Half Dead

Spade's Chance

My head felt like I had a hangover but I hadn't had anything to drink. I sat up rubbing my head.

  "Spade! Oh thank the Maker! Violet and I were worried sick!" Tulip said wrapping her arms around me. Violet was sitting next to her big sister with a mirror. She handed it to me and I looked at myself. My hair is black with silver highlights it was always loose with strands of hair matted to my forehead. I have blue eyes with green in the middle. One eye had been taken out when I was helping to kill some bandits but I just wear an eye patch over my left eye but it's covered by my hair.. My nose had a stud and so does my lip. I looked to my bow. It was made of pure ebony with ancient text etched into it. I had made it when I was younger. Hell, I even wrote my name in the thing but unless I touch it the name doesn't show.

Spade McCune. My name was given to me when an elderly man came to my mother, Cattail, just before I was born. He handed my mum a playing card with an ace of spades on it. Mum was always superstitious and thought that ignoring it was bad luck. So I ended up being Spade. My father, Moss, didn't like the fact there is a giant marking on my arm. I was born with it. I'm a super powerful mage. Tulip says I'm the most powerful mage in all of the Free Marches. I don't know. But I am the most talented thief I've ever come across. I strapped my daggers onto my thighs. My boots go up to my knees. I have a tank top with a pocket on the left side of the chest. I put herbs into that pocket. My pants are baggy with large holes at the knees. I wear a bandana around my head. It's the outfit I wear when I'm not fighting. Standing at the height of 6'3 I tower over mostly everyone. Having some tall lady with only one eye staring at isn't something people generally enjoy. Violet grabbed my hand and began bouncing up and down.

  "Spade! Tell me another story! Please?" She looked at me with her purple eyes. I chuckled picking her up and putting her on my shoulders.

"Anything for you kiddo." I said playing with her blonde hair.

   "There I was, in the caverns beneath the Genrik mansion bodies were piled so high I couldn't  see over them. It was just me and my faithful canine companion, Jeff. Genrik had taken hostages including his.... I use the word loosely....his wife and his three children. Jeff had caught a whiff and was leading the way. When we found him he was strangling his wife, Martha. I froze him solid with a freezing spell. Then a unicorn came along and revealed that the now frozen man wasn't really Genrik and that he was asleep in his bed. I turned in the imposter and everyone lived happily ever after. The end." I concluded. I had lied a little bit. You see the man I froze really was Genrik, he had successfully killed his wife and scarred his children for life. Also I didn't turn him in I decapitated that ugly fucker. Violet looked at me with a smile.

     "I'm glad everything turned out okay. More importantly I'm happy you are okay!" She hugged me giggling.  "So am I kiddo." I hugged her back. Tulip tapped me on the shoulder and motioned me outside with her.

    "What's up Lip?" I asked. She brushed her dirt blonde hair from her gray purple eyes.

"How are you holding up? I know....Actually. No I had don't know. I don't have a clue about how you must feel. I mean, for most of your life you thought they were dead but... They weren't and now they come back thinking they can just.... Leave you to fend for yourself then out of the blue after you've made a name for yourself they think they reappear out of the blue and take over your life! And the worst part is they think that you and I shouldn't be caring for my little sister! They think you and I aren't adult enough!" Tulip was furious. You see ever since I was little I was told my parents were dead. That they had disappeared. Everyone said my parents loved me and they wouldn't have left me. And know it's revealed they weren't dead. But they are dead I saw them die. So whoever these people are they aren't my parents.

  "My parents did die. I saw it. But this is super morbid. Let's go get Violet and go for a walk." I said changing the subject. Tulip sighed looking at me with a large amount of doubt.

    "So you're telling me that you watched your parents die, didn't tell anyone, then some people start acting like your parents?" Tulip asked questioningly.

"Yeah. Well shit. Sad thing is, it's not even the weirdest thing that's happened to us." She said rubbing her temples. I looked at her and shrugged. With Violet on my shoulders we went out walking. Violet grabbed at a butterfly as it zoomed over head.  I reached up with long arms and it landed in my hand.

  "Wow! You're very good with animals Spade!" She giggled cheerfully. Violet was oblivious to most bad things. As a little girl should be. We wandered through Lowtown and into Darktown on Violets request. I stopped at the clinic doors.

  It's been ages since I've spoken to him.... Lets hope he doesn't remember me.  I thought kicking at the dirt. Violet scurried down and through the door.

  "Hey! Kiddo!" I hollered chasing after her. When I got in I saw she was already talking to Anders. He saw me almost immediately.

   "Wow. Spade? You've.... Grown." He said smiling.

Ugh! He is super hard to hate! But I have to! Hold your grudge for Vi's sake. I told myself shaking my head. But while lost in thought I didn't realize he was right in front of me. He wrapped his arms around me.

   "What?! The! Oh shit! Anders! You scared me! For the sake of your health please don't do that!" I said startled. He smiled at me warmly.

     "You still don't like hugs?" He asked looking at Violet. I took her hand and stepped forward.

"Vi. Why don't you go wait outside with Lip. I need to talk to Anders." I said firmly shooting daggers at him. When she was out of ear shot I whipped back around. For some reason I was dressed for battle. He stared at me mouth agape. I backhanded him angrily.

   "It's not my fault! When I feel.... Threatened it just happens! Plus don't look at me like I'm a whore. I'm not!" I yelled waving my arms wildly.

"Okay. I believe you! Calm down. And I didn't think you were a whore. It was odd you changed so fast." He said defensively. I sat down and explained the recent events......