Mastery Is Earned

*Some things are destined to be discarded on the road to success.*

The woman’s words echoed through Teddy’s mind once more. His hesitation vanished, and his face twisted into a vicious expression. With his back turned, Raymond had no time to react before Teddy drove a dagger into his lower left ribs.

Teddy had not chosen the spot on impulse. He had been secretly observing Raymond for a long time. Raymond often protected his lower ribs without thinking, and the coat of plates showed fresh rivets and stitching in the same area.

Teddy guessed that the goblin leader had injured Raymond’s left ribs during their earlier battle, which was why he had chosen that exact point to strike.

Just as he had expected, the dagger slipped precisely into a seam in the armor below Raymond’s left ribs. But after the tip went in, it did not sink as deeply into Raymond’s body as Teddy had anticipated.

*Damn it. He’s wearing an arming coat underneath!*

The strike had landed, but the arming coat beneath the armor stopped the dagger from penetrating farther.

Before Teddy could pull it free, a tremendous force struck his cheek. He staggered backward several steps, lost his balance, and crashed heavily to the ground.

Raymond had counterattacked almost the instant he was stabbed. Instead of drawing his arming sword, he drove Teddy back with a swift left-handed punch, then immediately stepped away to put distance between them.

Teddy struggled to his feet and spat to one side. A clot of bloody saliva landed on the ground along with two broken teeth.

*Damn bastard hits hard.*

He drew his shortsword and stared coldly at Raymond without a word. Derek and his men had watched Teddy launch his surprise attack and Raymond fight back with expressionless faces. None of them had intervened or offered a warning.

Raymond pulled the dagger from his left side and sucked in a sharp breath at the pain. He pressed a hand over the wound. Only after confirming that the bleeding was not immediately out of control did he raise his head toward Teddy and the others.

Derek and his three men remained silent, standing motionless as they stared at him. They had made no attempt to stop Teddy’s attack or Raymond’s counterstrike from beginning to end, nor had any of them spoken a word of warning.

Seeing Raymond’s expression, Teddy snorted inwardly, though he did not dare meet his eyes. Once back on his feet, he slowly moved toward Derek’s group and joined the four of them.

Derek glanced back at him with a frown. “Why did you act so soon? Weren’t we supposed to wait until we’d confirmed the cargo?”

Teddy said nothing. He lowered his head and tightened his grip on his shortsword. He had been so nervous that the moment an opportunity appeared, he had taken it and forgotten their agreement entirely.

Raymond gave Derek and his men a calm look, then returned his gaze to Teddy. “Derek... Teddy... why?”

“I’m sorry, Raymond. You’re a good man. Unfortunately, we aren’t.” Derek sighed and tightened his grip on his weapon as he met Raymond’s eyes. “I’m grateful that you avenged our brothers, but business is business. Someone paid us to kill you. Sometimes survival means doing things we’d rather not do.”

“Business?” Raymond laughed, the sound echoing through the cave. “Business is built on trust. As far as I can see, none of you can be trusted.”

His words dripped with mockery, yet Derek and the others made no attempt to argue. They merely sighed.

“And you, Teddy? Why did you betray me? Why attack me from behind? Was it money for you too? This so-called business?” Raymond’s voice carried through the cave.

“Me? You have the nerve to ask me that?” A sudden surge of anger rose inside Teddy. He shouted, “I didn’t betray you, Raymond. You betrayed me!”

“I betrayed you?” Raymond asked, baffled.

*Look at him. What an actor.*

Teddy sneered inwardly. “You don’t seriously think I have no idea what that ore was, do you?”

“Oh? What was it?” Raymond asked.

Feeling mocked yet again, Teddy roared, “I know it was Ebony ore! You damned bastard. You said that ore was evidence, but in the end, all of it went into your pockets and Henk’s! Would either of you be where you are today without me? You’d both be dead! You never treated me as a friend. I knew you before that half-breed ever did, but he’s the only one you call a friend. What does that make me? Your lackey? Your servant?”

