That same time as Torrance mobilised the rescue team, Doctor Hacker arrived at the fortress and saw that something was very odd, which meant that something was very wrong.

  The fortress was practically deserted.

  Only the Bodyhunters were in his sight, standing on guard at the battlements, milling about in the small courtyard, tending horses and maintaining their weaponry or having quiet talks amongst themselves in small groups. Not one soldier of the Fist was there. Not even Captain Steer, who was a constant odious presence in the Fortress. Over a hundred soldiers… just gone.

  Where are they?

  The sudden quiet of the fortress was unnerving. Hacker stepped down from his horse and unsaddled his utensils and tinctures as usual for this week he had visited the fortress. But today, he felt a terrible feeling in the back of his mind, on the nape of his neck and within the pit of his stomach. He took a deep breath and exhaled calmly. He had to remain cool and collected. No one could catch on to what he knew. And what was coming.

  Malka Catcher had come to him at the start of the week with the wild plan that she and the pair of rogues he encountered on the road that day were concocting. She explained their intent and the reason for their involvement. Hacker had to control himself with the fear and the excitement that whirled in him.

  This was it. This was the chance he had waited for, for the slaves and even for Darius. If they were smart, if they could get every stage of the plan under control, they may have a chance to escape.

  He was pleased to see Malka as well. She was a good friend as well as a good supplier for bodies for the hospital and the College of Scribes. Bodies were useful for the autopsy lectures and training sessions that Hacker’s students required to earn the title of Doctor or Surgeon. Malka was also a dear friend who had grown up with Hacker in a fishing village called Salmon’s Row situated in Central Dargania alongside the Corikyne River. They had whiled away their days fishing for salmon, trout, and pikes and talking about their dreams to become sailors for the Royal Navy. Those conversations seemed such a long time ago now… Hacker gritted his teeth. There would be later to reminisce. Today required his full attention.

  The plan was simple enough. Malka would pose as a slave hunter with her people, bringing a fresh batch of ‘slaves’ for Markus to buy and sell on. Hacker would accompany her as her voucher and give credence to her intention. Then while the chaos would ensue, Hacker would sneak into the cells and get Nerisity out. That part he had planned himself. It was imperative that she be escorted out when the fighting started. Now that she was so far gone.

  Hacker shuddered with horrified wonder. It was unnatural, it was near miraculous.

  When he had first discovered her pregnancy, Nerisity was barely showing on her belly, but the signs were there that she was with child. It was easy to hide it for the first two days with extra clothing that Hacker claimed was to get against a chill she had developed.

  Then, with the next three days, her abdomen swelled exponentially.

  It was horrifying and magical to behold.

  What would take a woman six or seven months for a pregnancy to gestate, it took the poor girl only a week. She was so utterly exhausted by the fifth day, and with her stomach protruding as such, Hacker had to lie to the Bodyhunters and Markus himself that she had caught an infection that was contagious and required total isolation, save for the Belle Dame as she shared a cell with her. It was not a hard lie to perform, as Nerisity soon developed a short-term fever with sweat caking her face and making her skin clammy to the touch. She was quickly moved to a private cell with the Belle Dame, Margret, as her only company.

  Hacker gripped his bag tightly in his hand. Now, he had to find Darius, convince the man to help him, and arrange for the man’s family to flee the city. This would be a very dangerous affair; Hacker would need all the help he could get.

  Darius had to help him. He had to.

  “Nathaniel?”

  Oh Gods… A calm and icy voice came from behind him. Only one man held that cadence.

  Hacker swallowed his spit and turned with a prepared, congenial smile as he faced Baron Markus. Hacker stared for a moment.

  The Baron was not his uniform of a statesman. He was instead dressed in a slim-fit suit of red and grey armour, small plates folding over themselves like the scales of a fish. An armour designed for speed.

  He leant on his sword-cane, which was thankfully sheathed. Hacker was aware of its sharpness and the ill-repute it had earned. But it was Markus's face that took the most of Hacker’s view. Markus was always careful to wear his sunglasses so that his heterochromia was hidden from most. But not this day. His exposed eyes, tar pupil against snow iris and sclera, bored into the doctor and into his soul. It was a searching look. It was a look of anger, placid on the surface yet hiding the enraged monster underneath. A temple on Markus's head throbbed.

