CHAPTER FOURTEEN! I had to break up the chapters so this one was short lol
"So that's how we met! I met iodine later at school." Mercury finished. She had been closing her eyes while narrating, to remember as much as she could about the past. when she opened her eyes, though, all the villagers were gathered in a circle around her."HUH?! YOU WERE LISTENING?!" Mercury screeched, flustered. They all burst into applause. "Of course! You're amazing, Miss!" the villagers chorused happily. "We're totally gonna beat the assassins with you around!" another villager said happily. Mercury nodded, gathering her bearings. "We should go join Nox and Iodine. I bet they're missing us." She suggested, and Floruine reflexively climbed onto her back. Out of curiosity, the small child leaned over to whisper in Mercury's ear. "Am I heavy?" Fluorine asked, and Mercury shook her head. "Not really. If you were, I wouldn't constantly be carrying you. Also, I need to build my muscles if I'm going to constantly swing a sword around. The peach plantation did a good job, but I wouldn't last in an actual fight."
As they exited the east gate, Mercury was almost immediately shoved in the opposite direction. She fell to the ground with a thud, Fluorine landing right next to her. "Be careful, Mercury! you almost set one of the traps off!" Mercury squinted at Nox, who was looking especially dashing in the morning sun. "Huh? What traps?" Mercury said, grabbing his hand as he held it out. Nox helped her to her feet, and she spun around. Oh. She could see it now - the ground was ever so slightly uneven, and there was a tip of a jagged metal spike peeking through. If Nox hadnt thrown her aside in time, she definitely would have been speared through. "Sorry, I pushed you! Are you alright?" nox asked, worried. haha, it was kind of cute. 'Yeah, I'm good." mercury dismissed. "anyway, are you done?" Mercury asked Nox, who nodded. She helped fluorine to her feet, who had also fallen. "Everyone thinks that the raid will be tonight, for some reason.maybe there's a pattern in their attacks? when I asked, they just said they had a "Feeling." Most are already in their homes. They stocked up on food and everything, so we should be the only ones. Anyway, we'll have to stay up and pull an all-nighter to nail it just right. You ready?" Nox asked, and Mercury nodded. "We should put Flourine somewhere safe, though…." she said, glancing at the smol toddler, who was grazing at them with round eyes. "indeed. let's ask if any of the villagers mind." Nox suggested. suddenly, a random dirt-stained villager sprung out from behind Nox, nearly scaring the life out of mercury. "HOLY C-" Mercury cursed, leaping backward, and Nox covered her mouth before any profanities erupted out of it, for Flourine's sake. "WHAT WAS THAT?!" Mercury screeched, and the villager bowed hastily. "Apologies, I didnt mean to scare you! I know a friend who would love to take care of the child. They already have three, so they will get along well with the child, I think." the villager hurriedly explained, and Mercury tried to stop her thumping heart. Jeez, that has really scared her…!
"Alright. Can you take Flourine to them?" Mercury asked, but she noticed that she couldn't see fluorine. "Huh? Where are you, Fluorine?" Mercury asked. She realized Flourine was trembling behind her. Fluorine looked up at her, and Mercury blanched. no eight-year-old should have had to make a face like that. Something was seriously wrong. "He sounds just like one of the assassins when I got kidnapped." Fluorine whispered into Mercury's ear. Her eyes widened. so that was why he was trying to sneak Flourine away, and why he had crept up on her so easily….
Mercury grabbed her sword and unsheathed it with a shing, and it instantly snaked out to grab the villager's throat. "You are one of the assassins, aren't you!" Mercury snarled, her sword tightening. The villager gasped, yelping, "N-no! you've got the wrong person!"
"Are you sure, Fluorine?" Mercury asked the child, who was still cowering behind her. "Yes. Extremely." Fluorine whimpered, and the villager suddenly snarled at her. his patience had snapped. "Useless girl! we should have just killed you with your parents, and I could have stayed hidden longer!" he yelled some more, squirming against the steel of Mercury's sword. "Alright…. good job, Fluorine. Are there more of you, though?" Mercury asked, and the villager sneered at her defiantly. "No, I-Im the only one… And I'm enough... I'll kill you…" he gasped, choking. The sword curled tighter, and he suddenly broke out into choughs. "There's no more of us! please, I was the only one-" The sword slit his throat. Mercury wiped the blade on the grass and then turned to Fluorine. "You good? I think we'd better keep you with us for now, right, Fluorine?" Mercury asked gently, and Fluorine stepped out from behind her. "I'll stay out of the way, I promise!" Fluorine said enthusiastically, hugging Mercury. her mood had completely changed, now that the danger was gone. Wow, Fluorine is so cute! "Okay, that's settled then. Everyone, it's evening! you better get into your homes before the sun sets!" Mercury said, hefting Flourine onto her back and waving the villagers off.
"I think we should wait by the east gate. Who knows when they might show up…?" Nox said, and Mercury bumped fists with Flourine, then Nox, then Iodine. "We cna do this!" She cheered, and they all smiled at her. "Of course we can. They don't stand a chance." Nox huffed, and she grinned. Indeed, they didn't.
