As usual, there may be spoilers ahead, but I’m trying to limit those.  This is a fun encounter from Book 9, The Mercenary Prince.  Gets to show off Delvin’s new toy and how he’ll be during his spotlight book.  WARNING: I haven’t edited this at all.

By Kayla Matt

For a heavyset man, the mercenary moves quicker than Delvin could ever imagine, so his punch only grazes his enemy’s cheek. A twinkling of magic can be seen under Weber’s robes whenever he moves, telling the sharp-eyed warrior that the man’s agility is nothing more than an enchantment. To free up his hand, Delvin tosses his shield into the mud and tosses his weapon to Pelo. The action seems to annoy the other mercenary who swings his metal staff, which hisses with a dangerous heat. With his bare hand, the champion catches the weapon and shoves it hard enough to pop Weber in the nose.

“I’m in a rush, big boy,” Delvin states as he gets closer to the crouching mercenary. He delivers a heel stomp to the man’s already broken nose, causing many in the crowd to cringe and groan. “Tell everyone the truth.”

“Guess being a champion has driven you insane.”

“I might not be able to set you on fire, but I can make you hurt. How many joints do you think I can break before you cry?”

“Go ahead and break my knees, Mercenary Prince. I’m not talking.”

Delvin grabs Weber’s hand and taps at his knuckles, causing the robed man’s hazel eyes to grow wide. He can feel the scared warrior try to pull away as he grabs the tip of his middle finger and starts to push it backwards. The hold is broken when the metal staff strikes his hip and the mercenary rolls out of reach. Covered in mud, Weber leaps to the other side of the street and catches his breath.

“This is an assault, Cunningham!” the man shouts while touching his shattered nose. “I will have the guards arrest you. Let’s see how much of a rush you’re in after you spend some time in the local jail.”

“It’s justified if I prove your crime,” Delvin replies as he sees some of the guards arrive. The armored swordsmen stop their advance, curious to see how the fight plays out. “At the very least, our crimes will offset each other. I might not get those supplies and horses, but I’ll free my friends from your contract.”

“You need to catch me first.”

“Are you a mercenary or a rabbit? I’ve seen more courage from toddlers and kittens.”

“I’m not a coward. I’m a tactical genius.”

“Cheater. Bastard. Bloated windbag. Those I can believe, but tactical genius is so far from the truth.”

Weber charges at Delvin and drives his staff into the ground to vault over the other warrior and strike him in the back. With a swing of his weapon, he knocks the champion into the mud and hits him in the stomach. The larger man gets close enough to spit in his enemy’s face then hunkers down to aim a punch at the fallen hero’s nose. Weber laughs when Delvin’s hands grip his robe and the man’s left forearm weakly presses against his neck. A sudden blow strikes the back of the mercenary’s head and two leather straps wrap around his enemy’s arm, tightly pressing the limb to his throat.

“I’m just finding all sorts of fun tricks with this gift,” Delvin says before he delivers a kick to Weber’s stomach and flips him onto his back. They remain connected by the enchanted shield, which helps the champion occasionally slam his opponent’s head against the ground. “I really shouldn’t have to ask again. By the way, do you happen to keep expense records like many mercenary leaders? Detailed ones I’m sure, which will be looked at if someone was to murder you in the street. That would probably free my friends and make my punishment less severe if one of my powerful allies doesn’t get me out of trouble anyway. Though those things . . . don’t pass out on me, big boy.” The warrior smacks Weber across the face a few times, briefly easing the pressure of the shield. “Basically, you’ll be dead and I’m sure you don’t want anything like that to happen.”