Demonthorn Ch. 02.1

"Mistress Kelli, we did not see you there." Stammered the Lord as he tried to step backward.

"You have abused this girl." The woman said sternly, as if it were indeed a fact instead of a question.

"Her parents sold their parental rights of her to me six months ago. I am well within my rights to discipline a child under my care in any way I see fit." Said the Lord crossly, convinced of the rightness of his actions.

"A guardian is not permitted to fuck a girl under his charge in the ass, under any sort of law." Said the jangler with an eerie calm that hinted at the sort of power this woman possessed.

The Lord looked uncomfortable. He was able to do his business because he was able to buy children and women from poor families who would receive a large sum of money for their trouble. Legally, slavery was not allowed, so he became a legal guardian for all of the women he employed, as then he was able to collect all their earnings and keep them in the brothel at all times. However, he was explicitly not allowed to fuck any of these women, as it would be considered a breach of contract. The Lord liked his own product too much to only let others have it all to themselves.

"You have no proof, the Judge in this town would be on my side. You saw nothing jangler!" He practically spat out this last word, insulting the woman with his disrespectful attitude.

Lora was frozen still, unsure of what to do. The two enforcers were far bigger than Mistress Kelli and they each removed their short swords from their scabbards, ready to jump into a fight if need be.

"I heard everything." She said ominously. "I heard your madame steal from her. I heard you fuck her until she wept. I heard her sister's last breath as it left this world. You do not own her anymore. Her debt to you is paid as of now."

And with that, Kelli removed 3 gold coins from her purse and threw them at the Lord's feet.

"I paid far more than that in order to get the two of them!" Moaned the Lord.

The jangler said nothing and started to walk toward Lora, who could not believe what she was hearing. If what the Valkyrie said was true, she was free. Her heart leaped at the possibility that she would actually get out of this nightmare not only alive but a free woman.

"Who are you to take my property jangler? I hire these men hear to protect my investment in my wards. They would be forced to act if you tried to take her from her legal guardian for such a pittance." Said the Lord with a slight smile. "I am bothered by the fact that you think that mere money is enough for my emotional pain and suffering at the death of this girl's twin and the grief it is causing me to have her leave."

The jangler sighed with what almost seemed boredom and turned to face the two men with swords, sizing them up. The Lord grew impatient and an evil smile spread across his lips, a not so covert signal that his two men were to attack.

Lora saw the woman smile as both men came at her. She unsheathed her sword and then stuck it in the ground. The jangler dodged both men as they swept their swords at her, hitting nothing but air as she almost danced away, her outfit clanging as she moved.

The men seemed confused, but came at the woman again, but sower and more cautious, no long certain of their superiority. The Fury whipped out a walking stick that had been tied to her back and twirled it in her hands so fast that it mad a whooshing sound in the air. The longer reach of her staff smacked both men's hands, knocking their weapons away. Then she planted her staff in the ground and lifted her foot up in a powerful kick that connected with Little Dennis' chin, knocking him out. And spraying a few teeth to the ground as well.

Big Jym took a step back and pulled out his dagger, licking his lips nervously. The jangler sent a grin his way and charged. She threw her staff away and fired off lightning fast punches and kicks to the man's face, neck and chest, causing him to slash upward with his dagger, narrowly missing her face. She kicked him sideways on his left knee, dropping him to a kneeling position and with her right hand grabbed his wrist and twisted it until it cracked. Jym howled and dropped the knife, which the jangler caught in her other hand.

The woman threw him to the ground and advanced upon the Lord.

"Please mercy Mistress Kelli, I was just trying to protect what is mine." He whimpered, tears leaking out of his bleary eyes as he dropped to his knees and begged.

"I am not going to kill you, you twit." Said Kelli, annoyed. "I am just going to take everything from you but your life. Now hold still or you could lose an eye."

She grabbed the Lord by his hair and pulled him close. With the dagger she cut a circle in his forehead and then cut a diagonal slash threw it. The entire time the man screamed in pain, cursing her and her order. She ignored it until her work was done.

"This mark removes the protection of the Order of Valkyries from this man. He is no longer entitled to live, do business or visit any territory under our protection. May the Master have mercy on your wretched soul when you go crawling to him for help." Said Kelli, seething with anger as she said this to him.

"You have all but killed me you stupid bitch! You have doomed me! Fuck you and that smirk on your face!" He snarled.

"Well, when you get the divine mandate to dispense justice, you can do the same to me. If you feel my judgment was in error, you can see the Council of Reparations at Ravencrag. After four to six weeks you might get a formal apology, but that's it. Your days of pimping girls for sex and flaunting it in the face of the law is over."

The lord just lay weeping in the road as all of the whores filed out of the brothel and disappeared down the road, having heard the proclamation of the Valkyrie that they were free. The jangler retrieved all of her weapons and looked the bloody dagger over. She shrugged her shoulders and tossed it in the dirt next to Big Jym.

Lora was still frozen, unsure of what to do as the jangler came toward her. She bit her lip as the woman wrapped her armored arms around her. Then Lora began to cry as she had never cried before. They were tears of relief, tears of terror, tears of sadness and despair.

"Come on little one, let's go bury your sister." Said Kelli when Lora had stopped sobbing. "Then we can get going to Ravencrag. I have a feeling you will be most welcome there."