Mercury snored like a bear on her tree branch. Suddenly, a pebble hit her straight in the eye and she yelped, flinching, and opened her eyes. no one could ever let her sleep in peace! what the heck! "Nox! Did you throw that-" Mercury yelled, and Nox held a finger to his lips. "Shush! they're coming!" he said, and Mercury instantly grabbed her sword. no time for sleeping in peace! The assassins were here! There was a rope attached to it, which meant she could safely change it into whatever shape she wanted to throw it, and then use the rope to grab it back. Fluorine was sitting right next to her, and they were both completely hidden. Holding her breath, mercury swung her crossbow around. She noticed fluorine was tightly hanging onto her sleeve, so she patted her head with one hand. "Chill. we're going to be fine." Mercury said,but her voice wavered slightly as she said it. Fluorine noticed too and raised an eyebrow at her, and she pinched the child's cheek. Suddenly, a group of assassins appeared out of the bushes and started calmly walking up to the east gate. Mercury raised her crossbow and pulled the trigger.
nothing happened. She pulled it again. nothing. It was jammed. "Oh, crud! not now!" Mercury whispered, and Flourine's hand tightened around her sleeve, turning white with pressure. "Mercury! the corssbows arent working, and we need a distraction! Please, save us! Iodine needs time to fix 'em!" Nox whispered from the next tree over. all the crossbows were jammed. "Alright. Fix mine too, while your at it, and then give it to fluorine." Mercury whispered back, tossing her crossbow across the leaves. Nox caught it, and Mercury brushed off Flourine's hand. then, she casually lept off the tree and face-planted into the mud, just like she did in chapter 1. Ah, good times. she was used to falling, though. Plus, the mud was soft. too bad for her clothes, though. She landed right in the middle of the clearing, too, right in the open. The assassins all raised their blades at her. instantly, there were at least 5 blades pointed at her neck, ready to slice and dice. "Woah, Woah, woah!!1 Im so sorry! I am, an, uh, dancer, and I am here to entertain! please, let me entertain you for coins!" Mercury said, rasing her voice to cover up the sounds of Iodine working the metal in the background. the assassins all paused, and then lowered their blades slowly. Phew, at least they didnt seem to think she was a threat. 'Alright! can I have some payment first!" Mercury said, standing up. The assassins held out a pouch of coins, then closed their talons around it. They had coins to pay, but they didnt want to get scammed. Okay. "After I perform? Deal! No take-backs!" Mercury said, desperately trying to stall. Something, anything! an excuse. Suddenly, an idea flickered into her head. It was not the best she had ever had, but it would do. Then, she raised her arms and….
let out a deafening chicken screech. Nox, Iodine, and Flourine covered their ears in the trees, and the assassins all jumped. She didnt know how to dance, so she was going to do the next best thing - The chicken dance! the epitome of comedy and the easiest dance, that even a baby could do. All it involved was waving your arms and hopping from one for to the other. the assassins lept back as she started hopping in a circle, clucking loudly while doing the chicken dance. Flapping her arms like wings and trying to make the most chicken-like expression she could muster. she beat her head like a drum and spun in a circle, waving her arms. "Bluck bu clackkkk!" she shouted.
Deathly silence. The assassins all eyes her stonily, grabbing their swords to aim at her neck once more. Suddenly she stopped in her tracks. It was time now, right? the sound of iron rang out in the distance, tickling her ears. Perfect! "Load!" She said, making finger guns animatedly at the assassins. they all stopped, confused. "Step back, or I'll shoot!" Mercury yelled, swinging her finger guns around. The assassins scoffed at her, and Mercury paled. The time was nigh! No more chicken dance! the last few shreds of her dignity had been saved! the crossbows had probably been fixed by now! "You asked for this, huh! I said step back! I meant it, I'll shoot!" Mercury yelled again. they spun around searching the trees, and she said, "Aim!" It was now or never. the assassins all whirled to her, and she yelled the last word. "FIRE!"
nothing happened. Maybe the crossbows hadn't worked after all…? The assassins all lunged towards her, swords drawn. They had realized what she was really doing now. "OH, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD-" Mercury screamed, covering her head, because she had left her sword with Flourine -
arrows speared through the assassins closest to her, and Mercury slowly opened her eyes, realizing what was happening. "Go! Go! Go! keep going, if you want me to keep my head!" Mercury screeched, waving her arms at the nearest assassins as it rained arrows. Yes, yes, yes! it was working! her ridiculous plans had thwarted certain death yet again! She was left ducking as more arrows pierced the air. There had only been 7 assassins, and now they all lay dead. Mercury instantly started cracking open their masks, putting all the IDs in her backpack. Nox, Iodine, and Flourine also all climbed off from the trees. Fluorine ran straight in to tackle Mercury in a hug. "Amazing dancing skills, Mercury! you never cease to amaze me!" Nox said, mockingly bowing his head to her. Mercury whacked him with one hand. "I saved you! Be grateful!" she yelled.
"Yes, you did, but you did it in the funniest way!" Nox said, doubled over while laughing. Iodine was also biting her lip. Mercury frowned. Well, whatever. It is what it is. And it was slightly her fault for not knowing how to dance, so she let it slide. Mercury also grabbed the sack of coins from one of the assassin's hands. "I need payment for all the suffering I just went through.' the mombled to herself, pocketing her coins. "Welp. Should we go see the fruit of our labor?" Nox asked, and Mercury grinned.