Dipak's brows rose.That was one of the smartest things he'd ever heard a merc say.Too smart for a merc.Which meant either he could help solve the problem if they spoke to him, or he'd become a much bigger problem.
They'd have to get him alone to know for sure, though.
He shared a look with Euclid, who winked and then was gone.
Dipak sighed and relaxed his bow.
Euclid gave the all clear a moment later, and Dipak strode into the clearing to secure all the people that, by the look of them, had been dazed by magic.There were a hundred variations on the spell, all of them unpleasant, but it was too easy to screw it up and accidentally kill or permanently damage the victim, so it was a 'desperate measures only' type of spell.
Of course Euclid made it look like a party trick.Dipak had always considered himself a more-than-competent mage, but Euclid made him feel like he was in the woods with his mother for the first time all over again.
Once the six subordinates were tied up and out of the way, they turned their attention to the leader.Tall, dark skin, really short hair but not shaved down like so many mercs favored, shockingly handsome for someone who got paid to be a glorified thug, in that he didn't have the usual wear and tear of someone who lived such a hard life.No scars, no broken nose, his skin was rather flawless, actually."Wait, I canseehim."
"He's part fae," Euclid said, hands on his hips."Not much, maybe a grandparent."
"Grandmother," the man said, looking faintly amused."You're obviously a moon witch, what are you then?"
"You don't get to ask the questions," Dipak said sharply."You're mercenaries, which group?"
"What makes you think I'll tell you?"
"I could have easily put you with the rest.I can still do that.If you want to walk out of this forest, you'll answer my questions.Violence isn't our preferred solution, but it's still an option."
The man regarded him pensively."There's something about you.Familiar, somehow, not like I've met you, but like I should recognize you."
"What group are you with?"
"Bloodletters, though I don't know why that matters.I have the tattoo to prove it."
"You wouldn't lie about that."The Bloodletters were bad, bad news.Not the absolute worst, but the kind of mercenaries sent after other mercenaries, that kind of thing."Dragon hunting is a bit below your pay."
The man gave a small laugh that was sour at the edges."I don't make those kinds of decisions.I just try to make sure my people don't die doing what we're told.Not that anyone listens to me."He sighed and let his head fall back to thump against the tree he was secured to, by rope and magic."Some duke or whatnot has put out a call for dragons.Captured alive.Boss is being cagey, but from what I have been able to overhear, price is ten thousand kesh per dragon, and that price doubles for a blue dragon.The likeliest place to find one of those is right here in the forest, so yeah, you bet your ass even the Bloodletters are looking."
If one group had come looking for Euclid, then others would follow.Damn it.That many mercenaries… eventually, one of them would get lucky, or they'd bring a hunter that could stand toe to toe with a dragon.
He looked at Euclid, who clearly shared his every thought."Nothing will stop people looking for that kind of payout."
"Proof the dragon is dead, maybe," Euclid said, eyeing the man thoughtfully."What's your name?"
"Abhishek.Yours?"
Dipak rolled his eyes.
"Twenty thousand kesh," Euclid said thoughtfully."Price has really come down.I remember a king once offered his own hand in marriage to anyone who could bring him the head of a blue dragon."
"King!"Abhishek said, sitting up sharply before he was roughly reminded he couldn't actually do that."That's who you are.The Kingslayer.Rumor had it you were exiled because the prince was secretly in love with you and couldn't bear to actually kill you."
"I was in love with Lochan, not Madhav," Dipak said, because who he was didn't really matter to anyone or anything."He exiled me out of guilt, not affection.Kingslayer?Please don't say that's what they're actually calling me now.Why are they talking about me at all?"
Abhishek laughed."You're joking, right?You killed a king.People like me are paid hundreds, even thousands, a year just totryto kill important people, and you did it so easily."
"Simple, maybe, but it wasn't easy."He held up a hand when Abhishek started to reply."My sordid past is not the matter at hand.We need mercenaries to stay out of our forest.Will a certain number of bodies do it?I already killed thirty of you.I can make it thirty-seven and keep adding until they stop."
"I think your friend there had it right when he said that only the dragon being dead will solve the problem.But you'd have to be able to prove the dragon is indeed dead."
"That's easy enough," Euclid said.
Dipak gave him a look."What in the world doesthatmean?"