  The Baron looked ready for war. Which gave Hacker a great degree of worry.

  Markus made three strides to bring himself right into Hacker’s space.

  Does he know about the rescue? Does he know? Gods. Does he know?

  He was very close to Hacker, his chest inches from his. And because he was tall, the Baron looked down at the poor doctor with a malicious smile.

  “How are you today?” The Baron asked with an unnerving tremor in his voice. “Been keeping busy, I hope?”

  “I- I have, yes.” Hacker said, as he fought to steady his breath. “Have you been keeping well?”

  “As well as one can be with so many treacherous friends around…” Markus crossed his hands behind his back and then began to pace around Hacker. His sword-cane swung with each slow step. “I must confess…” Markus began. “I find myself in a bewildering situation. I have spent my time planning for every outcome. Every possible eventuality which I could then counter. I pride myself on doing that. Because I know people. I know how they think and how they feel… It is what got me to where I am today. But imagine my surprise, that it was a singular doctor that would lie to me and I would believe him. I did not see that coming. It is a unique feeling to have.”

  Hacker felt his stomach bottom out. “I- I- don’t understand.”

  “You have been lying to me, Nathaniel.” Markus stopped before Hacker and took another single step towards him. Before Hacker could react, he heard the singing sing of a drawn blade and the edge of the sword-cane was up against his bare throat. Hacker froze, bag in his hand. He dared not move an inch.

  Markus, holding the cane up to his quarry’s throat, smiled with bared teeth.

  “I am a curious man by nature.” He said with such dangerous calm. “So I thought, seeing that I am going to sell off my slaves soon, I should have a look at them myself. I did not wish to cause a scene, so I went to see them as they slept. Granted, I trusted your judgement and until now, you had not led me astray. So imagine my second surprise when I found that girl we spoke of is… with child.”

  He spoke those last two words with a venomous hiss and all cordiality vanished from his corpse eyes. Hacker felt Markus’s free hand crawled up his back to latch it around the back of his neck, locking his throat in place against the Baron’s sword.

  “I thought it odd that you would be so partial to that whore.” Markus smirked. “Perhaps you took a shine to her. Maybe she promised to wet your flute if you let her into your good graces. No, that would only make sense. This? This is something beyond logic. How is it possible that that girl is so heavily pregnant in so short a time? And do not lie to me. I will know.”

  Hacker gave shuddering breaths as he answered. “I- I do not know how she is like that. I swear. But she is with child, it is no trick. I have examined her. It is a miracle. I have never seen the like before.”

  Hacker winced as a sting of pain lanced his neck. Blood dribbled down from the blade’s small cut.

  “I swear it!” Hacker gasped. “Please, I ask you with all my heart, Markus. Let me take the girl away to the hospital tonight, so that she may give birth to her baby in peace and safety. She will still be your property afterwards.”

  Markus sneered. “Let you take her away? Tonight? Am I a fool? Do you actually take me for one? No. She remains here. And you will too, you have a duty to fulfil now.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  Markus spat into Hacker’s face with hissed words. “How can I market that bitch as a virgin when she’s on the verge of being pupped? No man will have her now, she will be used goods if nothing else. I cannot wait for her to give birth. Do you understand?”

  Hacker’s face blanched as the horror settled in. “Gods... Baron, truly... You cannot be asking me of this.”

  Markus's eyes narrowed and his face was stone. “I am. And I will. You will go into that cell. And you will remove that child from her womb, however you can. Get rid of the spawn, clean up the mess, have her cleaned and ready for transportation. Do a good enough job so that she can be properly displayed as a virgin. Am I clear?”

  Hacker’s mouth dropped. His eyes were wide in shocked horror.

  With an impatient snarl, Markus whipped his head around and shouted. “Snowhair! Get over here. Now!”

  Within seconds, Darius Snowhair arrived by the pair. Hacker saw Darius’ face shift many emotions in a flash as he saw Hacker’s predicament. Concern, worry, fear, anger and then fear again.

