trying to place him. “I know you,” she finally put together. “You’re in my tavern almost every night, but you sit in the back and don’t talk to anyone.”

“Very good,” nodded the man. “My name is Zebulun and it is a pleasure to finally meet you, in person anyway. Until now, our interactions have been through my lieutenant, Benjamin,” he gestured to the big man on his right.

“Your lieutenant?” Jael cocked her head.

“I am the commander of the cell that oversees your tavern and the surrounding area,” Zebulun explained. “And we need your help.”

“My help?” Jael furrowed her eyebrows. “What could you want from me?”

“You have three very special guests at your inn,” Zebulun answered. “And we want them delivered to us.”

“Are you scared of them taking you down?” she smirked.

“They are quite powerful,” Zebulun admitted. “But I’m not sure what you mean about them taking us down.”

“You don’t know that they’re hunting you?” Jael was now confused. The Bats leader shook his head. “Then what do you want with them?” she questioned.

“The reward, of course,” Zebulun answered. “The entire gang is looking for them. To be frankly honest, I’m surprised you haven’t turned them yourselves.”

“Why would I do that? What reward?” Jael asked.

“You mean you don’t know who they are?” Zebulun exclaimed not bothering to hide is surprise.

“They are unique, sure,” Jael shrugged through her bonds. “And I’m guessing that they’re fugitives of some kind, but not much more than that.”

“Fugitives of some kind?” Zebulun let out a laugh. “My dear Jael, they are the fugitives: the king’s number 1 enemies. Surely you’ve seen their reward posters in the city square.”

Jael’s eyes bugged out as she suddenly put all of the pieces together: their secrecy and interest in avoiding people, the burn mark on her floor, Selene’s unique effect on people, and why the Bats hadn’t come straight at them.

“You mean that Selene is the…” she started.

“The Navi, yes,” Zebulun finished for her.

The Navi. Jael blinked in disbelief. Part of her couldn’t believe it; a Kalashonian Navi. There hadn’t been one in over 150 years. Despite her lowly profession, even Jael had heard the stories of the Navi. Their powers and exploits, especially Kalashonian Navi, were legendary. But after so long, Jael had thought they were extinct, at least in Kalashon.

But a new one had been born. And it was Selene of all people, which Jael had a hard time comprehending. Maybe it was because she came across as so sweet and so gentle, picturing her as a person of such awesome power was difficult. Still, she had been staying in Jael’s inn for the last three days and Jael had completely missed that.

“So you want the Navi?” Jael guessed narrowing her brown eyes into a glare. “Have you heard the stories about Navi? Do you really think you can take on someone of that pure power?”

“I am far more aware of her power than you are,” Zebulun retorted. “After all she vaporized one of my men and turned another Bat into an ice cube. But for that reward, I’d take on a unicorn with a toothpick. Besides you’re going to help us get her.”

“What on earth makes you think I’m going to help you?” Jael snarled.

“If you cooperate, then you’ll get a cut of the reward,” Zebulun offered. “And we’ll even leave you alone.”

Jael had seen the reward posters. She knew how much Selene, Jared, and Mara were worth and it was ridiculous. The lordship of Beth Isaac was nothing to sneeze at; indeed it was one of the five richest lordships in the entire kingdom. Getting a cut of that, even a small one, would take care of her and Deborah for life, especially if the Bats left her alone. She could have the life that she always wanted for her daughter.

But Selene was Jael’s friend. Was that life worth betraying her friend? Could she raise her daughter right knowing what she did? No, she knew that she couldn’t. Jael had committed many sins in her life, but that was one line she wouldn’t, couldn’t cross.

More than that, Selene represented hope for all the downtrodden in Kalashon. When Manasseh had come to throne, many had thought he would be that hope. But he had turned out to be a tyrant like all the others. It was because of Manasseh that the Bats had been able to run wild. He rewarded the wicked and punished the oppressed.

Jael understood exactly why King Manasseh had made her public enemy number 1. Selene stood for everything that the king didn’t and she had the power to overthrow him. She had demonstrated that by the very virtue of taking on the Bats. Selene saw someone who she felt was being oppressed and promptly sought to fix it. Manasseh was right to be worried; Selene would fix the kingdom. Reward or not, Jael would not betray the one hope that Kalashon had.