His voice rose with every word, as though he could never finish airing all the grievances bottled up inside him. It was not fair. None of it was fair. He had done so much and sacrificed so much, yet received so little. And Raymond still had the gall to ask why, acting as though he knew nothing.

Even now, Teddy remembered that he had been the one to introduce Raymond to his first real job. Yet Raymond had given him only a pittance.

It had been the same during the last battle with the goblins. Raymond had never once thought of him. Not once. Otherwise, Teddy would have been one of the heroes of Blackstone too.

“Ebony ore...” Raymond fell silent for a moment. “Who told you?”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Who told me? What do you think?” Teddy’s voice was full of mockery. “If no one had, you’d still be keeping me in the dark. I actually believed you were working for someone else, but it turns out you were selling your own cargo all along! I had a share in those goods too. Have you forgotten that?”

*Ebony ore is valuable, but not everyone has the means to sell it. As it happens, I have a friend who does. That means we need someone we can trust. Unfortunately, Raymond isn’t trustworthy. Are you, Teddy?*

The woman’s words resurfaced in Teddy’s mind. No wonder Raymond had insisted on bringing the ore to Brightwater. As far as Teddy was concerned, Raymond and Marcus had to be hiding even more secret dealings between them.

Raymond’s contemptuous laugh broke into his thoughts. “I haven’t forgotten. Those goods were never yours, because you’re nothing but a cowardly, pathetic wretch.”

“What? You bastard—” Teddy shouted, about to answer, but Derek stopped him.

Derek looked at Raymond and sighed. “There’s nothing more to say. Let our blades settle this, Raymond. I’ll make your death quick.”

“Ha ha ha!” Raymond laughed again. His laughter was tinged with contempt, as though he truly had some sure way to win.

The cave had no exit other than the pool of unknown depth at its lowest point. Teddy’s side had five people against one. How could Raymond possibly win?

“This cave will be your grave, Raymond!” Ben shouted arrogantly.

“You want my money? First see if you live long enough to spend it!” Raymond roared.

He looked imposing, but the moment the words left his mouth, he turned and ran without the slightest hesitation. Everyone had been preparing for a desperate fight, and for a moment, they could only stare.

“That bastard...” Derek chuckled. Ben and Warren were already racing after Raymond. The cave was small, and some passages were extremely narrow. There was almost nowhere for him to escape.

Watching the others rush after Raymond, Teddy felt an urge to kill him with his own hands. Raymond’s life was worth three gold coins, after all.

And Raymond should have plenty of other money on him. Teddy had seen inside his coin purse many times. It held at least thirty silver coins, probably more. Then there was the payment Raymond had just collected from Tessa for the ore. All of that would be theirs in addition to the bounty. How could anyone resist?

Even so, Teddy did not rush after them. He had already launched the surprise attack and done his part. The rest should be left to the others. If he tried to take all the money himself, the mercenaries would never allow it. They might simply kill him too.

Besides, Raymond was a skilled fighter. If something unexpected happened, remaining at the back would make it easier for Teddy to escape than anyone else.

“Ah!”

A piercing scream rang through the cave, making Teddy’s heart tighten. It was brief, but he could tell clearly that it had not come from Raymond.

*Good. One less person to split the money with. The others should still be able to handle him, shouldn’t they?*

Uneasy thoughts churned through Teddy’s mind. The scream continued to echo through the cave as his steps grew faster.

At a bend in the passage, Teddy gained a clear view of what was happening below. The depths of the cave were dim, but the glowing plants on the walls gave him enough light to make out the figures ahead.

The passage narrowed abruptly at the corner, leaving room for only one person at a time. Raymond kept half his body concealed in the darkness beyond the bend, while the young mercenary Robin stood beside the glowing plants and fought him fully exposed in their dim light.

The passage was too narrow for Derek to move forward and help. He could only watch helplessly as Raymond landed cut after cut on Robin, cursing repeatedly from behind him.

