The Blood Lands

Prologue

I always wanted the fun jobs, Drev thought. But never imagined it would end up getting me killed.

No, he was not dead. Not yet. Drev moved through the dark hallway, hand clutching around his waist - sticky with something warm. I'm gonna bleed out. He knew he was eventually going to die, everyone did in his line of work. He was an explorer, adventurer - but most people called him a mercenary and a thug. Drev didn't care as long as he got paid and had fun. But with the money, comes my life. He had been lucky so far, but luck eventually ran out. No, he thought, putting his arm out and leaning on a wall. I will not die here, not today.

He slumped onto the hard stone, letting it bear his weight while he slowed down his breathing. The wall was dry and cold, its chill creeping through Drev's leather shoulder pads. His breathing slowed, letting in air that tasted like dirt and soil. It was dark, Drev had to put out the light a while back to keep them from being seen.

We are like prey, trying to run and escape in a madman's maze. Fuck being prey. But he was indeed the lesser man this time. He was up against... something. He came with a team, well-equipped and trained. It was a reliable group of people too, the highest quality mercenaries he had ever seen in one contract. They had two Argons, a Thanak with a Thracite sword, and two Sarins. They were beaten bad. He was the only Argon left, and Salome the only other survivor, a Sarin.

Dead, all of them. Drev was confident with this contract when he got it. Rich employer, capable members, and amazing pay. It was supposed to be an easy job, something their team was overqualified for. Find a man in a shack and bring back his head. The easy job turned into a massacre. They were confronted after they went down the basement of the shack and discovered a series of tunnels. It was too dark to see clearly, and their opponent was just a man - or at least its body was that of a man. They were not able to bring back a head. Ammett, the other Argon, was beheaded - a single clean strike with an axe. Must have been Thracite. It moved with incredible speed and force, it must have been an Argon too. More experienced, with more Kanna. Ammett didn't stand a chance. Poor kid.

Something touched his shoulder. Drev felt her breath on his ear, panting but kept as quiet as possible. He was not alone, there was still a chance, he could survive. We can't get caught now, we have to get out.

"Salome, you got any Kanna left?" Drev faced her, braving the sharp pain on his side. He had drank all his Kanna and was keeping it in his chest.

The young Sarin looked at him, her green eyes swollen from crying, then looked down at his waist. "I have some, I used a bit on myself and didn't get to-" she fell silent.

Use it to heal others. Of course you couldn't. They were dead beyond your power and before we knew what was happening.

"Take care of this." Drev lifted off his hand and he felt a gush from his pulsing waist. Salome hovered her hand, palm open, over his wound. The axe cut him pretty deep, if the bleeding was any sign. Wisps of gray smoke emanated from Salome. She was consuming her Kanna. The smoke close to her hand swirled around Drev's cut and infused into his skin. He felt the flesh sew close, the pain was subsiding and the pulsing was getting weaker. After a few seconds, the wound was no more - and only a scar was left behind. Salome could probably heal the scar, leaving behind no sign of injury. She's just being smart about her Kanna, no need to use it up to look pretty. Smart gal.

Drev pushed himself away from the wall and stood up straight. "We have to get out of here, the money ain't worth our lives."

"Drev, we don't know how to get out." Drev knew she was right. There was no indication of what direction they would be heading. At first, they tried to plant marks by cutting pieces of the stone wall with Restin's Thracite sword. It cut through stone as if it were made of butter. Damn it, that sword could be the difference between us killing it or us dying here. There was no use thinking about it, the blade was lost when they fled from the attack.