“For the last five years, you’ve made my life a living hell,” Jael retorted defiantly. “So if you think that I’m going to betray the one ray of hope I’ve had, then you’re insane.”

“Pity,” shrugged Zebulun. “It doesn’t really matter; you’re helping us already as it is. I just thought I’d give you the chance of aiding us willingly.”

“What do you mean I’m helping you?” Jael demanded. “I’m tied to a chair.”

“And why do you think that is?” questioned her captor smoothly. “You and I both know that taking on the Navi and her bodyguards in a straight fight would be suicide. But thanks to you, I’m going to get them to surrender willingly.”

“How?” Jael still wasn’t quite following.

“Oh it’s very simple,” Zebulun replied a delighted smile creasing his face. “They have taken a special interest in protecting you. In fact, according to you, they’ve even decided to liberate you from us. So clearly they won’t let any harm come to you, will they?”

With awful clarity, the Bats’ plan clicked into place. “You’re going to hold me hostage,” she stated. “My life for their surrender. They won’t get a chance to fight.”

“Precisely,” nodded Zebulun. “We’ll take the Navi prisoner, properly drug her of course, and kill the other two.”

Jael felt sick. This was all her fault. If she hadn’t insisted on them helping her, none of this would’ve happened. Sure she might have been roughed up for the incident in her tavern, but Jael would’ve survived. She always did. But now the last hope of Kalashon was about to walk to its doom.

That they would surrender Jael had no doubt. Jared and Mara might consider leaving Jael to her fate, but they wouldn’t. They had too much honor for that. Selene wouldn’t even consider abandoning Jael. And so by sunset, Jared and Mara would be dead and Selene would be a prisoner.

“Don’t look so glum,” Zebulun admonished. “In a few hours it all be over. We’ll have our reward and you can go back to your daughter and that meaningless existence you call a life.”

Jael had no answer for that. Instead she just dropped her head and waited.

*******

“The owner is not here so the inn is closed,” Selene informed whoever entered the common room without looking up from the book she was reading. She had heard the man’s heavy footsteps. Apparently she had picked up more than combat skills from Jared and Mara.

“I’m not here for a room,” the man replied. “You are Selene, the Navi?”

Selene sighed heavily. She had been expecting this conversation.

“Yes, I am,” she turned to face him. It was the same man who had escaped from them earlier. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“I bring a message from my boss,” the man shakily replied. He was sweating profusely and refused to meet her eyes, despite being a good nine inches taller. Could it be that he was scared of her? Selene supposed that if she had seen someone reduce one of her companions to a pile of ash, that she would probably be wary of them too.

“And the message is?” Selene prompted.

“If you want to see your friend Jael again,” he said mechanically, “then come to the stables behind Full Belly Inn. You and your companions come unarmed and prepared to surrender. If you deviate from this in anyway, she will be killed instantly. Do you understand?”

Selene nodded and the man left the inn without another word. Of course she understood; Jared and Mara had told her almost word for word what the messenger was going to say before he even got there. She just hoped the rest of their plan worked out just as well.

*******

Fifteen minutes later Selene found the Full Belly Inn. It was one of the largest, inns in the entire city. And it was completely empty.

Again if Selene didn’t know what was going on, she would’ve found that highly suspicious. That no one else seemed to pay attention she found interesting. The Bats had this town wound pretty tight around their finger.

Selene walked around behind to where the stables were. The courtyard was slushy, a reminder of how far south she had come from Lakeside. Arrayed around the sides of the courtyard were fourteen Bats, seven on each side, all armed and weapons leveled at her. Many of them, she noted, looked apprehensive. Stories of her, probably exaggerated with telling, had clearly gotten around. Inwardly she smiled at the thought; here she was, weaponless and surrounded by fourteen armed men and they were scared of her.

But her attention was soon drawn to the center of the courtyard. Standing there were three individuals: a man wearing a dark brown robe and Jael with another Bat holding a knife to her neck. She looked more despondent than scared, which was more than Selene could say. The young Navi was really hoping that Jared and Mara knew what they were doing.

