Frozen in Time

The Contract

(Due to many unfortunate events of the past year, the story will be going through some changes to fit the guide lines of Starry and to add more content/detail of each chapter. I ask that you please be patient with me and the story updates. I highly encourage positive feedback.)

Once I exited the bar and went around the corner of the building, making sure that no one was looking my way, I broke the cake open. Upon breaking the cake open, a key jutted out from the middle of its gooeyness. The key’s handle was carved with an intricate raven, whereas the other end was a hollowed out feather. I shoved the key into my pocket and munched the cold cake as I maneuvered through the trees, losing any souls that would dare attempt to follow me.

A few minutes later I stopped in front of a boulder stamped with the shape of a moon. This moon was expertly crafted in a way that if you didn’t know what you were looking for, you would never find it. In the center of the rock was a small sliver of a crack. Just big enough to fit a key in. I dove my hand into my pocket and tugged the key out. Before inserting the key, I took one last look around, making sure I was not followed. Seconds later I was engulfed in a thick mist that smelled of fresh lavender.

It almost seemed like I was in it for eternity, only to blink and see myself in a large cozy room, stacked to the brim with boxes full of papers. In the middle of the room was a large table with an empty chair.

A voice in the distance spoke out, "Well, well, well. You finally decided to show yourself."

“Hey, Andrea,” I said awkwardly. Andrea is a short plump woman, with long luscious curly hair that cascades down her body. Her hair framed her body in such a way that it made every curve pop forcing anyone who dared gaze upon her to instantly fall in love.

“I don’t know whether I should banish you to the underrealm, slap the nonsense out of you, or give you a deadly bear hug!” She said in a disappointed voice that made me feel ashamed for leaving her behind. She was easily furious with me. When I was still living at the guild, Andrea and I had become close friends. Sisters even. But since the passing of my mentor, I never came back to say goodbye and it broke her heart.

Since I did not feel like dying today, I jumped forward and encased her in a tight hug. This caught Andrea by surprise. The longer I held her in my embrace, the more I could feel her body de-tensed as the anger slipped away. I missed these hugs so much that I didn’t realize tears began flowing down my cheeks. I knew Andrea had shed tears as they soaked my blouse. Her scent of lilacs and warmth almost made me forget why I had come back to the Order.

She slowly pulled away to look me in the face, "Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? You just disappeared!" She gently wiped the tears that had escaped from my face. In a split second, an unseen force pushed me back where I landed in a chair. Andrea walked over in an attempt to over tower me like a child in need of scolding. She went off like a blizzard in winter, a force to be reckoned with.

"You should be ashamed of what you did. We searched everywhere trying to find you. You know full well that being alone is dangerous, especially in this line of work. No letter. No messenger. No nothing! Your Johnathan would be ashamed of you for what you did." Andrea kept going till she finally had her say. It made me angry but the best thing I could have done was to keep my mouth shut.

Jonathan was everything to me and Andrea. As much as it hurt her to use those words, she spoke the truth to me in full force, hoping it would get me to see things her way. It worked. No one could make me feel so incompetent and ashamed as she could.

She stared at me straight into my eyes, waiting for me to reply.

“I’m sorry.” Was all I could say.

"I'M SORRY!!!! That's all you have to say after all of that!"

I grabbed her shoulders before she could give me another earful. “I know nothing I say or do can ease the pain I have caused you. You mean everything to me, and you always will. But I came to get a contract rumored to be of high value.”

She stared at me, her face full of sadness that I wanted to wrap her up in another hug. “That’s why you’re here?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me why you want a high contract?”

There was no use in lying about it to Andrea. So the truth is what I gave her. “So I can finally leave this place once and for all. No more blood. No more death. Just blissful freedom.”

It didn’t come as a surprise to her that I wanted to leave for good, but what she said next caught me off guard. “Then you're taking me with you.”

“I can’t.”

“And why can’t you.”She spat back, full of venom. Her hands on her hips knowing full well I wouldn't be able to come up with a valid excuse, but I came up with one anyway.

“Because your place is here.”

“No sweety, my place is with my friend. And if you’re leaving, then I’m leaving with you. Don’t make me put a curse on you that will force you to stay, never being able to escape from here for the rest of your life.” Gods damn this woman. You’d think she was bluffing, but she has some serious mojo when it comes to all things magical. It’s why no one messes with her and how she got to the position she currently is in the Order. “Fine.” I sputtered out between my clenched teeth.

“Good.” She said triumphantly before twirling around to head back to her table. Andrea shuffled through some papers before handing a few to me to look through. Normally, the contracts I grab are easily a one-man job, but still pays good enough to support two people.

I looked through the contracts she handed to me before asking, “Do you have any contracts that are of higher value than this?” “Hmmm. Let me look again.” After shuffling around some more, she let out a loud “Ah!” “ Here’s the highest paying one.” She handed me the paper.

I looked it over and could not believe how much they were willing to give as the reward. Some rich snob of a lord wants to have another competing lord be extinguished from this world in order to claim their land. The reward was five million gold pieces. I don’t know who this lord was, but he was as good as dead.

“This is it!” I squealed as I looked up from the paper at Andrea.

The contract as follows:

Anonymous:

I wish to have Lord Duncan of Bramble to cease to exist. I am rewarding any who fulfills this contract five million gold. As for the whereabouts, he will be passing through a small village called Crims. Please contact a member of my household when the contract has been completed to collect the reward.

It was quite normal that most who create contracts wish to remain anonymous. As far as contracts go, this was the smallest and least detailed contract I had ever seen. Most contracts are littered with a whole background story and/or specifics on how they want the victim to die. For such a high reward this contract was going to be one of the easiest I’d do. I am going to need a team since there will more than likely be escorts with this lord. All higher class snobs never go anywhere without a pack of dogs.