The Land Below our Feet II (Unleashed) COMPLETE

REPURPOSE

The young boy involuntarily flinched when the large warrior abruptly tossed the plate of food onto his lap, a small yelp escaping from his lips as he mentally cursed himself for it with embarrassment.

He had been dragged all the way up and brusquely thrown by a large oak while the couple outright ignored him and silently worked, diligently setting up their camp after checking on the two small children.

To his surprise, the man hadn't even bothered to chain or restrain him in any way. And he didn't seem the least worried that he would attempt to escape… Which to be fair, he wasn't considering at all. Cause, as if the muscled soldier's presence wasn't intimidating enough, his huge black beast was also constantly eyeing him hungrily from a close distance and almost making him s**t his trousers with it.

-Name! – The pale soldier barked, his feet stomping on the dirt as he traced deliberate circles while pacing all around him.

-M-Mikkho – The teenager stammered in a trembling voice after a brief moment of confusion, before grabbing the plate from his crossed legs and inspecting its steamy contents with a frown.

-Eat! – The golden-haired man ordered. Noticing his suspicious demeanor and rolling his eyes condescendingly at him – Trust me, if I wanted you dead, you would be dead already. Poisoning people is not my style… It takes too long.

The lanky kid swallowed a heavy lump down his throat and finally began digging into the thick stew with increasing appetite, his chewing getting more eager with each bite he took, until he was shamelessly devouring it.

-My wife is a wonderful cook, isn't she? – The bulky man said, taking a seat before him and giving him an amused smirk – I give her some venison, and she turns it into a goddamn feast…

He yawned, lazily stretching his limbs and leaning his back against a tree trunk while stealing a proud glance towards his right, where the woman sat feeding the baby by the bonfire, the enormous cat lying beside them protectively as the blue-haired kid distractedly scratched its big ears while munching on a piece of bread.

Mikkho followed the warrior's clear gaze and stared at the scene with mesmerized attention. His eyes inevitably landing on the girl's generous breast. Her full rounded bosom was washed by the warm light of the dancing flames that cast shadows over her silky skin as the infant she was holding sucked eagerly on it.

-Eyes up here, kid – The man's deep voice called out with a hint of irritation still audible behind his casual tone – I know how tempting it can be, but I would suggest you keep your sight focused on a more neutral spot if you wish to maintain your eye sockets intact.

The youngster's face turned beet red at the realization that he had just been caught flagrantly staring at the warrior's wife. His pupils darting to the ground while he uselessly tried to conceal his burning cheeks and calm his pounding heart.

-Please don't kill me – He muttered, almost in a breath, his broken voice on the verge of tears – I'm very, very sorry, Sir... I didn't mean to.

-Oh, you sure did – The soldier scoffed, calculatedly leaning towards the teen and making his skin instinctively crawl with fear – Now, if it was up to me, you would have joined the rest of your squad a while ago. But you see, my wife over there has a heart of gold below those divine knockers of hers...

He winked at the boy, his face closing in on him dangerously with narrowed eyes as he scanned the teenager's features thoroughly. The discreet smile that had been hanging on his lips suddenly widening.

-She has come up with this idea that there must be a way to repurpose your sorry existence somehow. So, you and I are going to find out whether she's right or not… And for your own sake, you better pray she is.

He paused, silently studying him from head to toe for a full sickening minute, before animatedly clapping his hands and letting out a cheerful laugh.

-All right, kiddo! Time to prove your worth! – He announced, sighing with determination - Now, tell me…. Who sent you and your crew?

-No one! – Mikkho rushed to say, shaking his head profusely – We're bounty hunters… Well, we used to be. We just wanted to collect the coin offered for your wife's capture. Yet we serve no crown whatsoever.

-Maybe not willfully – The warrior observed gravely, his clear eyes piercing his own – But someone had to issue that juicy reward you were after, and in my experience, monarchs are usually some of the few ones egotistical enough to put a price on someone else’s head.

He inhaled deeply, closing his eyelids and massaging his forehead slightly, then reopening them and staring coldly at him.

