Revenge

As we tried to stand up, Jacob approached us. There was something more than a sharp tip on that arrows... Whatever it was, I just couldn't stand up under the effect of it and Jacob seemed to be enjoying our situation.

"I guess it can be fun to watch people so defenseless trying to fight back... But don't worry, this is the least you should worry about, Dagger", he said and walked towards Jeffrey. Beech tried to stop him, jumping at the leader's face, but Jacob just grabbed the animal midair and threw it against a wall. Wounded, the fox remained in the floor.

"You... You gotta face me first if you want to do anything to them...", I said to him, trying to use my sword to get up... But it was useless, the weight on my legs just was just not helping right now.

"Ah, so many feelings for an animal and a traitor... Tell me, did he seduce you while you were through this journey? Did he captivated your heart and that's why you follow him around the world?", he asked me and I stared angrily at him.

"It's him who has been following me... He has helped me, I am just retributing the favor, something you don't seem to comprehend after I spared you... Besides, my heart belongs to someone else...", I said and suddenly, my sword slipped on the floor... I put too much strength on it while trying to get up, but it was still in my hands at least. It was seeing his devilish smile that I realized a mistake I just did...

"So there's someone at all... Tell me, who's him?", he asked, but I stayed quiet... I wouldn't let him kidnap Isabelle just so he can torture me, this is the last thing I want...

"Well, whatever... I will track this person down, sooner or later, but in the meantime... This will do...", he said and placed his feet against my head, forcing me against the floor while I tried to use my sword against him. I still hadn't the strength, however...

"I want you to stare... And stare very closely, eyes open...", he said and then gestured to one of the criminals nearby. When the criminal came, he approached Jeffrey and this criminal held my head against the floor, forcing me to stare at Jeffrey...

"So, Jeffrey... Remember how you vowed to serve this organization when you joined us? Remember the very words you have said?", Jacob asked... It was obvious that something bad was about to happen, but the fox couldn't do anything, nor me... It was in his hands to save himself... And he was clearly trying to stand up and fight back against Jacob.

"I asked you something, just answer me!", Jacob said and then impaled a knife on Jeffrey's stomach.

"You better watch out what you're doing, Jacob...", I said to him, anger growing inside of me after seeing that, but he didn't give me ears... It was not like anything I say was relevant to him, anyway, at least not in the position I am...

"I... I vowed to protect my sisters and brothers in this organization, valuing each other's well-being and the organization's success... If I ever betray my words, may I pay the ultimate price, that's what I said the day I joined...", Jeffrey said after falling on the floor with the knife stuck on himself and the blood leaving slightly through the wound, but it was much worse through his mouth.

"Exactly... So now, for the suffering from Dagger and as your punishment... You will pay the ultimate price...", Jacob said and then kneeled down, close to Jeffrey... With a sudden smile, he pushed the knife upwards, to the chest, increasing the wound and making a blood pool appear very quickly.

"No!" I shouted and in the anger of the moment, I tried to stand up again, but the strength of the criminal and my weakness of that arrow still didn't let me stand up. While unable to do anything, Jeffrey smiled a little, but quickly his face turned into deeper pain, mainly after the knife was taken out and then stabbed into him once more... I am sure he wanted to continue to smile, but he just couldn't in the pain he was feeling and soon... He left for a much better place...

"You're going to pay for this!", I shouted to Jacob, and he smiled devilishly at me. I was almost being able to get up, even with that foot on my head, but then that damned killer stabbed me on the shoulder, making me fall again.

"It's enough, I can take care of her now...", he said, leaving the knife on me while the criminal walked away. "Now, tell me... How are you going to make me pay in the situation you are in? You might as well just give up and let me grant you a wish, die together with your lover, in a very symbolic end... Just tell me who's him"

"Never... You will leave her out of this!", I said, giving up on fighting back, but not giving up on my life, nor Isabelle's life. The anger after the death of Jeffrey was telling me to do the very opposite of this, to attack him without relent and avenge the soul of my poor friend...

" 'Her'? So it's a woman that you love, huh? Ah, of course, how could I be so dumb, it's the princess of the Coventry, right? The one you raped", he said, making me realize another slip of the tongue. Desperation suddenly took over my anger...

"No... Let her out of this, it's not her who my heart belongs...", I said, in a futile dumb lie, and he continued to smile.

"Of course it is her, it all makes sense now... There was something I just couldn't understand about you, a person of morals and values who would never join a criminal organization but would still rape the princess... It wasn't a rape attempt, you have fooled the whole damned world until now, haven't you? I will give you credit for that, it was very well covered to have been hidden for so many years..."

"Please.... Just... Just let her out of this, I won't hesitate if you touch a finger on her!", I said, my desperation starting to mix with my sadness and anger at the same time.

"Well, I can't promise that... Besides, you can't hesitate if you can't do anything at all", he said and started to shout what he had discovered to the other Inner Circle members in the mezzanines...

"What about a duel... Just me and you... Like last time... If I lose, you can do whatever with me, I won't complain and you can torture me as much as you want... But if I win, I leave with the bottle and you leave her alone...", I said, but he looked at me with certain anger.

"You defeated me once, why would I crazily attempt defeating you again in a fair duel?"

"This is hardly fair... I am wounded by arrows and this knife, you certainly have the advantage...", I said, trying to make it more persuasive... If this really was all about revenge against what I did to the criminal organization and what I did to him, I was sure that he wouldn't lose the chance of winning me in the same way I won against him.

"Well... I am skeptical about you doing such an offer knowing you're at such a disadvantage, but I will take it... And you will suffer a lot", he said, confidently.