Robin plainly wanted to retreat, but Derek blocked the passage behind him. With nowhere to go, he could only grit his teeth and continue fighting Raymond.

*So that’s why he ran deeper into the cave. He’s using the narrow space to force us to face him one at a time. We can’t attack together, and he can take us down one by one!*

Teddy understood Raymond’s plan at a glance, and a chill ran down his back. For some reason, he suddenly felt that the choice he had made was wrong. Terribly wrong.

Robin was only a young man. Once Raymond wounded him, his nerve broke. He turned to flee, but Raymond seized the opening, grabbed him, dragged him into the darkness, and cut his throat.

Derek swallowed and roared, “Damn you, Raymond! Come out and die!” His voice sounded fierce, but he was already backing away. He had lost all courage to advance.

Raymond suddenly burst from the darkness and thrust his sword at him. The attack was especially difficult to see coming from the shadows. Derek had no time to parry and could only twist aside, barely avoiding the point.

But the instant he turned, a flash of cold light appeared at the edge of his vision. A gleaming dagger thrust out of the darkness and plunged into his neck.

*That’s my dagger!*

Teddy recoiled in shock. He had never expected the situation to reverse so quickly. Without the slightest hesitation, he tightened his grip on his shortsword, turned, and fled. Moss covered the floor of the cave. After only two steps, his foot slipped and he crashed to the ground. He scrambled back up and ran for the entrance.

*This is bad. I’m finished. Finished!*

The thought repeated in his mind as he struggled onward. He wished he were tough enough to face death without fear, but the thought that he had not lived nearly long enough filled him with dread.

The cave entrance appeared ahead. Teddy scrambled toward it as though he had seen the first light of hope. He could not resist glancing back and saw Raymond closing in behind him.

Terror shook his entire body. Before he could react, a foot struck him in the back and sent him flying. His chin slammed heavily against the ground, and the loose stones tore it open.

Teddy struggled to turn over. Raymond stood above him, staring without expression. Blood spattered his black coat of plates, several scratches marked the armor, and the wound at his left ribs, still slowly bleeding, stood out most clearly of all.

“Don’t—don’t kill me! Tessa made me do it. It was all her! This is her fault. She deceived me!” Teddy raised both hands and begged desperately. “She sent people to find me! They asked about the gnolls, and then they asked how you had continued trading with them!”

Raymond, who had been radiating murderous intent, suddenly stopped. He stared fixedly at Teddy without speaking, but the threat in his gaze was unmistakable.

“Raymond! I was wrong. Please, Raymond, spare me!” Teddy still clutched his shortsword, but his body trembled uncontrollably. He could barely summon the courage to resist. “I’ll get on my knees and beg. Is that enough? Please!”

When Raymond remained unmoved, Teddy hurriedly threw down his weapon, dropped to his knees, and repeatedly struck his forehead against the ground as he wailed for mercy. “It was my fault, Raymond. I shouldn’t have believed that woman’s lies. We’re good friends, aren’t we?”

“Don’t you remember? You got your first job in Blackstone through me!”

“Back in Blackpine Forest, you and Henk would have died if I hadn’t brought the town guard!”

“I didn’t ask for a single coin from that shipment, did I? I don’t want any of it. You can keep it all. Just let me live!”

“I didn’t tell her anything about you. I only said Sheriff Marcus sent you to trade with the gnolls, that you had nothing to do with it yourself. This isn’t my fault. Blame Tessa. It’s all Tessa’s fault! She was the one who sent people to find me, and she told me she’d already convinced the others to turn on you. I was wrong, Raymond. I was wrong. Please don’t kill me. I know I was wrong!”

Teddy sobbed as he struck his forehead against the ground again and again. He had no courage to fight back. All he could do was beg and pray for Raymond’s forgiveness.

Raymond said nothing. He held his arming sword in one hand and remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.

“You’re not sorry for what you did. You’re only sorry you’re going to die.”