- You were heading east, boy. So, you must know I already have one good guess, but I'd rather hear it from you – The man pointedly stated, tilting his face aside- I'm gonna reformulate my question then... Which ruler was supposed to pay you?

-Queen Elande – The youngster responded with conviction, nodding at him – Hathengatt´s new regent.

-Yeah, I've heard of her – The warrior mumbled wryly – Quite a lot lately, to be honest… But you weren't going all the way up the Tayenthan mountains to deliver, were you?

-H-How did you know? – Mikkho asked with a surprised expression, biting his dry lower lip – Rovktan said the orders were to meet her at this Lowlander town called…

-Mavaer – The golden-haired man somberly murmured, finishing the kid's sentence – Then she's marching over there along with her army, just as I'd thought.

He stood quiet for another full minute, his mind clearly running at full speed behind his frozen expression, before composing a weak smile and exhaling profoundly.

-Well, too bad she won't be seeing her wish granted any time soon – He declared. A careless, jovial tone returning to his voice – All right Mikkho, let's talk about your talents… I don't think you are a good tracker, but are you a decent watcher?

-I sure am! – The teen shouted excitedly – I mean… I don't wanna sound cocky or anything, but I was the one on duty the night of your wife's capture!

His last few words drowning inside his throat and his face turning white as he was made painfully aware of what he'd just confessed.

-Is that so – The warrior inquired mellowly, his voice intentionally dragging each syllable with palpable amusement – I see… So, you are the creeper to blame for this whole ordeal then, uh? And I gather that you must have had an eyeful of our previous session as well... You dirty prowler!

-I… I… I didn't mean to – The kid sputtered with sudden terror – They put me on the watch and I just…

-You just did your job and unwillingly enjoyed the view while you were at it – The man chuckled lightheartedly – Well, I can't deny you must be a good peeper then. I didn't sense you, so you must have been a fair distance away. Am I right?

-Yes – The young boy agreed - Hawkeye made us - He said that if we came a foot closer, you would notice. So, he would use the ones with the sharpest eye for that purpose. And I was the one chosen to do it at night most of the time.

-Fair enough– The warrior nodded in approval - But why don't we put your voyeuristic skills to a better use this time? What you say?

-O-Of course – The boy stuttered, hurriedly finishing cleaning his plate - What do you need me to do?

-Go up there –The man instructed, signaling a strategically positioned hill with his head, then tossing him a horn that he'd just produced from an old sack – Blow this if you see any more trackers approaching our camp tonight.

Without saying a word, the teen then took the instrument and stood up decidedly, quietly starting to pace towards the indicated place.

-Oh... If you are thinking about escaping, then you should know that I can also be quite a decent tracker myself – The soldier warned him as he watched him slowly walk away - … Try anything funny, and I will hunt you, then I will gut you out just so my jaguar can eat you starting from there.

-With all due respect, Sir… – Mikkho answered, straightening himself up and turning around to look at him straight in the eye – I might be young, but I know what a second chance is. So, I won't let you down… I swear.

-Good – The warrior called out as the teen shakily resumed his marching - … And kid, keep those lenses on the horizon. There's nothing left to see down here.

-I will – The young boy sighed, halting after a few more steps and turning to face him again while visibly collecting his courage – But Sir… If I may ask – He began saying uncertainly, knowing that he was dangerously crossing the line. His curiosity yet prevailing over his common sense - What you did to her… How does one achieve something like that?

As soon as the question left his mouth, he looked at the ground and squinted his eyes, bracing himself for the warrior's violent response and regretting his poor self-restraint.

But the genuine sound that followed his words made him look up to find the man cracking up loudly instead, his hand clutching the side of his stomach as he tried to hold his bursting laughter.

-Listen to me. You're just a child and you still have a lot to learn before you go sticking that wiener into some girl – The pale man scoffed, shaking his head at him with amusement between chuckles – But when the time comes, just follow her lead and you should be all right, kid… Now get the f**k out of my sight and go start your watch!