  “Sir?” Darius asked with a salute that was not so solid.

  Markus did not return the salute. “Escort Doctor Hacker to the cells, directly to the slut girl. Have him perform the abortion, get rid of the foetus and make sure it is done.”

  Darius blinked as he stared at Markus. His expression spoke many words. All of them centred on disbelief.

  Suddenly Hacker gasped out a word that no one could understand.

  Markus whipped his eyes to him. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

  Hacker, eyes watering in fear but hands clenched in anger, spoke out. “I said: No.”

  Darius took a moment to stare at Hacker now. His eyes pleaded for Hacker to reconsider. But it was too late, Hacker had said it. Markus did not reply. He only blinked at Hacker as the doctor continued.

  “I said no. I have stood aside and allowed barbarity to be committed with my approval. I look over your slaves. These innocent people. Who had lives, families, joys, dreams, and hope before you came and tore them all down. I may have stood by to witness cruelty for many years… but I will not participate in the act of murdering a baby. I am a doctor, sworn to save people and heal them. You will not make me do this. You are a fucking monster!!”

  He screamed the last words with a defiance born of desperation, exhaustion, and pent-up anger at the injustice of the world.

  The silence reigned in that courtyard as every single Bodyhunter stopped in their tracks and watched the scenario play out.

  Hacker made a sigh after shaking his head.

  Darius gulped a fearful ball of bile.

  And Markus said nothing.

  He then slowly lowered his blade from Hacker’s throat. Put it back into his cane.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  He smiled. Even chuckled a bit under his breath.

  Then he placed one hand on Hacker’s shoulder and slammed his other gauntleted fist right into Hacker’s stomach.

  Hacker doubled over and heaved, feeling vomit surge up his throat. Before he could fully spew, Markus’s iron-capped knee rose up to meet him and cracked into his mouth. Blood and vomit spewed from his cut lips as he whipped up and back before collapsing onto the ground in a coughing heap.

  Groggy and seeing stars, Hacker raised his face up from the mud with his hands. He looked up to see Markus sending a fist directly into his face.

  CRACK.

  White light blinded his sight. He felt his eyeglasses snap into two. A pain rocked through his head. He felt his face slap down into the mud. And just when Hacker thought it was over, Markus began to kick him.

  Hacker cried out as the Baron rained kicking blows after kicking blows into his torso. The steel boot of the Baron’s armour turned his feet into hammers that jabbed, bruised, and cracked Hacker’s ribs. Hacker screamed as Markus suddenly stomped down onto his outstretched forearm. There was a snap that bent the limb the wrong way. Hacker shrieked some more and pulled his body and arms into himself, curling into a protective ball to try and halt some of the damage.

  The attack finally ceased.

  Hacker opened his bleeding eyes. Markus was squatting beside him. He reached down, grabbed a handful of Hacker’s hair, and brought the beaten doctor right up to his face. Markus's temples throbbed with each beat of his cold heart. His eyes flared with malice.

  “You fail to realise, my dear colleague, that I am a monster.” Markus said quietly. “That is how I became a Baron. I am the monster that keeps the ungrateful rats like you under my boot. You have forgotten yourself, Hacker. You made the mistake of putting yourself as my equal. You. Are. Not. You never were.

  I will allow my kin and fellow Barons to critique my ways for they are of my standing, but not a lowly doctor. That is too far. I will have my order. My commands will be obeyed. And I will have you tow the damned line. You may be a doctor, you may be valued by many in the city… but you are not wholly protected. You can easily earn a slave’s tattoo and its chains just by saying the wrong words. Just like all the others before you.”

  Hacker coughed out mud, blood, and spit. “I do not care… I… will… not do it. I’d rather die.”

  Markus laughed incredulously. “Amazing… even now, after what I just said…? I’d respect your courage if I regarded you with some value… But I guarantee you, sir, I will get what I want. One way or another. Snowhair!”

  “Sir?” Darius uttered, unsure what to do anymore in this unthinkable situation. He stood there, watching his master beat his only friend and feel utterly powerless.

  Markus did not look towards Darius as he was busy holding up Hacker’s head and smiling at him. Without offering a grain of respect for Darius, Markus gave the Bodyhunter his order.

