Free Questing Sucks (Book 1) by Kevin Weinberg Page A

of the woman.
    “
Remmos Salas!”
    “
Remmos Salas!”
    The men looked on in disbelief as a volley of fireballs struck six of them, causing them to roll on the ground, crying out in pain. The other four drew their weapons and met Cah’lia’s charge head on.
    “Lookie here!” one of them shouted. “We gots us another pretty to play with. Elven, too.”
    Cah’lia grinned. They had no idea what she was capable of.
    The first man to reach Cah’lia attempted to decapitate her. Moving with a grace that only a dagger and training allowed, she ducked and spun, twirling around like an Elven dancer, and then sliced the man across the stomach. He coughed as he dropped to the floor.
    Three more came upon her, each determined to end her life. They surrounded her, two using great-swords, and one wielding battle-axe. They lunged at her, eyes widening in surprise as she nimbly avoided each attack.
    They swung, and she ducked; they aimed at her feet, and she hopped over their weapons. One tried to run her through, but she sidestepped and, with a flick of her wrist, slit the man’s throat.
    The man who had aimed for her feet prepared himself for another attack. Carrying the massive battle-axe slowed his movement to almost a crawl. But her real threat was the other man. He tried yet again to run her through, learning nothing from his companion’s demise.
    She kicked at the bandit’s stomach, causing him to bend over in pain. While he was leaned over, she leaped at him, placing her two hands on his shoulder and pushing off into a flip. She landed on the axe-wielder behind him, plunging her dagger deep into his chest.
    Recovering from the kick, the first man looked at her and trembled in terror. He dropped his sword in a gesture of surrender. He backed up slowly to join his six living companions rolling on the ground in a desperate attempt to put out the fire that Sehn had brought on them.
    It was at this point that Patrick, Rillith, and Daniel caught up to them. They gawked at the victory. Patrick gasped at the sight of the dead and wounded bandits.
    “I can’t believe you two just did that,” Daniel said.
    Sehn let out a mighty laugh. “Hahahah! Do not be surprised. My only regret is that my fireballs did not kill any of them.”
    Patrick nodded. “A problem we can easily fix. Under our Kingdom’s law, these men have committed a serious crime. I’ll personally see to their execution.”
    Before either Sehn or Cah’lia could utter a word in protest, Patrick walked up to the first of the burned men lying injured on the ground. He unsheathed his sword and plunged it into the man’s chest. Other than a barely audible cough, followed by a gurgle of blood from his lips, the man died without a sound.
    “Cah’lia,” Sehn asked. “Did that just happen?”
    Cah’lia struggled to prevent tears from forming in her eyes. Sehn wasn’t ready for this yet. His father had kept him from the darker side of the world.
    “They’re rapists and thieves,” Patrick said. “All law abiding, Kingdom-born Humans have a responsibility to execute people like this for their crimes.”
    One of the men pushed himself up on his knees and folded his hands over his chest. “Please be sparin ’ me, good sir. I begs you. I don’t want to die.”
    Patrick looked down at the man in disgust and raised his blade. “Save your tears for those who would care to hear them. Your time in this world ends now, scum. Prepare to—”
    “Patrick!” Sehn thundered. “Cease this at once!”
    Patrick, only moments from executing the begging man, turned to look at Sehn, confusion on his face for the briefest of moments. Then, as if remembering whom he was dealing with, he smiled.
    “Don’t worry, Sehn. I’m making this quick and painless.”
    In the blink of an eye, Sehn crossed the distance between the bandit and Patrick. He grabbed Patrick’s sword arm, causing both Rillith and Daniel to snap their heads to Sehn. Patrick gave them a nod, and they stood