Legend Land: Tale of the Nameless God

Chapter 8.2: Tight Spaces

Part 2

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"Then you save him," She says. She extends her whips out around a pipe and slings herself to a roof, disappearing in a matter of seconds. I sigh, twitching my fingers. Am I doing this to be recognized? Or because it's the right thing to do? Am I even a good person? I don't think I am. If I was, I wouldn't be doing these jobs. But I did reject Marinette. What am I?

"Someone help!" The boy cries out, struggling against the man. I cover the distance between us in a few steps, grabbing the man by his thinning hair and slamming it against the crumbling brick.

The man drops the boy and crumples to the ground. Before I can move, the boy has grabbed a fallen brick and straddled the man. He sets his thin body on the man's heaving chest, slamming the brick onto his nose. Next, his forehead. Nobody gives him a second glance on the street as he slams the brick down again, tears running down his cheeks. He doesn't stop until there's a gooey red pulp where the attacker's face was.

"Feel better?" I ask. The boy jumps and throws a brick at me, taking off down the streets. I sling the chain of my kusarigama around his waist and yank him back to me. He struggles in my grip and I push him into the alley. He trips over the dead woman, backpedaling away from me. His eyes are wide, looking all over me. "Did you kill that woman?" I ask. He doesn't answer, feeling on the ground for something to throw at me. I'm not that scary, am I? Right, the mask. I still look like an agent of Inari. I take the mask off, tucking it underneath my arm. "I'm not one of them," I say with a smile, bandages crinkling and stretching across my face.

"Are you going to hurt me?" He asks. We stand at the same time.

"Depends," I say. I run my finger over my mask, keeping an eye on the street while I talk. "Are you going to do to me what you did to that woman?"

"It was self-defense," He says, looking down at the woman. His face clouds over when he looks at her. "She deserved it," He spits. How old is this kid, fourteen? Fifteen? That's pretty cold for a kid. Color me impressed.

"How'd you do it?" I ask, stepping over the woman. The boy's eyes flick from the woman's gory eye sockets to a bloody shoe heel. With her own shoe? Damn. I reach out to the boy's curtain of dark hair. He flinches but I'm quicker, whisking the hair away for a brief moment, revealing a leather eye patch. No wonder he went straight for the eye.

"Don't touch me," The boy snaps, baring his teeth. The stones on this kid. I step back, raising my hands.

"Fine. What's your name?"

"Ghelly," He says warily, eyes darting around me, searching the alley. Still looking for an escape route, eh? Smart.

"Well, Ghelly, you have two choices. Either," I lean against the wall, eyes flicking around. No sign of the Wyvern. "You get picked up by the authorities. Or," I smile, my kusarigama chain rattling. "You come with me, get yourself a bed and a hot meal. It's up to you."

"I think I'll take my chances, thanks." He takes a cautious step forward and his stomach growls. I tilt my head at him.

"Did I mention we just got a new cook?" Ghelly sighs. He squeezes his eyes shut for a moment, then looks at me.

"Fine," he says. Though, he doesn't sound too enthusiastic

"Good. Clean their pockets and follow me," I say. I slip my mask on and step out of the alley. I'm probably not a hero, but I could be worse. Probably.

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Inspired by: "King of Amarillo" by Issues

What do ya think of Ghelly? Ain't he a scrapper? Let me know your thoughts on our little miscreant in the comments below!

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Beta Readers/Editors:

Alyssa Clark

Elizabeth Foran

Mandy Barfield

Jordan Thacker

Raiden Jackson