  “I want you to go into that cell. Drag that girl out here in the courtyard, for all to see, and kick her stomach until she shits out her spawn.”

  Darius’s heart stopped beating, for maybe a moment. He wasn’t quite sure if he had heard his leader correctly. But he did. He really asked him to do… that…

  Darius’s mind flashed images of his own wife, his Sandra, giving birth to Thaddeus. His boy. His flesh and blood.

  Darius struggled to catch his breath as the Baron’s words scorched a path in his mind.

  What he just asked him to do… it cannot be. It couldn’t happen. It was too much. No. Not for him, not as a father. Not as a man. Not as a human. No. No. No.

  “No.”

  Darius blinked as that word somehow escaped his dry lips. He was too slow to catch himself on that syllable. But it was said and the two men before him heard it plainly.

  Hacker stared at Darius with imploring eyes, eyes that told him to run. Run away as fast as he could.

  The Baron had frozen. Then he released Hacker and rose to his full height, staring eye to eye with Darius. Markus’s face was a visage of stunned shock and confusion. He blinked, trying to understand what had just happened.

  “I am sorry…” Markus spoke, his voice trembling like an earthquake’s aftershock. “But maybe I misheard you when you had said yes. I think you said yes. You had better said yes. I am correct, Snowhair?”

  Darius kept his hands locked at his sides, facing the Baron with unblinking eyes.

  “I meant to say, sir…” he said, “is there a better way to go about this? Maybe we can help the girl give birth here and then we-”

  “Silence!” Markus shrieked as he backhanded Darius across the face with the speed of a wolf spider. The strike echoed across the courtyard. “How dare you talk back to me! You will obey me, servant! Fucking obey!”

  Darius spun with the blow, tasting blood from a cut lip. He wiped the blood away as he looked back at Markus.

  And for the first time in his life, Darius felt anger towards the man.

  Anger and disgust. At Markus. And at himself.

  How could he have given so much of his life to this monster? Wasted months in service to someone he had thought was a hard, but fair man? But it was with that slap and that evil command, that the spell was broken. The loyalty in Darius’s soul died.

  Markus seemed to sense that turn in his servant and saw the glint of rebellion in Darius’s eyes.

  He blinked, feeling surprise for the first time in a great while.

  Within the second after the slap, Markus whistled a short, sharp note and in moments, Darius felt a force rush up behind him. He would have moved and used his strength to overpower the attacker, but his unseen foe fired their boot into the back of his knee. Darius cried out and dropped onto his hands as the force fell upon him and slammed him stomach first into the mud.

  A shortsword sank into the mud by his face, its blade cutting into his right ear and cheek with little care for precision. He hissed from the pain. A female voice whispered softly into his cut ear.

  “Don’t fight. Just let it happen… You might enjoy it.”

  Fuck, it was Hildur Blackheart.

  Markus snorted and clapped once. “Well done, Hildur.”

  “My thanks, my lord.” She replied lasciviously. Darius felt a shudder of repulsion having her weight on him. He felt violated by her touch.

  Hildur Blackheart always repulsed him. There was something so inherently twisted in her eyes. And he knew that her mind was fractured.

  He would never forget that one night he accidentally came across her in the horse stables of this very fortress. Whilst on patrol in the courtyard, Darius had heard groaning and thought someone to be in pain.

  He investigated and instead was greeted with the disturbing sight of Hildur lying in the hay, with her legs and hips splayed and devoid of clothing. She was writhing and moaning, but not in pain. She was pleasuring herself with the dull edge of her hunting dagger…

  Darius couldn’t hold back a horrified gasp. Hildur opened her eyes and had caught him seeing her.

  But she did not stop, for there was no embarrassment in her eyes. She only locked him with those cold eyes and grinned at him savagely before resuming her ecstasy. Darius felt utter disgust slither up his spine before he fled.

  They never spoke of it for the last two years, but she would always flash him looks with deranged hunger as if she preferred that he be the dagger.

  And now to have her this close to him, to his wound, to his back as her arms locked him in place, it took all his will not to fight back and kill her.