“Just in time,” the man in the robe greeted, gesturing to setting sun behind him. “My name is Zebulun, the leader of this Bats cell. I take it you’re here to surrender?”

Selene nodded. “And you’ll let Jael go?”

“Of course,” confirmed Zebulun, “as soon as all of you surrender.”

“I’m the one that Brutus wants, not them,” Selene replied. “And I’m the only one here.”

“You may be the only one the Viceroy wants, but the King is rather interested in your companions,” Zebulun answered. “And no, I don’t know why. But the reward is for all three of you. So where are your companions?”

In reply, there was a sharp twang from above and suddenly the man holding Jael hostage collapsed to the ground, a black-fletched arrow protruding from his forehead.

“Up here, morons,” Mara taunted from the roof of the stables, knocking another arrow.

Immediately all fifteen remaining Bats turned their attention to her, pointing their weapons up at her. She fired of another arrow, picking off one with a club.

“GET HER!” shouted Zebulun to his minions as he tried to get out of Mara’s line of fire.

The Bats were so focused on Mara that none of them noticed Jared slip from the shadows. He struck down four before they knew he was there.

“The other one’s behind you!” yelped the boss.

Several Bats turned to face Jared, trying to defend themselves from his sudden onslaught. But they were no match for the War Master and he cut through them like soft butter. Mara meanwhile sniped the rest from her perch. In less than two minutes, it was all over.

Selene, who had retreated out of the way while the two War Masters did their work, surveyed the carnage. Jael was a quivering mass who hadn’t moved an inch from where her captor had been shot. Zebulun, Selene noted, was still alive and standing stock still surrounded by the bodies of his minions. His face was white as a sheet.

“I’m actually somewhat impressed,” Jared commented to Zebulun as he sheathed his sword. “You’re plan was mildly intelligent.”

“Had you been dealing with normal people, this might have even worked,” Mara added as she slid down off the roof. “Unfortunately for you, we aren’t normal people.”

“Did you really think that the three most wanted people in the entire kingdom would just surrender because you held somebody hostage?” Jared questioned with a smirk in his voice. “The reward is as high as it is for a reason.”

“What is it that you want from me?” Zebulun quavered before the approaching twins.

They were in that strange mode where they didn’t bother cloaking their inner strength. As they stood around a trembling Zebulun, tall and straight, Selene realized that they were exactly how she had pictured the kings and queens she read about. Commanding and confident, they could never be intimidated or controlled by anyone and that, Selene understood, is what made them truly terrifying.

“What we want is very simple,” Jared answered. “You are going to ensure that Jael and her inn are left alone by you and your minions forever.”

“I can’t,” replied Zebulun.

“Allow me to repeat,” Jared said, his voice dropping to that familiar glacial tone that signaled someone’s death. “You are going to leave her alone or I will personally remove your head.” His hand was already on the hilt of his sword.

“I can’t,” the man repeated.

“Then we have nothing to discuss,” the mercenary calmly informed and raised his blade for the kill.

“It won’t make a difference,” the man told Jared, causing the mercenary to pause.

“What do you mean?” Jared’s arm remained poised, but he did not move.

“I mean that killing me won’t change your friend’s fate,” Zebulun explained. “I’m not the one in charge. Sure, I controlled these guys, but I’m not the one in charge of the city. Kill me and I’ll simply be replaced. If I agreed to help you, the real big man would simply reassign another cell to harass Jael. Either way, she is no better off. In fact, probably worse. This kind of an action is insulting enough to warrant severe, and I mean severe, retaliation.”

“Really?” Jared relaxed.

“Really,” he replied. “You think I want to die? But I can’t help you no matter how much you threaten. I’m just one small part of the gang. If you want something really done, you’ll need to get to the big man.”

“How do I do that?” Jared queried.

“You don’t,” Zebulun laughed. “He finds you, if he wants. Given your recent escapades, he will wisely keep you away from himself. He’s not going to risk getting killed. Even us cell leaders only see him once or twice a year, at most. The man’s a ghost.”

