The Final Hydra

A New Mission

I awake in my small cottage, my surroundings the same as always. In between my bed and the wall rests my two black swords, both within reach should someone try and break in. While it has never happened before I won't take any chances, especially with my past. The fact is I was a commander in a war that ended two years ago and before than I was a bounty hunter. I'd bet there are a lot of people that want me dead.

I slowly sit up, my body still drained from fatigue. Yesterday I had trained harder than usual after becoming frustrated by the people here in town. During the war I had been named a War Hero but that all changed about a year ago. Many people here are now blaming me for starting the war and yet, I have no idea why. Many people avoid me now but there's still the few that I see regularly at the local pub.

I grab my two swords off the rack and the moment my fingers touch them, a vision flashes in my head. One of my many memories that I'd much rather forget. I remember I had a contract to kill a woman who was convicted of murder. The problem was she was wrongfully convicted but many wanted her dead. A very large group of people had come together and put a bounty on her head, but the only way to get the bounty was if she were dead.

I spent three months tracking the woman down. When I finally found her she tried to use magic to save herself and while her powers were impressive, she wasn't able to win against me. Although I have to admit, she did give me a large scar on my left arm. When she had finally fallen to her knees from using too much of her powers we were both breathing heavily. Even after battle she had looked me in the eyes, tears running down her cheeks.

She began begging me not to kill her, saying that she didn't do anything. At the time, I didn't care after all the trouble she had caused me. I watch again in horror as I had taken her life. I squeeze my eyes shut to cut off the memory. What I had done had crushed me afterwards. I instantly regretted killing her. I tried to find some comfort for what I had done by telling myself that if I had let her live, some other bounty hunter would have killed her. They might have even tortured her.

After I got paid for the job I kept just enough money to keep me from going hungry for the rest of my life. After that I tracked down her family and gave them the rest. I told them that I was sorry and I was surprised when they said they didn't hate me for what I had done. I didn't understand how they couldn't hate me for what I did, but I thanked them for it. Somehow, it actually brought me a little peace of mind. Still, that one bounty made me swear that I'd never do it again.

If I'm being fully honest with myself, she wasn't the only bounty that I regret taking. It seemed that over half of them I regret taking due to how they ended. Sometimes it was because all I could see afterwards was their faces just before death. Other times it was because I was never paid for the bounty. However there were a few times when I was proud of the bounty I had taken. There were times when the bounty was about to kill someone else and I managed to save their lives. Other times it was people that were truly evil that I tracked down. I'd like to say that makes things better, but I can't say for...

My thoughts are interrupted when a loud knock on my door echoes throughout my small cottage. I snatch my sword from where it sits and quickly unsheathe it. I silently move to the door and unlatch the lock that holds it shut. I hold my sword out of view from whoever might be on the other side of the door. I'd imagine it's someone like a hunter or someone looking for revenge.

I slowly open my door and the person standing on the other side is different from anything I had expected. There is a man dressed in an expensive white and blue uniform that bears the crest of The Clarke Noble Family. Why would there be a noble here?

"Crowley Mercer, your reputation precedes you. I know who you are and I know all about your past. I know how capable you are, which is why I am here to offer you a mission," the Noble man says.