  Markus sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I cannot believe the week I am having. Bad enough that I have to contend with barons who do not appreciate my hard work and sacrifice. But now, even those who work for me have decided to know better. Well, that stops now. Right. Now. Hildur!”

  “Yes?” She replied coolly.

  Markus spat down at Darius, landing a globular glob of phlegm on the man’s hair. “Instead of this worm, you do it.”

  She giggled and nodded without hesitation. “Gladly. I have steel-capped boots. They can get the job done quickly.”

  “Finally. Someone who agrees. Thank you.”

  Hacker struggled up his knees and crawled towards Markus as if he was in a temple. He implored Markus. “No! No! You’ll kill her! You’ll kill her! Please, don’t do this, Markus! I beg of you!”

  Markus waved a hand at him dismissively. “Too little, too late, Nathaniel. I gave you a chance. The bitch slave’s death will be on your head. Hildur, get to kicking.”

  “Okey dokey.” Hildur grinned. “Stay where you are, Darius. Don’t make me stick you with the hard point. I want to save this for a special occasion…”

  Darius did not move. Hildur jumped up, gave a quick bow to Markus, and started for the fortress with a skip in her step. Such enthusiasm for an evil task… Hacker could not allow that woman anywhere near Nerisity.

  So the doctor, in a movement of desperation and panic, pushed himself to his feet and threw himself into Hildur’s path, whilst howling in pain as he landed on his twisted arm. Hildur paused and looked back at Markus with a perplexed look.

  “Uh… What do I do?” She said blankly.

  Markus rolled his eyes, walked over, and stopped by Hacker’s prone form.

  “Nathaniel.” Markus said chidingly. “What, in the name of Dargania, are you doing?”

  Hacker lifted his dirtied head from the mud and looked up at Markus and Hildur. His eyes brimmed with tears, and his teeth clenched in pains of the physical, emotional, and spiritual.

  “There is another way…” Hacker said finally. He pulled himself to his feet, while holding his broken arm close to his side.

  “Is there?” Markus's eyebrow raised. “Do tell.”

  Hacker swallowed his pride. His oath. His duty. Both would be damned to the hells. He had to do it. Neria could not die. One death could be managed, as horrific as it was. But two deaths would be too much to bear. “There is a woman with her. The Belle Dame. She is Marked.”

  Markus cocked his head in surprise. “Oh? What is her gift?”

  “She can negate pregnancies. Prevent them from reaching their fullest term.” Hacker choked on the words that he could not believe he was saying. “But that is a gift only used for recent couplings. Not for something like this, not for a developed foetus. Markus, I am begging you. Don’t do this. You are fair as well as ruthless. Use this chance to show everyone you can be merciful. It isn’t too late.”

  The Baron tapped his chin with an image of mock introspection. “Hmm… Impressive speech.” Markus took exactly two seconds to decide. “No, I think we shall continue as we have started. Get the Marked.” He said plainly. “Bring her to the girl and see it done, Nathaniel. Hildur will accompany you to make sure it is completed. Go.”

  Hacker’s face fell and his body slumped, showing defeat.

  His shoulder sagged as he turned and headed for the fortress, closely followed by the smiling Hildur. “Come along, sir.” She cooed. “Cheer up. The girl can try again. It’s just a baby.”

  As Markus retrieved his dropped sword cane, he called out after them. “Consider yourself a permanent resident of this place, Hacker. You’ve lost your doctor privileges.”

  He watched Hacker go with a deep level of disgust. “Why can people not understand what needs to be done?” He turned on his heel to face Darius. “As for you…” Markus whistled and a pair of Bodyhunters appeared on either side of Darius.

  “Darius.” Markus snapped.

  Darius slowly rose with a little blood dribbling from his mouth. But both his shoulders were gripped by the gloved hands of the Bodyhunters at his back. With a vicious shove, he was thrown back down to his knees. “Did I tell you to stand, wretch??” Markus hissed. He sighed wearily.

  “You have truly disappointed me, Darius.” He shook his head as he sheathed his sword. “I found you in the squalor of the city, living amongst the scum and rats. Parents dead. Sister raped and multilated. You yourself on the verge of death… You had nothing to your name before I brought you in from the cold. And this is how you repay me? With open disobedience? What happened to you? What made you change into something so… soft?”

