I'm a coward, and I am well aware of this fact. Many things terrify me. But, you have made a grave error. One thing I am not afraid of is death. -- Anon Guest
"Unlock it or die," said the brigand, knife at Mort's throat.
"Kill me. You won't be able to unlock it even when I'm dead," said Mort. The Hellkin courier seemed cooler than ice under the threat of death. "The only way to open it is when it arrives at its destination, and into the hands of its recipient." He flashed his fangs at the brigands. "Magic charm."
"There's a way to undo it isn't there? It ain't worth your life!"
"You have it wrong," said Mort. "My life ain't worth anything."
One of the brigands mumbled, "Got that right," and then realised that their racism was not paying off. "Fuck."
They tried every trick they could to unlock the small box in Mort's care. Tried to evaluate how much it was worth on the outside.
Mort bided his time. Resting. Waiting. Watching. They couldn't threaten him with death, so they kept him alive in case they could threaten him with something else. They believed that he could not feel proper pain, so they dismissed torture.
Sooner or later, they would either need to sleep or change their minds about Mort's value alive. He was patient. He could act accordingly if it came to the latter. He had more than a few tricks up his sleeve if need be.
He didn't need them. They left Mort tied up while most of them went to sleep and one stayed on watch.
One was easy enough to cast a spell of sleep on.
Mort wriggled out of his bonds, and then picked the most argumentative of brigands to kill with the most ornery's blades. He took up his charge and continued on his way.
His lord didn't want a fearless courier. He wanted those who had an abundance of fear. Fear leads to caution. Caution leads to preparation. Preparation... meant that couriers like Mort could actually reach their destinations with the thing they were charged to carry there.
The only thing Mort didn't fear was his own death. That had saved his life more than any other precaution he had ever undertook.
[Photo by Luke Porter on Unsplash]
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