Wielder

Chapter 15 - Consequences

Darrel was certain that he was a fool. No sensible thief would jump so readily into the heat of a confrontation. Especially not a confrontation certain to attract mass public attention: the likes of which a swarm of thousands of Evil was sure to do. Not to mention, the local guard had been pulled into the fight. A few questions from them and he was sure to wind up in a windowless dungeon.

And yet, because he was a stupid fool, he stayed to fight by Alie's side.

She was quite a fool herself. He knew of no one who would willingly stand alone against so many. Even though her magic abilities gave her a rare advantage, she was sure to get herself killed if she kept pulling stunts like that. He thought about telling her so. Maybe he would have, if he wasn't so damn attracted to her recklessness.

The only sensible one among them was Michael. He smartly stood among a team of soldiers, sharing the brunt of the fighting with them to keep himself safe. Darrel was sure the teen had been pulled into this mess against his will. And, judging by the expression on his face, he was none too happy about it, either. Alie was sure to get a lecture from him. Maybe Darrel would, too.

It was an annoyance he was willing to endure, if it meant securing their safety.

The problem was, he had no idea why he cared so much. He had only just met these people. They meant nothing to him. Just that afternoon, he had abandoned them in favor of the promise of riches. The crystal weighing heavily in his pack held more importance to him than the fates of their insignificant lives.

Still, a nagging sense of responsibility gnawed at his gut. Alie had trusted him from the beginning. And she had forgiven him easily after he had showed his hand in betraying her. Michael had been much more sensible, but even he had extended unusual kindness when they'd parted.

These were not ordinary people.

They reminded him that there was still good in the Realm. Among the selfish and the power hungry and the cold-hearted, there were still people of true virtue. People who were kind not because they wanted something in return for their kindness, but because it was good to be kind. Because they believed in that goodness.

He wanted to protect that.

As Alie's magic defeated the last hundred or so Evil in a single attack, the muscles in his aching shoulders tensed. There were consequences for defending goodness in this Realm. Consequences that most likely landed him behind the bars of a dungeon five floors below ground. Stories of what happened to those who wound up in such places haunted his dreams. He had spent a considerable amount of time ensuring he would never end up there. Not that all that effort amounted to much, now.

He shoved his hands into his pockets to hide how they trembled.

Michael immediately crossed the distance between them, worry creasing his brow. "You can't just run off like that," he scolded, though his voice sounded more tired than angry.

From where she sat on the ground, rubbing out a cramp in her leg, Alie gave a weary nod.

Michael sighed heavily. He turned to Darrel, lifting his chin in a quick hello. "Thanks for stepping in," he said.

That was it? No, "What are you doing here?" No, "It's about time you decided to help?" Rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably, Darrel nodded. "Sure thing."

"Darrel says the authorities are probably going to arrest him," Alie said.

"They probably will," Michael agreed.

Ah. There was the condescension Darrel had anticipated.

Michael jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, gesturing to the authorities. "Want me to distract them for a bit?"