Runed

4 - I'm Too Lazy for this Bullshit

Taking a needle, I pricked the core, a small dot of the rune that was darker than the rest. Her body jumped, an unconscious reaction to the needle. From personal experience, I knew the feeling of having your rune pricked wasn't exactly painful as much as it was terrifying. It left runed in a weakened state, vulnerability that we weren't used to feeling. Even so, even a dead body would find the sensation disagreeable.

"Wait."

I looked to Bryn, who was watching me with concern filled eyes.

"It-does it hurt?"

"From what I've heard, horribly. She's unconscious though, so she won't feel a thing. I mean, if she wakes up halfway through she'll pretty much be paralyzed, but it'll still hurt like the third hell."

"How much would you say a rune that size would go for?"

I smirked at the man. "Thinking of buying?" I took his silence as a 'no'. I looked back to the green tattoo, examining it's size and shades. "Something like this? Not much. Maybe twenty gold crowns. It's the hunt that pays the money. Sometimes the insertion, if that's what the buyer wants. Why do you ask?"

"Do you think it'd be possible for you to let her go?"

"Why? You have a soft spot for unconscious girls?" I sneered.

"No, I have a soft spot for living humans."

"So you're one of them, huh? Damn sympathizers." I looked back to the pathetic unconscious girl. "Ugh, fine. I guess it wouldn't hurt to let one go."

I heard him let out a sigh of relief.

"But don't think this'll happen every time." I warned, standing up and taking my needle with me. "No matter how much money you give me, it'll always run out. I need to make money how I can."

He nodded in understanding, though he still wore a solemn expression.

I trudged over to out makeshift beds and laid down, keeping one hand on my sword. I left taking care of the captives to the two guys.

"Don't tell me you're sleeping again?" Zeke asked.

I turned my head, glancing behind me just enough to glare at him.

"Listen, Ezekiel, I just did a hell of a lot of running to catch someone that could've revealed our location to the enemy. When you run as far as I did for something like that, I'll let you take a cat nap too."

"What are you talking about? We had two people to take care of."

"Two normal people who didn't run and weren't throwing magical vines at you." I wiggled my finger at the word magical.

There was an unsatisfied grunt in reply. I could do nothing but victoriously smirk while I fell asleep.

---

Something tapped my side and my senses erupted. I went for the sword which I was still tightly gripping a swung. There was a swish as the metal cut air.

My eyes focused. Zeke was standing a few feet back, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Where the hell were those reflexes when you fell off the horse?"

"It only works with humans. Sometimes animals, not all the time. I have a nice bite mark on my ass to prove it."

"How ladylike," he scoffed. "We're moving again. Stopping at a small village for provisions before we reach the mountains. We'll be there in about an hour."

"Why the hell didn't we stop there for the night?" I asked. "You made me sleep outside."

"I never imagined the famed rune hunter was so lazy. Don't you ever have overnight jobs?"