“That’s too bad for you,” Jared commented as he raised his sword.

“Wait,” Mara stopped him.

“Huh?” Jared cocked his head to the side.

“I got an idea,” she whispered. “Remember the assassin plot of ’44?”

“Of course, it’s the one we got,” Jared answered. “Oh,” she nodded as he caught on.

“What happened in ’44?” Selene cut in. Given that she was two at the time, she didn’t really remember much.

“There was an assassination attempt on the king,” Jared responded. “It was ultimately foiled by the Palace Guard and Prince Nathaniel and Princess Hadassah. Of course, three years later they were all killed anyway.”

“Yeah, well let’s not dwell on that fact,” Mara snapped, “Think it will work, Jared?”

“Don’t see why not,” he replied, mentally chewing on the idea. “In fact, this situation is uniquely suited for it.”

“Please, either kill me or let me go,” Zebulun squeaked. “But this waiting is driving me insane.”

“How would you like to be the ‘big man’ over the whole city?” Mara asked.

“What do you mean?” Zebulun looked confused.

“We’re offering you a deal,” Jared explained. “You help us take down the big man, we’ll make sure that you get his spot.”

“You serious?” the man scoffed. “Do you have any idea how fortified the Bat’s headquarters is? What you suggest is suicide.”

“Why don’t you take a look around you and reassess our chances,” Jared suggested with a broad sweep of his hand.

“You’re not going up against just street goons like these guys,” Zebulun shook his head. “The big man has dozens of mercenaries surrounding him. These guys are hardened veterans of the Ammonite Wars.”

“So am I,” Jared retorted. “I won it.”

Zebulun studied Jared for a moment. “You couldn’t be the great Mooth-Eni, could you?”

“I am,” Jared confirmed. “And she is just as dangerous,” he added pointing to Mara. “All you need to do is get us in to the Bats HQ and we can take it from there.”

“How do I do that?” Zebulun sarcastically asked.

“If you had captured us, where would we have been taken?” Jared queried.

“You would have been taken to the dungeons at—,” the man’s eyes lit up with understanding, “At the Bats headquarters, which of course puts you in the heart. From there, all you would have to do is find the Big Man and take care of him. There is one slight flaw with this plan.”

“Which is?” Mara challenged.

“Which is that you would still have to deal with all the mercenaries, thugs, and whatever else there is in there to get to him. Plus you would have to actually get out of the dungeon.”

“That’s where you come in,” Jared replied.

“I’m not going to go down there,” their captive countered. “You had better just kill me here and now. It’d be much more merciful.”

“Relax, all you need to do is slip us a key,” Jared calmed, “We’ll take care of the rest.”

“What if I say no?” Zebulun questioned.

“You die,” Mara answered this time. “It’s really quite simple: help us and gain a crime empire to do with as you wish, save you swear to leave Jael and child alone or you refuse and die right here right now.”

The man was silent for only the briefest of moments before responding, “I think I’ll take you up on your offer. When does all this happen?”

“Tomorrow,” Jared proposed. “Mara and I will walk down the alley between the book shop and the Simon’s Blacksmith. Your men will jump us there and when we are hauled away, you slip us the key to get free. From there, stay out of the way until we send for you.”

“What about her?” he gestured to Selene. “She’s the one everyone’s after.”

“True,” Jared scratched his chin, pondering the point. “There is little that can be done about that. She must remain free for the time being. Suggest using us as bait.” The man nodded his understanding.

“There is one other problem,” Zebulun looked around at the bodies. “You seemed to have deprived me of all my muscle.”

Jared and Mara looked unsympathetic. “That shouldn’t be a problem for a big, bad Bat like yourself, should it?” Jared sardonically remarked. “Figure something out. Now get out of here before we change our mind.”

Zebulun wasted no time scrambling out of the courtyard.

“Well that was easy,” Jared remarked casually as they watched the defeated Bat scamper out of the courtyard. “I wonder if anyone watched our little show,” he gestured to the window.

“I hope so,” Mara followed his gaze. “It would be a shame if no one saw such a great demonstration of martial skill.”

“Uh, excuse me,” a tiny voice spoke up. “Can we go home now?”