Life

Imperial Crown Prince Rengard Lan, was ready to throttle the officious Magistrate which had allowed these attacks against Imperial Citizens for so long. The reports of the caravans and convoys lost to brigands in the High Passes had been alarming and had been hidden artfully in the standard paperwork sent back to the emperor. This sycophant was a good friend of his father's, after all, and Rengard Lan had to treat the son-of-a-Necromantic-louse with respect until he had permission to execute the creep. So, Rengard had forced himself to take a walk instead of taking off the bastard's head.

When the commotion started, Rengard was already near the city limit. The first sign that there was trouble was when a mixed patrol of city garrison blue and imperial red uniformed guards went running past his location as he fumed silently to himself. Curious, Regard Lan followed. Perhaps a bit of a scuffle would settle nerves that the crisp sea air or the azure waves could not. Off he trotted after the troops as they hurried to the scene of the problem.

Arriving not long after, it was impossible to see what was going on. Whatever the problem was it was blocked from view by a ring of red and blue uniforms. "Stand fast men." The officer in command bellowed. "Don't hurt the lass, but don't let her through without disarming her first." Lass?

"Sir," One of the men called urgently. "There's no way to stop her. She's carrying an Imperial Courier's case and the spell's been activated!" Really? Mused Rengard. That was terribly interesting.

"Shit!" The commanding officer swore as the circle suddenly expanded to the sound of clanking hobnails and jingling mail. "Stay back." His voice cut through any other sound.

"Clear a corridor to the Magistrate's, and stay clear of that case, it'll suck the life right out of you to feed its deliverance spell. No one touch her. No one stop her." Rengard Lan quite suddenly found himself face to face with the most wildly crazed and ferociously beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life as the circle of soldiers followed their new commands and cleared the way.

Her long auburn curls sparkled in the bright morning sun with glints of ruby and gold and a frizzy halo around her head that even the oil and grime of many days could not tame. Blood and sweat made her clothing cling to her curves. Even her lean face and the sharply defined bones that spoke of prolonged illness…or was perhaps a result of the deliverance spell feeding off her, could not hide her beauty.

It was a pity that whoever she was, she was going to die. The spell had forced her beyond her limits as the blood-drenched clothing and the trail of pooling burgundy puddles she left behind attested to. Once the magic which kept her alive long enough to deliver the message was discharged, she would die. This girl might as well be the walking dead, as was anyone whom she perceived to be a threat.

Slowly Rengard Lan raised his hands' palms facing out and fully opened, in a sign that he did not intend to attack, and backed out of her way along with all the other uniformed men.

"Get the best surgeons in town to meet us at the Magistrate's." The young prince bellowed at one of the men off to the side. While his military rank might not be impressive yet, everyone recognized the importance of the signet ring the young lord wore and heeded his orders without question.

Knowing that his Imperial signet ring and the mage's blood which ran through his veins would protect him from this girl's wrath or harm from the case's deliverance spell, Rengard Lan fell into step beside the woman with an almost nonchalant grace. It was a miracle that she had made it this far. How many others had not? A wound like that should have prevented this young woman from executing her mission. Behind him, his commanding officer and the troops brought up the rear. Some ran ahead to clear the streets.

It was possible for Rengard to turn off the spell that kept the woman on her feet and take the message canister from her trembling hands. Part of him wanted to so that he could see what the problem was that brought her here. But prudence tempered his patience. Whatever danger there was, the message would not contain it all.

The courier case spell turned the courier themselves into a message. Because the Imperial failsafe had not been activated by his presence, it was safe to assume that this woman was not beyond saving. He realized her condition was not so dire that her message had to be delivered at once.

It meant that Rengard Lan could save the mysterious woman. There had been so many he could not save. So many lives had been lost because of the Magistrate's greed. But this one person the prince must save. It was time for things to change in Balast and the High Passes. This was one citizen in danger and one problem that the Magistrate could not hide from his Imperial superiors. This woman must live.