  Darius opened his mouth but was cut off by Markus with a wave of his hand.

  “A rhetorical question, louse. I already know.”

  Markus undid a part of his armoured coat, reached inside and pulled out a small blue leather journal. Darius recognised it instantly. It was his diary, the one diary that he kept hidden after all this time. His face betrayed the shock and growing panic in his mind.

  Markus opened the journal and read aloud a few sentences.

  ‘That is decided. I shall leave, or at the very least, prepare to leave. To Hells with the Bodyhunters. To Hells with Markus. And to Hells with myself for staying with these people for this long…’

  Markus closed the book and then flung it over his shoulder.

  “You traitorous little cunt.” He hissed, eyes blazing with contemptuous hatred. “Not one ounce of loyalty. After two decades, no less…”

  Darius’s body shook.

  He knew about Sandra. He knew about Thaddeus. Gods help me!

  “You will not be leaving this place. Ever.” Markus snarled.

  He lunged right towards Darius who, for the life of him, could not understand why he did not move in that moment. It was the truest fear that held him in place. True fear of this sociopath that threatened deranged horror upon innocents without remorse and had the genuine will to enact it. A man who kept his promises, no matter how vile.

  Markus stood nose to nose with Darius. The Bodyhunters on either side of him watched on apathetically.

  “You will stay on." Markus hissed. "You will serve. You will obey. You will hurt those I want you to hurt. Kill those I want you to kill. If they are a child, you will do it. If they are a woman with child, you will do it. I will work you to the godsdamned bone. I will have you broken under the burdens of my wants. And if you do not do what I demand, or if you ever question me or disobey my orders ever again…

  I will have your family brought here.

  I will have your child bound upon a breaking wheel, all his little limbs twisted and snapped and be made sport of by the crows.

  And as for your pretty wife… She will be scourged with hooked whips. Flayed so utterly, that the salt which will be poured onto her afterwards will burn deep. And then after that, I will have her raped raw by a hundred criminals. And then we will return to the flaying, then the salt and then the criminals. Over and over until she is driven mad.

  Picture those images in your head. Do not think that these are threats. They are guarantees. Now get back to work.”

  The Bodyhunters nodded and stooped to pick up the unresponsive Darius from the ground and carried him away. The man had no fight left in him. He too was defeated.

  Markus sighed. “An okay day so far. Could be worse, I suppose.” He said to himself. Looking towards a frail stableboy with mousy brown hair that hung shaggily over his eyes (who was very busy cleaning the stables and doing whatever was possible to avoid contact), Markus started for him.

  “You!” He snapped.

  The stableboy dropped his broom in terror and straightened up, wide-eyed and shaking. “Sir?”

  “Stop your work and get down to the tunnels. Inform Captain Steer that I have received confirmation that the rescue attempt will be happening tonight. Have his men ready for deployment. Tell him these exact words, do I make myself understood? Fail and you’ll be Blackheart’s toy for target practice.”

  “Yes, sir!” The blank-faced stableboy scarpered away towards a door at the foot of the battlements, flung it open, and disappeared into the dark before closing the door behind him.

  Markus gritted his teeth and sighed through his molars.

  He was aggravated by all the questioning of his men, the insubordination of his people, and the snide remarks of his once-allied colleagues. He spat the ground as the images of Eva’s condescending smile and Zult’s smirk and the rest of them were dredged up in his mind. But none of that mattered now.

  Tonight, everything was going to change. This matter of Silverstreak would be resolved, once and for all.

  Arcos Blade would be dead. His allies would be killed or enslaved. And Markus's rule would no longer be questioned. A firm hand— no, a fist— was needed to make his changes in the world.

  And with that reassuring thought in his mind, he headed for the front gates to remind himself where exactly Steer and his hundred-strong men of hardened killers would spring up from to assault the rear and flanks of his enemy when the fools attacked the gate…

  Markus allowed a short bark of laughter. The trap was set. He was ready, and he could not wait for the bloodletting to begin.